The nobility sought to have their marriages sanctioned by the king - while they did not legally need the king's permission, woe be to him who married in spite of the king's wishes! Such an act would attract the king's wrath which was tantamount to career suicide.
Consequently, when Pierre-Félix de la Croix de Chevrières, Comte de Saint-Vallier wished to marry Mademoiselle de Rouvroy, he sought the king's permission - and got it. Saint-Vallier had purchased the post of Captain of the Garde de la Porte while Mademoiselle de Rouvroy served as a fille d'honneur to the queen. Besides the king's official blessing, the bridegroom was also given 1.675 francs in a brevet de retenue as well as a pension of 6.000 francs. It would appear that the Comte de Saint-Vallier was in financial troubles which caused him to borrow 10.000 écus from his future mother-in-law. So far, so good, but the affair was about to turn scandalous.
No sooner had the captain borrowed money from Madame de Rouvroy before he sent her a promise of that very sum - and promptly disappeared.
Naturally, Monsieur and Madame de Rouvroy were furious, their daughter embarrassed and the king indignant. When Louis XIV was informed, he is said to have uttered: "It is all very well that M. de Saint-Vallier should make a mockery of M. and Madame de Rouvroy, but I will not accept him making a fool of me". Following that he issued an ultimatum to the runaway groom: return and marry the young Mademoiselle or go into exile, relinquish your post and have the acquisition of that title taxed.
The young captain was not the only one who risked feeling the brunt of the royal disfavour. His father was the President of the Parlement in Grenoble and had initially refused to give his blessing to the match. While he eventually came around, the actions of his son might have made him wish that he never changed his mind.
While Saint-Vallier dithered, the courtiers amused themselves by making witty couplets on the occasion:
Ӄpouse, ou bien nՎpouse pas,
De ta charge il te faut défaire;
Une femme, avec tant d’appas
Donne au logis assez d’affaire;
Renonce à la porte du Roi,
Et te fais portier de chez toi”
(”To marry or not marrying,
Of your charge, you must relinquish,
A woman with so many charms,
Gives the home enough concern,
Renounce the king’s gate
And guard your own”)
The couplet indicate that the young Mademoiselle de Rouvroy was somewhat careless with her favours. Indeed, she had been dismissed from the queen's service - along with several other ladies - and was rumoured to have been one of the king's minor dalliances. This could very well explain why Louis XIV agreed to sign their marriage contract - and why the President was unwilling to give his consent. The dismissal was not due to personal misconduct though, it was the work of Madame de Montespan who feared that the king might find solace amongst the queen's younger attendants. Even so, the favourite's intrigues does not appear to have been completely successful as Mademoiselle de Rouvroy appears to have been the king's bedfellow for a brief period in 1681.
Mademoiselle de Rouvroy was considered to be one of the beauties of the court. Both Saint-Simon and Primi Visconti describes her as a great beauty. Undoubtedly, this and her lineage helped her to quickly gain new employment. She was placed as fille d'honneur to the new Madame, Elizabeth of the Palatinate, before marrying the Comte de Saint-Vallier.
Eventually, there was little doubt as to the outcome. In an absolute monarchy, it was all but impossible for a nobleman to thrive while in the king's bad graces. Pierre-Félix saw some sense and must have returned to his charming lady. We know that the couple married between 13 June and 10 July 1675 since Madame de Sévigné first mentions the scandal in a letter to her daughter of 12 June and finally tells of the couple's marriage in that of 10 July 1675.
Thus ended the unusually dramatic preparations for the marriage of the Comte and Comtesse de Saint-Vallier.
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