What Happened to the Other Royal Children?

It is well-known that Louis XIV and Marie Thérèse produced an heir in the shape of Louis - better known as the Grand Dauphin. However, Louis had five siblings none of whom survived their childhoods. But exactly what happened to them?

The Grand Dauphin was the eldest child of the couple. He was born in 1661 and augured well for the hopes of any future progeny - he was both male and robust. However, whatever hopes his birth might have sparked, these were soon shattered.

The very next year - 1662 - saw the arrival of another royal baby. This time it was a girl who was  born on 18 November and christened Anne-Élisabeth. However, after just over a month of life, the little girl contracted a chest infection which led to her death on 30 December. Apparently, the tradition of placing the hearts of deceased royalty in the Val-de-Grâce arose around the time of Anne-Élisabeth's death. The nuns allegedly requested Anne of Austria permission to keep the young girl's heart which was granted - and following that it would be the final resting place of the literal hearts of the royal family.

One aspect stands out as a testament to the rigid calendar of court life. Anne-Élisabeth's death occurred in the midst of the festival season. Just a week after her death, the court ballet "Ballet des Art" was performed - and re-performed the day after her funeral. Several members of the royal family performed in person, including Louis XIV and Henrietta of England. 

To modern observers this appears obscene, at best. However, there was not a tradition for putting on mourning for children under the age of 7 - not even royal ones. While the parents were naturally allowed to grieve in private, no public show of grief was exhibited: no court festivities were halted. This can also be attributed to the sex of the child. Female children were considered to be of less importance since they could not inherit - thus, their deaths in infancy were rarely mourned.

Marie Thérèse with the Grand Dauphin

After the death of Anne-Élisabeth, the Queen found herself pregnant two years later. Another daughter was born and named Marie-Anne; but the story of Anne-Élisabeth repeated itself with eery similarity. The child was born on 16 November and would die on 26 December. Like her sister, there was no official show of mourning for the young Marie-Anne. It was Marie-Anne's birth that gave rise to the rumours that the queen should have given birth to a dark-skinned child. However, contemporary sources refer to the fact that the child was possibly born prematurely and was born with a bluish tint usually associated with deprivation of oxygen. Either way, the infant must have recovered her breath since she did manage to live for little over a month.

When Marie Thérèse went into labour for the fourth time, the court was sorely disappointed when yet another daughter was born on 2 January 1667. The newborn was named after her mother and proved to be more robust than her older sisters. At court, she became known as Madame Royale - a title later renewed for the daughter of Louis XVI. Apparently, Marie Thérèse were eager to place her daughter on the throne of Spain - her own native country. If this had happened the implications - genetically speaking - could have been disastrous. 

While her mother was thus dreaming of a future queen of Spain, the little girl was adored by both the royal family and the court. She was raised at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which also happened to be the birthplace of her august father. Sadly, this would also turn out to be her last residence. At the age of 5, the young Madame Royale contracted tuberculosis from which she died on 1 March 1672.

Madame Royale

If the birth of Madame Royale had been a disappointment, the arrival of Philippe-Charles on 5 August 1668 was anything but. The young boy was named after his uncle and immediately given the title of Duc d'Anjou - incidentally, this title had previously belonged to that very uncle. While it was hoped that the dauphin Louis would grow into adulthood and inherit the throne, it was always necessary to have a "spare" in case of sudden death. For the royal couple, there was yet another reason to rejoice at the birth of their newest child. Marie Thérèse is alleged to have repeatedly attempted to make him the sole heir of the king's cousin, the Grande Mademoiselle, whose fortune was unequalled.

Once again, the queen's hopes were dashed. Like his sister before him, Philippe-Charles contracted a chest infection which led to his death on 10 July 1671.

The final child of Louis XIV by Marie Thérèse was another longed-for son: Louis-François. He was born on 14 June 1672. Like his brother, he was given the title of Duc d'Anjou. Unfortunately, his life would be short and he would die on 4 November 1672 - aged just five months old.

Detail of a portrait of the royal family as Greek gods.
Standing is the Grande Mademoiselle,
Louis XIV is wrapped in a golden cloak,
Marie-Thérèse dressed in pink and blue.
The three children are the Grand Dauphin (with the red sash over his legs), 
Philippe-Charles as cupid and the little Marie-Thérèse with a garland of
flowers.

There are a few aspects about the children's deaths that warrants comment. First, they were all born and lived at the same place: the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Considering that at least two of the children died of chest infections, it might have been a contributing factor. After all, the royal castle had been built in 1124 and rebuilt in 1529 which meant that building features such as insulation and sanitation were not ideal. 

Child mortality was rampant, too, for much of history. The Institut National d'Études Demographiques records that by the 18th century, one in three French children died in infancy or childhood. As such, the death of the royal children were not surprising. It should also be remembered that even though they were born into a state with physicians and regular food - far from the norm - they were definitely not more secure against the scourges of childhood. For instance, the quality of medical practices were far from high and the drastic "cures" applied to them might just as well have killed them.

But there is one final aspect that should definitely not be overlooked: inbreeding. Louis XIV and Marie Thérèse were cousins - and first-cousins at that. Furthermore, besides the fact that their parents were siblings, their other ancestors were often related to some degree. It cannot be ruled out that the inbreeding had had seriously detrimental health consequences for the young, royal children.