The Colour Palette of Fashion: Pink

Fashionable colours rotate on a constant basis; some are firm fixtures while others are passing trends that disappear as soon as the craze for them has passed. In this wheel of colours, pink is one of the newest colours to enter the permanent shades. Prior to the 17th century, pink was not found amongst the wardrobes of either aristocracy or commoners. In art, it was usually for skin tones or perhaps flowers but rarely (although not never) clothing. It was not until the 18th century that the word "pink" was even coined in the English language.

Robe à l'Anglaise 1785-87, robe à la Française 1750 and
robe à la Française 1775

Recently, the colour pink has been associated with femininity but historically this was not the case. The 17th and 18th century did not assign specific colours to genders, so pink and blue were not considered to be "reserved" for girls and boys respectively. On the contrary, both men and women had their portraits painted while wearing completely pink ensembles. To a gentleman at Versailles, there was nothing unmanly about a pink, silk suit.

While the age of Versailles did not think of pink as a "girl colour", it was still subjected to other social rules. Pink was a young person's colour. For instance, when Marie Antoinette reached her 30th birthday she ceased wearing the delicate pinks of her youth. As the ill-fated queen stated, it was not suitable for a woman to continue to wear such a shade. This perfectly illustrates how her contemporary world viewed the colour pink.

Robe à l'Anglaise, 1770-80, robe à la Française 1770 and
robe à la Française 1770's

It was not until the latter half of the 18th century that pink truly became a fashion statement. From this period on, pastel tones became more in vogue compared to the stronger colours that had previously dominated. Consequently, pink took over where a deeper red had previously been preferred.

Madame de Pompadour introduced her two signature shades during her reign as Louis XV's mistress: a delicate green and a rosy pink. While she was in power, these shades were the height of fashion - or at least, for those who did not mind following a bourgeoisie's lead. The "Pompadour pink" was made by adding drops of blue, black and yellow to the pink dye.

Suit 1750-60, suit 1780's and the suit worn by Louis XVII,
son of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette

La Pompadour fully embraced her signature colours. Amongst her modes of transportations, she had a carriage which was painted in the very shade of pink that became so associated with her. Indoors, Sèvres (who had come up with the blend) supplied her with vases, incense burners and artificial flowers in the same tone.

Suit 1775-80, suit 1770's and waistcoat from 1760

Madder - or rather its roots - had traditionally been used to achieve a deep, red colour. However, it could also be used for pink. China and Japan were masters when it came to dyeing (especially silks) so it is hardly surprising that a lot of dyed fabrics were imported. However, the Europeans were not completely behind. Since Roman times, madder had been cultivated in Italy. By 1747, the more modern methods of deriving red from madder were brought to France.

A recipe of the mid-18th century describes how silk could be dyed pink. The recipe calls for safflower, pearl-ash and lime juice amongst other ingredients. For wool, alum and cream of tartar was called for. The same recipe notes that if the pink is not strong enough, the fabric should be heated while soaking in a madder liquid.

Comtesse de Provence, Madame Adélaide
and Marie Antoinette as a child

As with every other colour that happens to come into fashion, the shade spreads beyond clothing. Furniture, china even jewels could be had in pink shades. Pink diamonds were listed amongst the possession of the French Crown Jewels.

The symbolic meaning of pink was very divided, too. Since it was made so popular by the king's mistress, it would inevitably be connected with flirtation and romance - regardless of  whether she shared his bed or not. One of the most famous paintings of the 18th century is "the Swing" by Jean-Honoré Fragonard which captures the romantic side to the colour.

Marquise de Caumont La Force, Madame de
Pompadour and Louisa Ulrika of Prussia

However, not long after Madame de Pompadour's death, pink was suddenly associated with youth and innocence. Thus, it quickly went from being the colour of aristocratic flirtations to a delicate shade donned by the youth of the court.

Comte de Provence (as a child), Comte d'Artois 
and an unknown gentleman

Baby Bumps In Corsets: Maternity Wear in the 17th and 18th Century

The 18th century is almost synonymous with the dramatic fashions of the time; the elaborate gowns with tiny waists and huge panniers are well recognized silhouettes from the time. Yet, the tightly laced bodices were hardly compatible with the growing midriff of a pregnant woman. Nevertheless, in an age with no birth control and where aristocratic marriages were contracted with the intention of producing an heir, women often went through many pregnancies. So, maternity wear was as necessary then as it is now - but how did it look?

In private, ladies (and gentlemen for that matter) were free to wear looser fitting clothing. However, in the stiff court ceremonies there were no room for such luxuries. Instead, women continued to wear their normal clothing and simply loosened their corset and, as their bellies grew, could exchange it for a different type of corset. It is little wonder that fainting fits were considered a normal sign that a woman was pregnant.

The corsets worn by a woman with child could be loosened both at the front and at the sides. The design was rather ingenious. In the beginning of the pregnancy, the corset could still be laced rather tightly but as the woman's stomach grew, laces at the side were gradually loosened depending on how far along she was. In this manner, it differed from the otherwise completely stiff whalebone corsets. But it should still be pointed out that she would be expected to wear a corset.

Corset (reproduction) of an 18th century pregnancy
corset

Marie Adélaide of Savoy shocked the court at Versailles when she became pregnant and took off her corset. During this period - Louis XIV's era - it was well-known that the king loathed sloppiness in dress in his female companions. While the Duc de Bourgogne, her husband, supported her, she was eventually admonished to put the corset back on.

During the baroque age, the Adrienne gown was the standard pregnancy gown. In this period, there was less focus on a tight and slim silhouette which would become fashionable in the middle of the 18th century. Instead, the Adrienne gown was very loose-fitting and had no actual waistline. Layers upon layers fell from the bust and thus covered the expanding waistline. The Adrienne came into style in 1703 and was named after an actress who played the leading lady in the play by the same name. However, as the Duchesse de Bourgogne found out, Louis XIV was not best pleased to see the women of his court in too loose clothing.

An Adrienne gown seen from the side

Interestingly enough, the robe à la Française was originally meant to be a pregnancy gown and as such was very informal. But as the 18th century progressed it was tightened to conform to the tastes of the era and became the standard formal wear - overshadowed only by the grand habits.

It was only in the latter part of the pregnancy that court ladies were socially permitted to throw off the stiff court gowns. Considering that miscarriages were a common phenomenon, it is likely that this was allowed in order to protect the child. Another reason was that it simply was not possible for a woman in her ninth month of pregnancy to squeeze herself into her customary gown.

It should be said, that once these late months of pregnancy were reached, it was not looked down upon in the slightest to wear more loose-fitting clothes. Even the queen (or perhaps especially the queen, considering the importance of the child she was carrying) was allowed to relax her style. Marie Antoinette received the ambassador of Venice in such informal wear, for instance. Yet, she made sure to make her apologies and explain her state - which must have been fairly obvious but manners matter!

A woman wearing a lévite gown while playing with her monkey - as you do,
of course

When Marie Antoinette at long last conceived a child, she took hitherto unseen liberties when it came to her pregnancy clothing. A particular favourite in this aspect was the "lévite" gown which suited perfectly to both the queen's condition and her estate at Petit Trianon. The gown made no use of tightly laced whalebone corset but highlighted the waist with a scarf loosely bound in a knot. The sleeves, too, were looser which must have been a great comfort compared to the tight sleeves of a grand habit. According to Caroline Weber in her wonderful book "Queen of Fashion", she mention that by 1782, the lévites accounted for 1/3 of the queen's wardrobe. This in itself shows a change in society's attitude towards this new silhouette - at least at Petit Trianon.

Before Marie Antoinette donned her looser gowns, her predecessor, Marie Leszczynska, had fewer options. The Polish-born consort of Louis XV, endured a decade of almost constant pregnancies, so naturally, pregnancy clothing was a stable in her wardrobe. 

The term "maternity wear" did not actually exist in the 18th century. Today, we connect the term with not only clothing worn during pregnancy but sometimes also after. However, a lady at Versailles was expected to be back in her whalebone corset once she had staid out her period of bed-rest.

Natalia Alexeivna, Tsarevna of Russia, pregnant in 1775

The Syphilis of the Duc de Vendôme

Louis Joseph de Bourbon, Duc de Vendôme earned his reputation as a capable general to Louis XIV; at court, he enjoyed the privileges of being a duke and peer. However, he would suffer throughout most of his life from a devastating disease: syphilis.

The British Journal of Dermatology and Syphilis has characterized his particular type of syphilis as bone syphilis. Twice did he undergo a severe mercury and heat treatment which left him horribly disfigured - without curing the disease. The Duc de Saint-Simon relates in horror how Vendôme publicly announced that he was leaving court to seek out treatment at the hands of the doctors - the memoirist makes it very clear that he feels such a disease should have prompted the general to leave quietly in shame. The treatments he underwent took place between 1698-1700 - three times in total. 

The first time he returned to Versailles, the mercury had already taken its obvious toll. Again, according to Saint-Simon:

"... (he) returned to the Court, with half his nose, his teeth out, and a physiognomy entirely changed, almost idiotic"

The doctors at the time thought him to be cured - at least temporarily. In sympathy for his altered looks, Louis XIV gave secret orders that no one was to mention or even allude to the physical effects of the treatment. Alas, the trials of the Duc de Vendôme were not done.

Louis Joseph had spent some time at his estate of Anet before returning to Versailles. However, as time went on, it became clear that the syphilis was slowly but certainly resurfacing. To the even greater outrage of Saint-Simon, Louis Joseph took another public leave but with no better success. As could be expected, his face was even worse off than the first time. 

Louis Joseph - the painter has tactfully
omitted the facial disfiguration 

His contemporaries did not hesitate to determine on the cause of Louis Joseph's illness. He was known to openly carry on homosexual affairs which (at the time) was thought to be tell-tale sign of a debauched lifestyle. A great deal of people believed that the disease was a consequence of it - and therefore not to be pitied. However, there is something to suggest that Louis Joseph did not come by the disease through a love affair: both he and his brother suffered from the disease. While the illness was not uncommon at the time it is worth considering whether their mother may have been infected.

Claude Quétel - author of A History of Syphilis - supports the explanation of contraction through sexual activities.

The disease had an impact on every aspect of his life. Besides the disdain he had to endure through the likes of Saint-Simon, his military career suffered too. During his campaign in Spain, Louis Joseph was granted permission to return to France to undergo further treatment. Despite his numerous attempts, the Duc de Vendôme would never be completely rid of his disease. 

The Court at Sceaux

With the reign of Madame de Maintenon, came an era of unprecedented dullness at Versailles. The glorious fêtes were long passed and grand balls were reserved for weddings. Even the weekly, Appartement was only seldom visited by the king himself who instead spent his evenings with Maintenon. The combination of the new mistress' influence over the king and the disastrous finances (as a consequence of several military failures) meant that Versailles had little attraction for the young aristocrats who could not claim a position in a royal household.

Anne Louise Bénédicte de Bourbon-Condé was amongst those who had had enough of the austere atmosphere at the king's court. She had been married to the king's illegitimate son, the Duc du Maine, and was therefore known at court as the Duchesse du Maine. By 1700, her husband purchased the Château de Sceaux which Louise Bénédicte immediately took for her own residence. 

Once she had properly refurnished the château (at a cost of 80.000 livres), she set about creating her own little court.

The Philosophers

The nature of life at Sceaux baffled people. On one hand, the Duchesse du Maine gathered free-thinkers in large numbers. For anyone interested in 18th century philosophy, the company was an absolute treasure trove: Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu, Hénault, Cardinal de Bernis and the Comte de Caylus were frequent visitors. Hénault himself enjoyed his trips there. As he put it:

"If the court is less brilliant, it was not any less agreeable; persons of consideration and wit made up its society"

Future salonnieres were found amongst the guests as well. Madame de Deffand was a guests there in her youth which could have given her some inspiration for her own, later salon. This could give the impression of an impressive salon where great ideas were discussed. However, Sceaux had another side to it - one that included lavish and seemingly ceaseless parties.

Anne Louise Bénédicte

The Parties

The luxurious surroundings provided amble opportunity for entertaining both indoors and outdoors. Inside, balls and theatricals followed each other in hot succession. Even Voltaire's own plays were performed there; in 1750, he wrote the play "Zaire" while at Sceaux and it had its premiere there. Famous actors and actresses were equally induced to take part in the theatricals. The celebrated Mademoiselle Desmarets would travel to Sceaux, where she would partake in plays - despite being officially retired. Similarly, dancers from the Académie de Danse were summoned on a regular basis.

Anne Louise Bénédicte herself was fond of taking to the stage. Despite the very talented, professional actors and dancers, she insisted on playing the principal parts - to the despair of her husband. This was a time when private theatricals were perfectly acceptable but to perform in front of commoners (such as the professionals) were shameful. 

Outside, the park and the château could be illuminated to spectacular effect. If that was not enough to entertain the guests, then elaborate firework displays certainly would.

Anne Louise Bénédicte understood the importance of spreading the word of the exclusive society she kept. In 1712, ordinary Parisians could indulge their imaginations by reading about the "Divertissements de Sceaux". Certainly, these divertissements were many and lavish. Besides the countless balls and plays, there were regular gambling parties, poetry readings, feasts, ballets and even demonstrations of new inventions.

It was not uncommon for the hostess to add something spectacular to her entertainments. The feasts could be given a specific theme; as a result, various odd figures appeared. For instance, Druids, knights, cyclops and even planets were included in the festivities. These fantastical elements were chosen on purpose by Anne Louise Bénédicte. It was intended that life at Sceaux should be almost like living in a fairy-tale. 

Much like the early fêtes at Versailles, those at Sceaux aimed at using mythology and history to create allegories which would celebrate Anne Louise Bénédicte herself. It worked - she would soon be known as the "divinity of Sceaux".

The festivities often continued throughout the night. Anne Louise Bénédicte herself suffered from insomnia which has led many subsequent authors to claim that any type of rest was looked upon with disdain. It was this idea which gave birth to the Grandes Nuits de Sceaux: night time celebrations which were met with a mixture of applause and ridicule - and exhaustion by those present with a normal sleep schedule.

It says something about the society at Sceaux, that it managed to survive the arrest of Anne Louise Bénédicte in 1719. While her political ambitions cooled following her release, she would continue to hold court until her death in 1753.

Sceaux

The Politics

As any proper court with respect for itself, Sceaux became a hotbed of political intrigue; this only increased towards the last years of Louis XIV. The Duc du Maine was the favourite of Madame de Maintenon and she used her influence to heap as many favours on him as possible. It was widely expected that when the king died, he would share the regency with the Duc d'Orléans - which was originally the plan, envisioned by Louis XIV. As such, Louise Bénédicte would be one of two leading ladies in France. Furthermore, as the Duchesse d'Orléans was another illegitimate child of Louis XIV,  Anne Louise Bénédicte (herself born legitimate) would - in the eyes of many courtiers - be the leading lady.

It is hardly surprising then, that the other illegitimate children of Louis XIV gathered at Sceaux and planned for a future without their august father. As could be expected, the opposition to the legitimised princes kept well away from Sceaux and viewed life there with ridicule. For instance, if the Duc de Saint-Simon is to be believed, people "laughed at" the Duc and Duchesse du Maine - but considering his own deep-rooted hatred of the Duc du Maine, he is bound to have a negative perception of them.

In 1715, the hopes of her husband - and herself - were dashed when the Duc d'Orléans received the required support from the Parlement and the Peers of France, to take the Regency himself. Following this blow, the couple attempted to oust the Duc d'Orléans by the infamous Cellamare-conspiracy. Once it was discovered they were arrested but soon released again. Whatever hope they may yet have had of obtaining power was completely gone.

The Scandalous Beauty of the Duchesse de Berry

The favoured daughter of the Regent, Philippe II d'Orléans, had been married to the third son of the Grand Dauphin as thus became the Duchesse de Berry. Marie Louise Élisabeth would soon prove herself to be quite unmanageable and caused scandal after scandal. Soon, everyone knew of the escapades of the Duchesse de Berry - but what did this lady, fated to the die young from her excesses, look like?

Prior to her marriage, Marie Louise was on the heavy side. It is said, that once she heard that Louis XIV had objected to her frame, she immediately began - and completed - a diet. It should be said that she was 14 years at this point. The king's concern was not cosmetic. He was more worried that a young girl who was already over-weight would become more so and thus find it harder to conceive a child. Once she reached adulthood, her figure was noted to be good but her large appetite - a characteristic of all Bourbons - caused her to sometimes gain a little too much weight.

Still, this was an age that - much unlike our own - considered the female form to be "prettier" if more voluptuous. The Duc de Saint-Simon remarked that she was "tall, handsome and very well made".  It should be noted that other sources describe her as rather short - perhaps the Duc de Saint-Simon was not the tallest man himself? 

Detail of a portrait from 1710

This grand-daughter of Madame de Montespan, had dark, sparkling eyes with perched eyebrows. She had inherited her grandmother's blonde hair and otherwise "light complexion". Some described her forehead as "bulbous" which could perhaps be attributed to her shifting weight. 

Her obliging bridegroom is said to have claimed that she was the "prettiest person in the world and the Helen (of Troy) was not half so beautiful". Others completely disagreed. Madame (Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate) had little praise for the appearance of Marie Louise:

"... she is thick-set, with long arms and short hips; she walks badly ... is marked by small-pox; has red eyes - light blue in the iris, a ruddy complexion and looks much older than she is..."

However, even Madame had something good to say about her as well. She admitted that Marie Louise did have perfectly white and well-formed hands, arms and throat. It would seem that the Duchesse de Berry was well aware of her assets. She is said to have used her arms and hands to gesticulate - often dramatically - when she spoke. Strangely enough, from the critique Madame gives it sounds almost as if Marie Louise's eyes were like those of an albino. Yet, no one else mentions these "red eyes" so perhaps it was in the eyes of the beholder.

That she had scars from small-pox was inevitable. She had caught the disease at the age of 10 but had managed to survive. As all survivors, she was left marked by her ordeal but exactly how much is uncertain. It does seem unlikely that she was completely disfigured by smallpox scars. Not only Saint-Simon but the celebrated actor and singing teacher, Cauchereau, praised her "beautiful, white complexion".

This portrait by Gobert shows a fine complexion indeed

Marie Louise's lips were thick and quite red which was admired. Unlike many others at the time, her teeth were remarkably good. Madame described them as being like "pearls" in 1718 - consequently, Marie Louise must have been able to keep most of her teeth up until her death. Her feet and ankles were admitted to be admirable as well. It was therefore her good fortune that she loved to dance which gave an excellent view of her feet.

It is interesting to note that Madame mentions the Duchesse de Berry's walk. There can be more than one explanation for this "bad walking". One could be traced back to the prodigious drinking of the Duchesse. Again according to Madame, she was often tipsy which would definitely impact her walk. However, it could simply be a matter of defying the then-reigning fashions. The "Versailles-glide" was known throughout Europe as the effortless way ladies went through the gilded hall; they did not seem to walk, but rather glided. This was not the case with Marie Louise Élisabeth. She was constantly in a hurry and would walk with "flurried steps" - in the eyes of a rather old-fashioned observer (such as Madame) this would have been very unbecoming of a lady.

The Courtiers' Lodgings (III)

Louise Maclovie de Coëtquen, Duchesse de Duras

Louise was housed on the first floor of the Aile du Midi; she was a neighbour to Monsieur Herault and the Marèchale de Berwick. The Duchesse de Duras left these rooms in 1741.

Apartment of the Duchesse de Duras

Louise

Louise-Jeanne de Durfort,  Duchesse de Mazarin

The Duchesse de Mazarin was housed in a spacious apartment on the first floor of the Aile du Midi. Her apartment must have been interesting to inspect; she was known as one of the great art collectors of her day. Her neighbours were the Marquis de Livry and the king's physician, Monsieur Chicoyneau.

Louise-Jeanne

Louis Hector Honoré Maxime de Sabran, Bishop of Laon

The Bishop of Laon's presence at court was required on a regular basis; he was the Grand Almoner of Marie Antoinette which meant that he was also responsible for the ecclesiastical household of the queen. He was housed in the attic of the Corps Central - more specifically, right above the Salon of the Grand Covert. As can be seen, he enjoyed a fairly large apartment. Three large chambers and several smaller cabinets made up his lodging.

Apartment of the Bishop of Laon

Marie Victoire de Noailles, Comtesse de Toulouse

The large apartment occupied by the Comtesse de Toulouse was entered mainly through the large antechamber which she shared with the Duc and Duchesse de Penthièvre. The Comtesse de Toulouse served as a dame de compagnie to Marie Josèphe in the 1760's. Prior to this, she had gained the favour of Louis XV by helping to facilitate his affairs with all four sister of the Nesle-family. This apartment was occupied by Marie Victoire in 1744 and was located on the ground floor of the Corps Central. The reason for why she was lodged in this prestigious part of the château was that she had married the Comte de Toulouse, legitimized son of Louis XIV.

The shared antechamber is to the far left - following that was
a private antechamber, flanked by two wardrobes

The House of Durfort

Originating from Guyenne, the House of Durfort was condensed into four branches by the time of Louis XIV: the first was headed by the Duc de Duras, the second by the Duc de Lorges, the third by the Duc de Civrac and the final by the Comte de Durfort. The family is quite large, so the focus is primarily on the main "players".

The one family that planted the seed for the branches below began with Guy Aldonce I de Durfort, Marquis de Durfort & Élisabeth Charlotte de La Tour d'Auvergne. These were the parents of:

• Jacques Henri, future Duc de Duras
• Frédéric Maurice, Comte de Rozan
• Armand, died in infancy
• Guy Aldonce II, future Duc de Lorges
• Élisabeth, future Comtesse de Roye
• Henriette, future Marquise de Malauze 
• Louis, raised and lived in England
• Charles Henri, Comte de Montgomery 
• Henri, Baron de Pujols
• Godefroy, Comte de Rozan (killed in battle)
• Louise Marie Madeleine, died in infancy
• Marie, Mademoiselle de Duras

From these numerous children sprang the branches of the Durfort family which existed in the Ancien Regime.

Duc de Duras

1) Jacques Henri de Durfort & Marguerite Félice de Lévis

During the Fronde, Jacques initially fought under the Grand Condé but changed sides to that of Louis XIV. His military skills were largely the reason for the conquest of the region Franche-Comté; in recognition, Louis XIV made him governor of this province. More importantly (in a courtier's eyes) he was elevated to the rank of Duc de Duras although his status as a Peer of France was not officially registered until 1689. Once the king was firmly in control of France again, the rewards were rained down upon Jacques for his contributions. Besides a ducal title and the governorship already mentioned, he was made Captain of the king's bodyguard, a Marèchal de France and a knight of the Saint-Esprit.

Marguerite was the sister of the Duc de Ventadour.

 

Children:

• Jacques-Henri II, Duc de Duras
• Jean-Baptiste, Duc de Duras
• Louis (died in infancy)
• Charlotte Félicité, Duchesse de Meillerais
• Louise Bernardine, Duchesse de Lesdiguières

Jacques Henri

2) Jacques Henri II de Durfort & Louise-Madeleine Eschalart de la Marck

Jacques Henri II died at the age of just 27 and very little is known about his life. Yet, it can reasonably be presumed that he was being groomed for a military career. 

Rather surprisingly, Louise-Madeleine was 11 years older than Jacques - she would also outlive him by 20 years. She was the daughter of the Comte de La Marck. The couple had two daughters:

• Henriette Julie, Comtesse d'Egmont
• Jeanne Henriette Marguerite, Princesse de Lambesc

Salic law prevented females from inheriting, so the title went to Jacques' younger brother, Jean-Baptiste.

3) Jean-Baptiste de Durfort & Marie Angélique Victoire de Bournonville

Jean-Baptiste spent the majority of his life in battle. He fought in Germany, Flanders and Spain and was finally awarded with the rank of Marèchal de France. For some reason, Jean-Baptiste abdicated his title at the age of 48. However, he would continue to live comfortably and died at the age of 86.

He had three children by Marie Angélique:

• Victoire Félicité, first Duchesse de FitzJames, then Duchesse d'Aumont
• Reine Madeleine, Marquise d'Hautefort
• Emmanuel-Félicité, Duc de Duras

4) Emmanuel Félicité de Durfort & (I) Charlotte-Antoinette de La Porte Mazarin, (II) Louise Françoise de Coëtquen

Emmanuel was certainly a very attractive match. By the age of 18, his father abdicated and he inherited the title of Duc de Duras besides his position as royal musketeer. He would surpass even his father's impressive military record by serving in no less than five different military campaigns: Italy, the Rhine, Bavaria, Flanders and Germany. It was hardly surprising when he was added to the impressive number of Marèchaux de France produced by the house of Durfort. 

When he was at home, his great passion was books. His large library was sadly scattered during the revolution. He was placed in charge of both the French and Italian comedic theatre. At court he held the position of First Gentleman of the Chamber to the king.

Charlotte-Antoinette was the daughter of the Duc de Mazarin. She had one child by Emmanuel:

• Louise Jeanne de Durfort, Duchesse de Rethel-Mazarin

Louise Françoise provided Emmanuel with the son and heir, he needed:

• Emmanuel-Céleste Augustin, Duc de Duras

Emmanuel

Louise Françoise

5) Emmanuel-Céleste Augustin de Durfort & Louise Charlotte de Noailles

Emmanuel-Céleste inherited the title of Duc de Duras exactly one month before the storming of Versailles. Another military man, he spent the next couple of years attempting to curb the worst of the excesses of the revolution. He had married Louise Charlotte in 1760 and they had one son:

• Amédée Bretagne Malo

Louise Charlotte

Emmanuel-Céleste

Duc de Lorges

1) Guy Aldonce II de Durfort & Geneviève Frémont d'Auneuil 

Until 1691, Guy was known under the title of Duc de Quintin; he had been given the courtesy title of Comte de Lorges at birth and chose to maintain it when it was elevated to a duchy. Due to his military contributions he was awarded with the title of Marèchal de France.

Geneviève was the daughter of a very wealthy financier. They had six children:

• Marie-Gabrielle, Duchesse de Saint-Simon
• Geneviève Marie, Duchesse de Lauzun
• Guy Nicolas, Duc de Lorges
• Élisabeth Gabrielle, abbess
• Claude Suzanne, abbess
• Marie Louise Gabrielle, appears to have died in infancy

Guy Aldonce II

2) Guy Nicolas de Durfort & (I) Geneviève Chamillart, (II) Marie Anne Antoinette de Mesmes

Besides the duchies of Lorges and Quintin, Guy held the position of captain of the king's bodyguard. He would eventually abdicate his title of Duc de Quintin in 1728. Geneviève was the daughter of Michel Chamillart, Minister for War. Sadly, she died at the age of just 29 years. She had two sons by Guy:

• Guy Michel, Duc de Lorges
• Guy Louis

Marie Anne already had her own position at court when she became the Duchesse de Lorges. Perhaps, Guy had already known her prior to their marriage? She served as dame d'honneur to the Duchesse d'Orléans and was herself the daughter of the Comte d'Avaux. Their marriage left no children.

3) Guy Michel de Durfort & Élisabeth Philippine de Poitiers de Rye

Guy became Duc de Quintin at the age of 24. However, the duchy of Randan was left from his aunt, the Duchesse de Lauzun and bequeathed on his younger brother, Guy Louis. Like his relatives, the Ducs de Duras, he was an accomplished military leader. He participated in the campaigns of the Rhine, Italy and Germany. When he was made Marèchal, he was given the title of Marèchal de Randan to distinguish him from his cousins.

Élisabeth Philippine was the only daughter of the Comte de Poitiers. They had one daughter:

• Marie Geneviève, Duchesse de Thouars

Guy Michel

4) Guy Aldonce Louis de Durfort & Marie Marguerite Reine Butault de Marsan de Keramprat

With no male heirs, the title went to the younger brother of Guy Michel, Guy Aldonce Louis. As a child, he had been amongst the chosen young boys who accompanied the Dauphin in his free time and his lessons. Following in the proud martial footsteps of his family, he partook in the wars of the Polish Succession, of the Austrian Succession and the Seven Years' War.

Marie Marguerite was appointed as dame de Palais to both Marie Thérèse Raphaëlle and Marie Josèphe. It was a rather surprising match. In status, the two were quite far apart. While Guy was a duke from one of the leading families, Marie Marguerite was the daughter of a councillor to the Parlement of Brittany. There is some evidence to suggest that the marriage took place away from the court which could suggest a love match.

They had four children:

• Guyonne Marguerite Philippine, Duchesse de Praslin
• Guy Augustin, died at 14
• Adélaide Philippine, Duchesse de Lorges
• Guy Michel, died at 2

5) Jean-Laurent de Durfort-Civrac & Adélaide Philippine

Again, the title had died out in the male line. To fix this "unfortunate" situation, it was agreed to marry the daughter of the last Duc de Lorges to the next claimant: the son of the Duc de Civrac: Jean-Laurent de Durfort-Civrac. Thus, the title remained totally within in the family. 

Jean-Laurent had been one of the companions to the young Louis XVI. He would grow up to serve the last king of the Ancien Regime in a military capacity. During the last years at Versailles, he enjoyed a massive trust from the king. When the revolution broke out, he was amongst those who would have the king move to Metz. However, when the king was taken to Paris, he emigrated with his daughters. 

Adélaide Philippine was dame d'honneur to the Comtesse de Provence.

Jean-Laurent

Duc de Civrac

1) Aimeric Joseph de Durfort & Anne Marie La Faurie de Monbadon
Aimeric was the son of the Marquis de Durfort-Civrac and received his dukedom in 1774. Prior to this, he had served as ambassador to Venice and more recently to Vienna where he was instrumental in arranging the marriage between Louis XVI to Marie Antoinette. He was made Chevalier d'Honneur to Madame Victoire once the new Dauphine had arrived.

Anne Marie and Aimeric both died before the revolution broke out. They had two children:

• Angélique,
• Jean-Laurent, Duc de Lorges

Comte de Deyme

1) Nicolas II de Durfort & Marie-Agnès de Cursay de Bourdeville 
This couple had five children:

• Joseph, abbot
• Louis-Philippe, Comte de Durfort
• Nicolas-Louis, Baron de Durfort
• Marguerite-Thérèse-Narcisse, Comtesse de Poly
• Marguerite-Marie-Agnès, nun

Interesting facts and anecdotes:

• Guy Aldonce II (first Duc de Lorges) had a twin brother who died at the age of 1 of the plague
• The youngest daughter of Guy Aldonce I (Marie) was a dame de compagnie to the Duchesse d'Orléans
• Frédéric Maurice de Durfort, Comte de Rozan died from the wounds he sustained in a duel
• The eldest daughter of the first Duc de Lorges was married to the notorious memoir-writer, the Duc de Saint-Simon. As such, the family of Lorges feature often in his memoirs.
• A cousin of the family, Louis de Duras, was a favourite of Charles II of England

Photo Gallery:

Geneviève Marie - daughter of
the Duc de Lorges, she married
the Duc de Lauzun

Amédée-Bretagne-Malo