Marie Antoinette's Ladies

When the Austrian Archduchess arrived at Versailles a new household emerged. From this point on the young Marie Antoinette would be surrounded by French ladies; some would serve for a short period while others remained by her side until the revolution. This post concerns itself with those ladies who served the Queen - the Dauphine's dame du compagnie and the Queen's superintendent, dames du palais, dame d'atours and dame d'honneur.

These were far from the only ones employed by the Queen but they are the titled ladies with whom she had most contact.

The list is written alphabetically according to the first-name. This way it makes it easier to track each lady's career in the royal household.


Adélaïde-Diane-Hortense Mancini-Mazarini, Duchesse de Cossé
1770-75: dame d'atours
Married to Louis Hercule Timoléon de Cossé-Brissac

Had serious health issues which led her to resign her position in 1775. She would then travel abroad and to the south of France to seek an improvement in health.

Status: survived the revolution and died in Yvelines

Duchesse de Cossé

Adélaïde-Félicité-Étienette de Guinot de Monconseil, Princesse d'Hénin
1778-89: dame du palais
Married to Charles Alexandre Marc Marcellin d'Alsace, Prince d'Hénin-Liétard

Status: survived the revolution but year of death uncertain (possibly 1823)


Alexandrine-Victoire-Éléonore de Damas d'Antigay, Comtesse de Talleyrand
1780-89: dame du palais
Married to Charles Daniel de Talleyrand-Périgord

Status: survived the revolution

Comtesse de Talleyrand

Anne-Claude-Louise d'Arpajon, Comtesse de Noailles
1770-75: dame d'honneur
Married to Philippe de Noailles

She was the one who Marie Antoinette nick-named "Madame Etiquette"

Status: guillotined in 1794

Comtesse de Noailles

Colette-Marie-Paule-Hortense-Bernardine de Beauvilliers de Saint-Aignan, Marquise de La Roche-Aymon
1775-89: dame du palais
Married to Antoine Charles Guillaume de La Roche-Aymon

Status: survived the revolution and died in Paris



Gabrielle-Charlotte-Éléonore de Saulx-Tavannes, Vicomtesse de Castellane
1785-89: dame du palais
Married to Charles de Saul de Tavannes

Status: survived the revolution. Remained in France during the revolution



Gabrielle-Charlotte-Eugénie de Boisgelin, Comtesse de Gramont d'Aster
1788-89: dame du palais
Married to Antoine-Francois de Gramont

Status: emigrated in 1791; returned to France in 1796



Gabrielle-Pauline Bouthillier de Chavigny, Comtesse d'Adhémar
1770-74: lady-in-waiting to the Dauphine
1774-89: dame du palais
Married first to Joseph Ignace Cosme Alphonse Roch de Valbelle, then to Jean Balthazar d'Adhémar

Before being appointed to the new Dauphine's household in 1770, Gabrielle had been a dame du palais to Marie Leszczynska
During her tenure ship with the Dauphine she married the Comte d'Adhémar in 1772

Status: arrested during the revolution but released after the fall of Robespierre



Geneviève de Gramont, Comtesse d'Ossun
1781-1792: dame d'atours
Married to Charles d'Ossun

Status: guillotined in 1794

Possibly the Comtesse d'Ossun

Guyonne-Élisabeth-Josèphe de Montmorency-Laval, Duchesse de Luynes
1775-1789: dame du palais
Married to Louis-Joseph-Charles-Amable d'Albert

Status: survived the revolution

Duchesse de Luynes

Guyonne-Marguerite-Philippine-Élisabeth de Durfort, Vicomtesse de Choiseul-Praslin
1770-74: lady-in-waiting to the Dauphine
1774-88: dame du palais
Married to Renaud César Louis de Choiseul

Status: survived the revolution and died in paris



Laure-Auguste de Fitzjames, Princesse de Chimay
1770-74: lady-in-waiting to the Dauphine
1774-75: dame du palais
1775: dame d'atours
1775-1791: dame d'honneur

Status: emigrated to Belgium

Princesse de Chimay

Louise-Adélaïde-Victoire de Durfort de Civrac, Marquise de Clermont-Tonnerre
1770-74: lady-in-waiting to the Dauphine
1774-81: dame du palais
Married to Charles-Gaspard de Clermont-Tonnerre

Status: unknown date of death



Louise-Charlotte-Henriette-Philippine de Noailles, Duchesse de Duras
1770-74: lady-in-waiting to the Dauphine
1774-89: dame du palais
Married to Emmanuel-Céleste de Durfort

Had been supernumerary dame du palais to Marie Leszczysnka

Status: survived the revolution

Duchesse de Duras

Louise-Emmanuelle de Châtillon, Princesse de Tarente 
1786-89: dame du palais
Married to Charles Bretagne Marie de La Trémoille

Accompanied Marie Antoinette and the Princesse de Lamballe to the Tuileries

Status: emigrated to England during the Reign of Terror and later moved to Russia

Princesse de Tarente

Madeleine-Angélique-Charlotte de Bréhan, Duchesse de Maillé
1788-89: dame du palais
Married to Charles Rene de Maillé de La Tour Landry

Status: Sent to the Tuileries with Marie Antoinette but later removed to the prison on the Rue de Sèvres. She was sentenced to death but had been confused with another person which postponed the execution. Luckily for her, Robespierre fell immediately afterwards and sh was released.

Duchesse de Maillé

Madeleine-Suzanne-Adélaïde Voyer d'Argenson de Paulmy, Duchesse de Luxembourg
1771-74: lady-in-waiting to the Dauphine
1774-89: dame du palais
Married to Anne Charles Sigismond de Montmorency-Luxembourg

Status: emigrated to Hamburg




Marie-Anne-Philippine-Thérèse de Montmorency-Logny, Duchesse de Boufflers
1770: lady-in-waiting to the Dauphine (replaced in 1771)
Married to Charles-Joseph-Marie de Boufflers

Had served Marie Leszczynska as dame du palais

Status: year of death uncertain but around 1797




Marie-Éléonore de Lévis de Châteaumorand, Comtesse de Tavannes
1770-74: lady-in-waiting to the Dauphine
1774-85: dame du palais
Married to Charles-Francois-Casimir de Saulx

Also a part of Marie Leszczynska's household

Died in 1793

Comtesse de Tavannes

Marie-Elisabeth Chamillart, Marquise de Talleyrand
1770-74: lady-in-waiting to the Dauphine
1774-80: dame du palais
Married to Daniel Marie-Anne de Talleyrand-Périgord

Died in 1788



Marie-Jeanne de Talleyrand-Périgord, Duchesse de Mailly
1770-74: lady-in-waiting to the Dauphine
1774-75: dame du palais
1775-89: dame d'atours

Died in 1792

Duchesse de Mailly

Marie-Louise de Bonnières de Souastre de Guisnes, Comtesse de Juigné
1784-89: supernumerary dame du palais
Married to Charles-Philibert-Gabriel Le Clerc

Died in 1792



Marie-Louise d'Esparbès de Lussan, Comtesse de Polastron
1782-1789: dame du palais
Married to Denis de Polastron

She was the mistress of the Comte d'Artois

Status: died in London of tuberculosis

Comtesse de Polastron

Marie-Louise-Sophie de Faoucq de Garnetot, Comtesse de Gramont
1770: lady-in-waiting to the Dauphine
1774-88: dame du palais
Married to Antoine-Adrien-Charles de Gramont

Status: emigrated to Brunswick where she died



Marie-Madeleine de Rosset de Fleury, Duchesse de Beauvilliers
1770-74: lady-in-waiting to the Dauphine
1774-86: dame du palais

Married to Paul-Estienne-Auguste de Beauvilliers

She was also a dame du palais to Marie Lescszynska

Status: survived the revolution

Marie-Paule-Angélique d'Albert de Luynes, Duchesse de Chaulnes

1770-74: lady-in-waiting to the Dauphine
1774-81: dame du palais

Married to Marie-Joseph-Louis d'Albert d'Ailly

Died in 1781

Duchesse de Chaulnes

Marie-Sylvie-Claudine de Thiard de Bissy, Duchesse de Fitzjames

1781-1789: dame du palais

Married to Jacques-Charles de Fitzjames

She was greatly esteemed by Marie Antoinette

Status: emigrated to Brussels in 1791. She corresponded with Marie Antoinette who advised her not to return to France

Duchesse de Fitzjames

Marie-Thérèse-Josèphe de Castellane, Princesse de Berghes

1781-1789: dame du palais

Married to Adrien-Joseph-Ghislain, Prince de Berghes

Status: survived the revolution

Thérèse-Lucy de Rothe, Comtesse de Dillon

1780-82: dame du palais

Married to Arthur Dillon

Died in 1782

Comtesse de Dillon