The Illegitimate Children of Louis XV

While the story of Louis XIV's illegitimate children is well-known and much-discussed, those of his successor have gone fairly unnoticed. I have briefly touched on this subject before in this post but decided to dive a little deeper into unknown family of Louis XV.

None of Louis XV's maîtresses-en-titre gave him children - in fact, he appears to only have had children by women with whom he had brief dalliances with. Whether the mother was known at court or not, the king only ever recognised a single child: Louis Aimé de Bourbon. The reasoning behind this is unclear; perhaps the king had enough in his already large, legitimate family or perhaps he simply lost all interest in the mother once their liaison was over.

While the latter might be true, that would hardly account for why he took such care to marry his children into respectable - albeit anonymous - families. Furthermore, there appears to have been taken pains to provide an official father for the birth certificate - even if this meant listing an entirely fictitious person. In fact, this latter method was not uncommon, especially for women whose husbands were not eager to formally recognise the child.

Also, it is interesting to note that the king appears to have returned to the same women several times - even years apart. Consequently, several of the children listed below have the same mother which suggests that at least a casual relationship existed.

Considering the king's notorious womanizing in a time without birth control, it is hardly surprising that several encounters would result in offspring. It is estimated that the king fathered about 15 children although the exact number cannot be stated with certainty:

Louis XV

Charles Emmanuel Marie Magdelon de Vintimille (2 September 1741 - 24 February 1814)

Mother: Pauline Félicité de Mailly, Marquise de Vintimille

Born to the king's mistress, Pauline Félicité, who has become known as the second of the four Nesle-sisters who all became the king's mistress. Pauline Félicité was married to the obliging Marquis de Vintimille who officially recognised the boy as his own - although his time of birth coincides exactly with Pauline's tenure as the king's mistress.

Sadly, Charles' mother died due to complications from his birth. He would then be handed over to his aunt, the Comtesse de Mailly.

Charles was generally considered to the king's son - he was even nicknamed Demi-Louis due to his remarkable resemblance of Louis XV. Perhaps his looks - and his helpful father - was the factor that separated him from his numerous half-siblings; he would have a rather successful career at court during which he was rewarded with both the governorship of Porquerolles and the rank of Maréchal de Camp.

Interestingly, he could have been tied even closer to the king as Madame de Pompadour suggested a match between him and her daughter, Alexandrine Le Normant d'Étiolles. However, Louis would not give his permission and Alexandrine died in childhood. Instead, Charles married Adélaide de Castellane.

Agnès Lucie Auguste (14 April 1761 - 7 April 1826)

Mother: Lucie Madeleine d'Estaing

Ironically, Lucie Madeleine d'Estaing was herself an illegitimate child. She had been born to Magdeleine Erne de Mirfond who had fallen pregnant by the Marquis de Sailhant. She would "serve" as one of the king's unofficial mistresses who were housed in the Parc-aux-Cerfs.

Agnès' parents were listed as Lucie Citoyenne and Louis Auguste before she was entered into the convent of Chaillot where she received an education. The paternity is all-but certain, as Lucie was not married and had no other lover than the king. Also, the king arranged for both Agnès and Aphrodite to be given a convent education.

Once she was old enough to marry off, a husband was found in the Vicomte de Boysseulh.

Aphrodite Lucie Auguste (8 March 1763 - 22 February 1819)

Mother: Lucie Madeleine d'Estaing

Like her sister, Aphrodite was raised in a convent - presumably on the king's orders. Aphrodite was also married off but to a rather unorthodox (and frankly disturbing) candidate: Jules de Boysseulh - her step-brother! Her new husband was her mother's son-by-marriage as he had been born to François de Boysseulh during his first marriage. 

Philippe Louis Marie Innocent Christophe Juste de Narbonne-Lara (28 December 1750 - 10 May 1834) & Louis Marie Jacques Amalric de Narbonne-Lara (23 August 1755 - 17 November 1813)

Mother: Françoise de Châlus, Duchesse de Narbonne-Lara

The theory of the two Narbonne-Lara boys being the sons of Louis XV has already been discussed in detail in this post. Suffice it to say that the Duchesse de Narbonne-Lara was known to be a favourite of Louis XV but was obliged to spent the majority of her life in Parma where her husband, Jean François de Narbonne-Lara, served as First Gentleman to the Duke of Parma (son-in-law of Louis XV). Coincidentally, Françoise was a close friend of Louise Élisabeth, the king's daughter.

The reason behind the theory that the Duc de Narbonne-Lara was not the father of either Philippe or Louis was quite simple: in 1747, he had fought in the War of the Austrian Succession during which he had been wounded in such a way that the official record reported that he was unable to father children. Yet, the Duchess had two sons, both of whom had been born after visits to Versailles...

Both sons would serve in the king's army, Philippe had no children whereas Louis had two legitimate daughters and at least two illegitimate children.

Benoît Louis Le Duc (7 February 1764 - 1837)

Mother: Jeanne Louise Tiercelin de La Colleterie

Better known as Madame de Bonneval, Jeanne Louise was the king's on-off-again mistress for three years (1762-65). Her story was quite sad; she had become the king's mistress at the age of 16 and was unfortunately persuaded to attempt to entrap Louis XV to recognise Benoît - however, anyone who knew Louis could have told her that forcing his hand was a sure way to find oneself completely in the cold. She was promptly removed from the Parc-aux-Cerfs and taken to the Bastille; she would eventually be released and given 30.000 livres for her services. From then on, she would live somewhat nomadically and took several lovers before dying of cancer at 32.

Benoît's father was stated as Louis Le Duc, an old cavalry official, while the mother was oddly changed to Julie de La Colleterie. The latter appear to be a strange addition as it is not nearly far enough from the actual mother's name to conceal her identity. 

Agathe Louise de Saint-Antoine de Saint-André (20 May 1754 - 6 September 1774)

Mother: Marie-Louise O'Murphy

Marie-Louise O'Murphy - nicknamed Morphise - was Irish by birth and charmed her way through court during the reign of Madame de Pompadour. When the king took her as his unofficial mistress, few raised an eyebrow when she quickly became pregnant. However, despite there being little doubt as to the paternity, Louis never recognised Agathe. Yet, he did not leave her completely out to dry. First, Agathe was given a convent education and a pension from the royal treasury.

He gave her an Official Recognition of Nobility when she turned 19 years old - this would allow her to be married off to a nobleman. As it happens, that was exactly the plan and she was quickly married to René Jean de La Tour du Pin, Marquis de la Charce. It has been suggested that the choice of René was made by none other than Madame du Barry. If the bridegroom was disgruntled at having an illegitimate daughter as his wife, the injury was surely helped by the cash sum of 223.000 livres. 

Rather than being given just one fictional parent, Agathe was given two. Her mother was listed as Louise-Marie de Berhini and her father as Louis de Saint-André - neither of whom appears to have existed. It is rather odd that the court would list a fictional mother since everyone knew who she was. Agathe was said to resemble the king a great deal.

Sadly, Agathe died at the age of just 20 after suffering a miscarriage. René would later be executed by guillotine on 4 April 1794.

Marguerite Victoire Le Normant de Flaghac (5 January 1768 - 25 January 1830)

Mother: Marie-Louise O'Murphy

Another child by Morphise who is thought to be the king's, Marguerite was born considerably later than her half-sister - 14 years. By this time, Marie-Louise had been married twice and her second husband officially recognised Marguerite as his own. He was the Comte de Flaghac and thus Marguerite was given her surname. Since her mother had already been married into the lower nobility, Marguerite could also expect a husband of low status (in the eyes of the aristocracy). She was married first to the Comte de Chousy whom she divorced in 1793 (he would be guillotined the following year); secondly, she married Constant Le Normant d'Étiolles - coincidentally a son of Madame de Pompadour's husband.

The hints as to her paternity can once again be found in royal favours. Louis XV made sure that unusually large sums of money were directed towards Marguerite, spending about 350.000 livres on her during her early childhood; more pensions would follow after her father's death. Furthermore, once a husband was found for her the marriage contract was signed in the presence of both the king and queen - something that was otherwise a prerogative of the very highest nobility.

Novembrius de Lionvaux (1761 - 1798)

Mother: Marie-Madelaine de Lionvaux

The only one of the children on this list to be given his mother's name, Novembrius is by far the most anonymous. Little is known of his mother and his own life is almost completely obscure. Yet, it is known that he was sent to live with his uncle, Louis de Lionvaux - he would die without marrying or fathering children of his own.

Amélie Florimond de Norville (11 January 1753 - 27 September 1790)

Mother: Jeanne Perray

Amélie's mother was one of the king's many flings from the up-an-coming bourgeoisie. Her name was Jeanne Perray but her father was named as Louis Florimond de Norville. The problem is that he never existed. Amélie was married off to Ange de Faure who was 41 years old at the time of their wedding while she was 27.

There are certain signs that the king was the father of the young girl. For one, Amélie was given a pension of 2.000 livres from 1772 which was confirmed by Louis XVI when she married. That in itself would be very odd since she does not appear to have worked at court. To further add to this argument is the fact that Louis XVIII also confirmed her descendants' pension.

Charles Louis Cadet de Gassicourt (23 January 1769 - 21 November 1821)

Mother: Marie Thérèse Françoise Boisselet

Marie Thérèse was not an aristocrat - rather, she was married to a chemist named Louis Claude Cadet de Gassicourt. Louis recognised the child despite having first married Marie Thérèse two years after the birth of Charles Louis. One can only imagine that there was an unknown incentive issued by the royal treasury.

Louis Aimé de Bourbon (13 January 1762 - 28 February 1787)

Mother: Anne Coppier de Romans, Baronne de Mailly-Coulonge

Louis Aimé had the distinction of being the only illegitimate child to be officially recognised by Louis XV. Unlike most of his half-brothers, he entered the church rather than the army, and became the Abbot of Saint Vincent de Metz before serving as ambassador to Rome. Like his august father, Louis Aimé died of smallpox.

Agnès Louise de Montreuil (20 May 1760 - 2 September 1837)

Mother: Marguerite Catherine Haynault

Agnès was also given a fictitious father when her birth certificate was written; hers was stated to be Louis de Montreuil, an old cavalry official. In a rather grotesque twist, she would be married off to Gaspard d'Arod de Montmelas - her mother's own brother-in-law!

Louis XV had arranged for both his daughters by Marguerite to receive an annual income of 24.300 livres; Agnès was also given an official certificate of nobility which allowed her to marry a nobleman - however, hers was only given in 1774 by Louis XVI. 

Anne Louise de La Réale (17 November 1762 - 30 April 1831)

Mother: Marguerite Catherine Haynault

Like her half-sister, Anne Louise was also given a non-existing father on her birth certificate. One might wonder why the same father was not used for both girls but that was not the case. Antoine Louis de la Réale, another "cavalry official" was used for Anne Louise's birth certificate. Having been raised in the convent of Chaillot, she would also receive her certificate of nobility in 1774. She became the Comtesse de Geslin in 1780 but was left behind by her husband when he emigrated during the revolution. Yet, he returned in 1795 upon which he was imprisoned and guillotined. Sadly, five of their six children died during the revolution but the mother was released - widowed and bankrupt. 

It was not until the ascension of Louis XVIII that her son would be granted a post and her a pension.

As stated, it is impossible to know exactly how many children the king had out of wedlock. This also mean that there are other children who might just have been the king's children - and as he did not exactly have a habit of officially recognising them, it is a possibility. 

The Ground Floor Apartment of Madame de Pompadour

While this celebrated mistress to Louis XV is primarily known for her attic apartment located above the king's own apartment, it was not the only one she inhabited during her tenure as maitresse-en-titre. Madame de Pompadour was initially lodged on the ground floor of the Corps Central in a remarkably spacious apartment consisting of no less than 11 rooms.

This was the final design proposed by Gabriel on 6th May 1750

The rooms at her disposal were: 1) First antechamber, 2) Second antechamber, 3) Grand Cabinet, 4) Bedchamber, 5) Cabinet particulier, 6) Boudoir, 7) Possibly wardrobe, 8) Chaise, 9) Private staircase, 10 + 11) Bathrooms.

After her physical relationship with the king came to an end around 1750, Madame de Pompadour was given this apartment on the ground floor. While the size was not a downgrade from her attic apartment, it certainly gave a clear signal. The attic apartment was intimate and could be reached by a staircase to which the king alone had access. Thus, it was suitable for a couple. In contrast, the apartment on the ground floor was not connected directly to the king's apartment in quite the same discreet way. Yet the magnificence of the apartment alone showed that the bourgeoisie had not lost her influence over the king - for instance, she still had direct access to him through a private, spiral staircase.

The apartment certainly did not come easily into being. The apartment had briefly been given to Madame Louise Élisabeth for the preparation for her marriage to the Spanish Infante. This meant that the Penthièvre-couple as well as the Comtesse de Toulouse had been temporarily moved. It was then suggested by Pompadour that rather than having the trio move back into their apartments, a new plan was to be made which made room for her. Besides uprooting the Duc and Duchesse de Penthièvre, the original plans suggested by Madame de Pompadour would have encroached a good deal further on Mesdames' apartments. As could be expected, Mesdames were furious at having to make way for their father's low-born mistress. Eventually, a compromise was reached which resulted in the plan above.

Madame de Pompadour

In order to achieve the plan several altercations would have to be made. Walls went up, walls went down - and plans had to be continuously changed. One of the most interesting aspects of the renovations was the rediscovery of the massive, octagonal bathtub of marble which had been a fixture of Louis XIV's apartment when he shared it with Madame de Montespan. Apparently, the interior was adorned with wooden panels decorated by Verbeckt. The long corridor running all the way down along the apartment had several alcoves which were used as wardrobes and utility closets. Finally, a heater was installed to combat the utter lack of insulation.

This spacious apartment overlooked the parterre du Nord; it had previously been inhabited by the Duc and Duchesse de Penthièvre and was located immediately beneath the Salons of Diana, Venus and Mars. The celebrated architect Blondel gave a description of the marquise's apartment in the mid-1750's. He willingly admitted that it was fitted with every possible convenience (including a separate bathroom and chaise percée) and had been decorated with great taste.

Yet, Blondel argued that despite its convenience and spacious rooms, the apartment was not particularly desirable. For one, the humidity of the numerous fountains in the gardens created a very uncomfortable air  and the sun never seemed to fully illuminate the apartment.

Still, few could argue that the owner had taste. It was here that the king's mistress would illustrate rococo in its most delicate manner. Exquisitely carved wooden furniture, flowers of coloured porcelain, elaborate dog houses, vases from Sèvres and delicate boiserie in the most brilliant colours; it was amongst these treasures that Jeanne received both ambassadors and courtiers - and the king. 

It was in this very apartment that Madame de Pompadour would die in 1764.

The End of an Era: The Fall of Madame de Montespan

Undoubtedly the most celebrated maitresse-en-titre of Louis XIV, Françoise-Athénais de Rochechoaurt had been the king's declared mistress since about 1666; she had since given him no less than seven children. Her relationship with the Sun King was a passionate one and despite several attempts, the couple always found their way back to each other - even the king's growing religious fervor was overcome time and time again.

So, when their relationship began unravelling in ca. 1677, the court probably expected it to be another storm that would eventually end in reconciliation. However, this time it was different. The infamous Affair of the Poisons had created an entirely new breeding ground for suspicions. Due to the nature of their relationship, the king was well-aware that his mistress would always be wary of being supplanted in his affection. So far, the charms, intelligence and beauty of La Montespan had been enough to keep his attention but the king was now persuaded to believe that she might have been involved in more occult methods. 

As the Affair of the Poisons unravelled, it quickly became clear that the royal favourite was somehow associated with the whole sordid affair. It did not take long before rumours started spreading and there was no limit as to what Madame de Montespan was accused of. 

Some said that she had used the services of the "witch" La Voisin to concoct love potions for the king in 1665 before finally succeeding in catching. Others claimed that she had prayed to the devil and had black sabbaths performed - complete with the obligatory sacrifice of an infant - to keep her lover's interest while yet others pointed to the recent death of Mademoiselle de Fontagnes. The young lady had captured the king's attention and had fallen pregnant as a result - she died after delivering the child.

Madame de Montespan

Had the affair simply been a matter of jealousy, the king could easily have overlooked it. But this was something entirely different. This concerned the very life of the king - and it did not take long before scandal mongers started whispering that Françoise-Athénais had attempted to kill the king. Despite the absurdity of this charge - after all, Madame de Montespan would lose everything if the king died - the king was alarmed. One can hardly blame him for being unnerved as the use of poison was not a by-gone weapon in his age; even the typically useless "potions" could be lethal if dangerous ingredients were added. This might not even be intentional as certain ingredients were considered harmless then but is known to be highly dangerous today.

Was there anything to suggest that Madame de Montespan actually was involved? The Lieutenant General of Police, Gabriel Nicolas de la Reynie, was presented with several witness accounts which placed numerous ladies of the court as customers of La Voisin - including Madame de Montespan. Before diving further into this particular claim it is necessary to look closer at the attitude to the occult of the time. 

While the superstitions of the Middle Ages were not nearly as strong as they had been, they were far from eliminated. Even amongst the better educated parts of society a remarkably large number believed that black magic, potions and black sabbaths were very much effective. Others saw it merely as something interesting which could be used for entertainment on a boring day; for instance, young ladies would occasionally seek out palm readers to disclose their future but never went beyond that. Either way, there is no actual evidence to suggest why Madame de Montespan went to La Voisin - or if she even did.

It is telling that the potential visits to La Voisin only became suspicious after Madame de Montespan's maid, Mademoiselle Desœillets, was noted to be a frequent visitor herself. It was therefore easy to claim that where the maid went, so too might the mistress go.

It has often been put forward that Louis XIV's own reaction shows how little merit there was to the accusations levelled at his mistress. He himself had ordered the establishment of the so-called Chambre Ardente (the court passing sentences over the Affair of the Poisons) and as such would have been presented with every finding and evidence. If he had genuinely feared for his life, he would have ended their relationship - but he did not. Instead, she kept her place for no less than another decade.

But if the king did not believe Madame de Montespan to be genuinely guilty, why then did their relationship fall apart? Here it might help to look to something as simple yet complicated as human nature. The two had been together for a long time - far longer than any of his previous liaisons. It is not unheard of that they simply fell out of love with each other. As has often been pointed out, relationships that are so passionate will almost always fade out eventually.

Louis XIV

Furthermore, there is a decided shift in character in Louis XIV at this point in his life. Up until this point, he had been somewhat carefree in his love affairs; whether it was elevating La Montespan while La Vallière was pregnant with his child or having both mistresses ride in the same carriage as his wife, his attitude towards his dalliances were typical of his age. A king was expected to have mistresses - everyone, even the queen, knew this and it was generally accepted as a fact of life. However, as he grew older, Louis became more and more prone to religious reflections. 

Throughout his entire relationship with Françoise-Athénais, the most damning accusation levelled against both of them was that of double-adultery. Of course, the church had never been fond of the king's infidelity but it had turned a blind eye when the lady in question was unconnected by marriage. For instance, both Marie Mancini and Louise de La Vallière were unmarried when they first became the king's mistress - the former apparently never even had a physical affair with him.

Madame de Montespan, however, had been married to the Marquis de Montespan in 1663 and was therefore a married woman when she became the king's mistress. While the church could always explain away the king's guilt by pointing to the divine favour which all monarchs were said to hold, the same could not be said of her. This was therefore a matter of double-adultery - a sin that would not wash off quite so quickly. As it happens, this very reasoning had been the cause of their split in 1675, which had occurred after the church refused to give her absolution and even withstood the pleading of the king. 

In 1675, the church's argument had not been enough - it seemed to be more pressing as the king grew older. 

Thus, it does not seem unlikely that a mixture of cooling passions and growing religiousness was what eventually caused the downfall of Madame de Montespan. What is more certain - and unusual - is the manner in which that downfall occurred.

Typically a jilted royal mistress would be sent off with a handsome parting gift or she would voluntarily retire to a convent. Either way, the rupture would be somewhat obvious to everyone at court. However, Madame de Montespan continued to play a part in the king's life as their relationship cooled. Their split was not one which could be traced to a dramatic final interview or specific event. Rather, it was dragged out over several years. 

Madame de Montespan with her
children, 1677

For those watching - and everyone at court certainly was - the changes were small but of immense significance. The one thing that stood out was how much time the king devoted to a new lady: Madame de Maintenon. She would often be summoned to spend their evenings in conversations while Madame de Montespan remained conspicuous by her absence. Despite her reputation for being a very devout woman, Madame de Maintenon certainly did not shy away from using the king's religious fears to her advantage. Thus, a number of contemporary courtiers remarked that she was sought for by the king because he increasingly felt a need for religious discussion. 

The otherwise always-present Madame de Montespan found herself excluded from more and more activities at court. While she was still frequently invited to the king's beloved Marly in 1686, she would soon receive a very public (figurative) slap in the face. The king was suffering from his highly unpleasant fistula which he sought to cure by taking the waters at Barèges. Naturally, wherever the king went, the court followed - but not Montespan. To her great astonishment and frustration, she was deliberately not invited to this excursion; the message could hardly have been louder. In her anger, she took her youngest son by the king - the Comte de Toulouse - and went to Paris but was stopped on the way with orders that the young boy was to accompany his father. In the end, the trip to Barèges never materialised but the humiliation was complete.

By this point in time, no one had any doubts that their relationship was as good as dead. The king had adored Françoise-Athénais for years and such a public snub would have been unthinkable just a few years ago.

Yet despite this dramatic incident, the king still did not call things off officially. While he certainly was a creature of habit, Louis XIV had never shown a reluctance to cut off people who had displeased him - it therefore seems more likely that the continuance of La Montespan at court was due to a certain respect and affection (although not love) that he must still have had for her. Furthermore, it should not be underestimated that her position as the mother of many of his children earned her some credit with him - after all, he was notoriously fond of his illegitimate children and it would have been a scandal if their mother was thrown out without a second thought, especially after so long a relationship.

These years cannot have been particularly pleasant for Madame de Montespan. Her pride was notorious and she had been accustomed to wielding immense power at court. Now, she was reduced to having to endure both the presence and influence of another woman; much like Louise de La Vallière had before her.  Whereas Françoise-Athénais would have had no problem keeping the king interested in her conversation through her wit and charm, that still required private time with him - and that was increasingly reserved for La Maintenon.

Françoise-Athénais, around 1680

Françoise-Athénais was no fool; she knew that the king's affections were not what they had been and she acknowledged that her time was over. Finally, it would be her who took the step to remove herself from an increasingly awkward situation. In 1691, after 25 years as the king's official mistress, she informed Louis of her decision to leave court. It is very telling that she did not do so in person; rather, she asked the king's trusted Boussuet to deliver the message.

There is one aspect of their final separation that is worth noticing. While much have been made of Louis XIV's ever-increasing religiousness, that same development in Madame de Montespan has been somewhat overlooked. Just like her royal lover, the former favourite was getting older and she shared many of Louis' fears for her eternal soul - after all, she did not have the benefit of claiming divine favour as a redeeming factor in her adultery. Perhaps this is an indication that their relationship simply had run its course - if they still had the same passionate love for each other, their new-found sense of religion could easily have united them as they grew older. This could have been strengthened further by their common interest and genuine affection for their children. Instead, it caused them to finally end their legendary liaison.

Madame de Montespan retired to the convent of Filles de Saint-Joseph in Paris. While Louis would spent the remainder of his life with the austere Madame de Maintenon - potentially even marrying her - the mother of seven of his children spent her years with charity. She spent large sums on charitable works and had cut all contact with the court - and the king. The king appears to have shown some sign of gratitude at her taking the first step; her father was given the governorship of Paris while her brother was made Marèchal de France. As for their children, they had been legitimised and their future was therefore secure.

When she died in 1707, their relationship was a thing of the past. While their children mourned for her, the king curiously forbade them from wearing official mourning. This last act has been interpreted as spiteful by some and it certainly does have elements of pettiness. However, it cannot be said to be an indication of resentment - after all, the king had not seen his former beloved for 15 years. Meanwhile he was desperately trying to have his children by her absorbed into the legitimate lines of aristocracy - perhaps their mother was an unwelcome reminder of the fact that they were, in fact, not only illegitimate but the result of double-adultery.

Whatever the king's motives for refusing mourning was can never be known. What is more certain is that his infamous relationship with Françoise-Athénais de Rochechouart dominated a good portion of his life and brought him seven beloved children. The end of their liaison was also a turning-point in the king's personal life. The carefree and splendid years were behind him and austerity took over - it truly was the end of an era at Versailles.

House of Boufflers

The House of Boufflers were amongst those who were raised to the French peerage during the age of Versailles; unlike others amongst the peerage, the Duc de Boufflers' title came relatively late. Yet, they were by no means a newly ennobled family, having descended from a long line of lords hailing from Picardy. By the early 16th century, the house of Boufflers split into three somewhat distinct branches, all descending from the sons of Adrien I de Boufflers and Louise d'Oiron. These two had six children of which three of their sons would form their own lines: Adrien II, Adrien the Younger and Jean.

Branch of Duc de Boufflers

1. François II de Boufflers & Louise le Vergeur

François II was the grandson of Adrien II and thus the scion of the eldest branch. François held the title of Comte de Boufflers at court and the rank of Maréchal de Camp in the military. He also held the post of Bailiff of Beauvoisis. Louise married François in 1640 - she would quickly give him five children:

• François III
• Louis-François
• Marguerite-Françoise, Abbess of Avenay 
• Catherine, nun at Avenay
• Charlotte, nun at Avenay

2. Louis-François de Boufflers & Catherine Charlotte de Gramont 

Louis-François was born to François II de Boufflers and quickly followed his father's footsteps by entering the army. As it happens, the young Louis-François was a natural on the battlefield. Serving under Turenne, he would distinguish himself by his decided bravery and keen sense of strategy - these talents would be the making of him. His career brought him several distinctions including Knight of Saint-Esprit, Maréchal de France and finally Duc de Boufflers.

Catherine was the daughter of the Duc de Gramont and was married to Louis-François in 1693. At court, she would have her own distinct career, primarily as First Lady of Honour to Marie Leszczynska. It was largely due to her strict sense of morality that she was given the post which brought her into close contact with the queen on a daily basis. She would eventually retire after ten years, at the age of 65. 

The couple had eight children:

• Louis-François-Gombert (died at 6)
• Joseph Marie, Duc de Boufflers
• Louise-Antoinette-Charlotte, Marquise de Remiencourt
• Antoinette Hippolite, nun
• Charlotte-Julie, Abbess of Avenay 
• Catherine-Berthe, Princesse de Petterano (later Duchesse de Popoli)
• Marie-Josèphine, Duchesse d'Alincourt

Louis-François

Catherine Charlotte

3. Joseph Marie de Boufflers & Madeleine Angélique Neufville de Villeroy

Joseph Marie inherited his father's title, lands and held several posts, including governor of Flanders, Lieutenant General and knight of Saint-Esprit. He had also entered the army where he showed some promise. Unfortunately, his full potential would not be discovered before his death. In 1747 he was given command at Genoa where he contracted smallpox which quickly killed him.

Madeleine Angélique was the daughter of the Duc de Villeroy. She took the post of dame du Palais to Marie Leszczynska which she held for fifteen years, from 1734-1749. It was during her tenure that she became a widow before remarrying to the Maréchal de Luxembourg in 1750. After the death of both Joseph Marie and her second husband, she would found her own salon in which she entertained both aristocrats and philosophers. Amongst those to whom she offered patronage was Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

They had two children:

• Charles Joseph, Duc de Boufflers
• Josèphe Eulalie de Boufflers (died at 14)

Joseph Marie

Madeleine Angélique

4. Charles Joseph de Boufflers & Marie Anne Philippine Thérèse de Montmorency

Born in 1731, Charles Joseph was the sole son and heir of the Duc de Boufflers. He had inherited his father's estate and titles following his death. This meant that he was already Duc de Boufflers at the age of 16 - that same year, he was married off to Marie Anne Philippine Thérèse. Despite his young age, he was a hard pressed man. The family was deeply in debt and eventually had to sell off some of their belongings at a public auction in 1752. Sadly, at the age of just 20, Charles died. 

Marie Anne inherited her mother-in-law's post of dame du palais in 1747; she would continue in her post until Marie Leszczynska's death. Then, she was appointed as dame pour accompagner the new dauphine, Marie Antoinette. She would eventually retire in 1771 - after this, she appears to disappear from court. Her date of death is unknown but is estimated at around 1797.

The couple had two children:

• Unnamed daughter (1749-51)
• Marie-Amélie de Boufflers, Duchesse de Lauzun (later de Biron)

Upon the death of Charles Joseph, the ducal line of Boufflers had effectually died out, as females were prohibited from inheriting due to Salic law. 

Marie-Amélie was raised by her grandmother who would later marry her to Armand Louis de Gontaut-Biron in 1766, thus becoming Duchesse de Lauzun. She would serve as dame du palais to first Marie Leszczynska and then to Marie Antoinette. She would be guillotined in 1794, at the age of 43.

Madame de Boufflers (Madeleine
Angélique) and Marie-Amélie

Branch of the Marquis de Remiencourt

1. René de Boufflers & Louise de Gandechart

René held the title of Seigneur de Remiencourt when he married Louise de Gandechart. The couple had four children but very little is otherwise known of them:

• Charles
• René, monk
• Marie, nun
• Antoinette, nun

2. Charles de Boufflers & Marie du Bos

Born in 1654, Charles was a cornet in a royal regiment of dragoons before marrying Marie du Bos. They had six children:

• Charles-François
• Philippe-Aimé
• Marie-Charlotte
• Jeanne
• Marie, nun
• Marie-Renée, nun

3. Charles-François de Boufflers & Louise-Antoinette-Charlotte de Boufflers

It was with Charles-François that the fortunes of this branch rose. He was elevated to Marquis de Remiencourt and earned the rank of both Lieutenant-General and Maréchal de Camp. It would appear that he had inherited a good deal of the military strategist otherwise so dominant in the branch of the Duc de Boufflers as his military service was acclaimed by Louis XIV himself. The Sun King had even bestowed upon him the honour of being Commander of the Order of Saint-Louis.

He had married Louise-Antoinette-Charlotte, daughter of the Duc de Boufflers and thus his cousin. They had eight children:

• Louis-François
• Augustin-Maurice, died in infancy
• Charles-Louis-Honoré-Victoire, died at 12
• Vincent-Dominique-Régis, served as standard-bearer and was killed in battle aged 13
• Catherine-Charlotte, died at 5
• Marie-Joséphine, Marquise de Marmier
• Marie-Louise, Comtesse de Roquepine
• Marie-Cécile, Marquise de Villandry

4. Louis-François de Boufflers & Marie-Françoise-Catherine de Beauvau

Louis-François followed his father's excellent military career and was likewise made Maréchal de Camp. He appears to have been introduced at court by the Duc d'Orléans with whom he apparently had a connection. While he held a considerable military rank and a suitable courtly title, one cannot help but consider Marie-Françoise-Catherine as the better catch in their marriage.

She was the daughter of the Prince de Craon who happened to the governor a young François, Duc de Lorraine - he would later become Holy Roman Emperor and father of Marie Antoinette. Her mother had been lady-in-waiting and dame du palais to the Duchesse de Lorraine and would later hold the same position for Mesdames. 

Marie-Françoise-Catherine herself was apparently quite a woman. Considered beautiful, intelligent and charming, she became the mistress of King Stanislas of Poland and had other lovers during her time. She seems to have been remarkably talented when it came to the arts; she both drew and wrote her own verses.

The couple had four children:

• Charles-Marc-Jean
• Stanislas-Jean, known as the Chevalier de Boufflers
• Catherine-Stanislas, nun
• Louise-Julie, Marquise de Cucé

Marie-Françoise-Catherine

5. Charles-Marc-Jean de Boufflers

Having been raised at the court of the king of Poland, he had received his military education abroad. However, he was sent to France in 1752 upon which Louis XV appointed him ménin to dauphin Louis-Ferdinand. When his uncle, Charles Joseph, died without a male heir, he inherited the century-old position of Bailiff of Beauvoisis.

At the French court, he quickly made use of his military talents to further his career. He rose gradually through the ranks until finally becoming Maréchal de Camp. Charles never married and fathered no children which left his brother, Stanislas-Jean, as his heir. However, Stanislas-Jean also died childless which led to the extinction of this family in the male line.

His sisters were both caught up in the revolution. Louise-Julie had served as lady-in-waiting to Mesdames and was guillotined on 7 July 1794 at the age of 52; she does not appear to have had children. Her sister, Catherine-Stanislas, was also guillotined on the same day - the two sisters were likely executed together.

Branch of the Seigneur de Rouverel

1. François de Boufflers & Marthe de Monçeaux-d'Auxy

Not to be confused with his cousin of the same name, François was the grandson of Jean de Boufflers. He was a captain of a company of light horse as well as the seigneur de Rouverel - speaking in purely hierarchical terms, his rank is significantly lower than both his brothers'. 

He married Marthe de Monçeaux-d'Auxy on 5 November 1649. Marthe was his cousin, on his mother's side, as she was the daughter of Marie-Jeanne de Boufflers and her husband, another François. 

The couple had five children:

• François II, Seigneur de Rouverel
• René, Chevalier de Boufflers
• Françoise, nun
• Marie, nun
• Marthe, nun

2. François II de Boufflers & Marie-Anne de Biez

While his birth year is unknown, François II would inherit his father's title as Seigneur de Rouverel. When he was married to Marie-Anne de Biez, it would seem that he "married up". While he was the relative of a comte and a marquis, he himself was "just" a seigneur but had no courtly title. Marie-Anne - on the other hand - was the daughter of the Marquis de Savigny who served as Maréchal de Camp.

The couple had five children:

• Antoine-François-Oudart, Seigneur de Rouverel
• Adrienne-Élisabeth, nun
• Renée-Espérance 
• Anne
• Clothilde, Dame de Boisdeffre 

3. Antoine-François-Oudart de Boufflers & Anne-Françoise Wanehep

Born in 1671, Antoine-François-Oudart would rise to the rank of lieutenant in the French army before suddenly travelling south of the border and enlist for the king of Spain. The cause of this sudden move was a scandal which had taken place in Paris. The Seigneur de Rouverel had had a duel with the Sieur de Baquemare in which the latter had been killed; as punishment, Louis XIV confiscated his belongings and Antoine had to go abroad.  

Anne-Françoise was not a stranger to moving. She hailed from the Scottish aristocracy - quite a rarity in the French nobility at the time. The two had married in Madrid and had one child:

• Edouard de Boufflers

4. Edouard de Boufflers & Marie-Charlotte-Hippolite de Camp-de-Saujeon

As a result of his father's exile, Edouard was born in Spain in 1722. However, at the age of just 7 years old he was sent back to France where he was granted naturalisation and thus recognised as a Frenchman. Despite his less than fortunate start to life, Edouard would prove himself valuable to Louis XV. He entered the army where he distinguished himself to such a degree that he would be made Maréchal de Camp. Interestingly, he would eventually become the head of the Boufflers-family when the last Duc de Boufflers, Charles Marie, died without a male heir.

Marie-Charlotte-Hippolite served as dame de compagnie to the Duchesse de Chartres and as such was a frequent visitor at the Palais Royal. While here, she became the mistress to the Prince de Conti, the brother of the Duchesse de Chartres. For unknown reasons, Marie was obliged to leave the Palais-Royal and moved into a small hôtel where she started her own salon. She appears to have been prone to anglomania and gladly hosted a wide variety of philosophers, including Rousseau, and would later travel to England where she was feted by Walpole and Samuel Johnson.

As for Versailles, she never went there as she had not been officially presented. She apparently had hopes of remarrying after Edouard's death but her plans of becoming Princesse de Conti were crushed. When the revolution came, she was hauled before the tribunal but acquitted. Sadly, despite escaping with her life, the revolution left her almost bankrupt. 

They had one son:

• Louis-Édouard de Boufflers

Comtesse de Boufflers

5. Louis-Édouard de Boufflers & Amélie Constance des Alleurs

Louis was to benefit from his mother's connection to the Prince de Conti. He was given a post in the Conti Regiment which took his name after he became its Maitre de Camp in 1776 - from then on, it was known as the Boufflers Regiment. Right before the revolution, in 1788, he was made Maréchal de Camp.

Amélie Constance must have been considered to have a remarkably interesting background compared to many of her contemporaries. Having been born as far away as Constantinople, she was the daughter of the French ambassador to Poland and a Polish princess, Maria Lubomirska.

They had one child:

• Amédée Joseph

Their son never married and died childless. Thus, the house of Boufflers officially went extinct in the male line - in all three branches. 

Interesting facts/anecdotes:

• Louise-Antoinette-Charlotte became dame de Remincourt when she married her cousin, Charles Francois de Boufflers
• Marie-Amélie would be amongst the first to be inoculated against smallpox - she was highly praised by Rousseau when he met her at the age of 10
• Technically, there were two branches as François III had had a son, Henri. However, the descendants of Henri for some reason did not take the title of Comte de Boufflers
• There appears to have been an unusual number of women in this family who became nuns - while this was common practice in families with several daughters but few means, it is rather odd that six women became nuns rather than being married off 
• All three daughters of François II (Seigneur de Rouverel) and two of Charles de Boufflers (Seigneur de Remiencourt) were entered into the school of Saint-Cyr, founded by Madame de Maintenon. This indicates that these particular branches were not wealthy but rather struggling, as the school was solely for young ladies of pristine but impoverished backgrounds. This - in turn - might be the explanation for why so many of the family's daughters became nuns
• While Antoine-François-Oudarte had all his belongings confiscated by Louis XIV, they did not leave the family - the king bestowed them on his sister, Renée-Espérance
• Stanislas-Jean, son of Louis-François/Marie-Françoise-Catherine was originally supposed to have taken holy orders but dropped out of the priesthood to pursue a career in the army 

The Trousseau of Marie Leszczyńska

Like all other royal brides, the 22-year old Marie Leszczynska would have been sent to France with a trousseau. A trousseau was the personal wardrobe of a bride; when the bride happened to be royal, she would typically be a foreigner and thus representing another country's court upon her arrival in France. This meant that her initial trousseau would be subject to close scrutiny. Consequently, a good deal of though went into the preparation and completion of a royal woman's trousseau as it would represent her native country's wealth and influence.

Historically, the trousseau of Marie Antoinette has garnered plenty of attention but that of her predecessor - and longest serving queen consort of France - has received far less attention. That is not without reasoning though; the two young women came to the throne of France from two very different backgrounds. While Marie Antoinette was the daughter of a very wealthy and powerful Emperor and Empress, Marie Leszczynska's situation was completely different. As the daughter of a deposed king rather than a reigning king, her trousseau was not nearly as splendid as Marie Thérèse's had been before her and Marie Antoinette's would be after her.

Marie Leszczynska in 1725

Marie Leszczynska arrived on French soil in July 1725; it was while she was staying at Strasbourg for her proxy marriage that her trousseau was first noted by the French - and they certainly found it lacking. To some of the French courtiers the trousseau was a disappointment; it was deemed to lack in both quantity and quality. For instance, it was determined that she lacked both gowns, slippers and chemises. Consequently, her measurements were taken and reported back to Paris so that the new queen would have a wardrobe befitting her rank. It fell to Madame de Prie (mistress of the prime minister Duc de Bourbon who had largely orchestrated the match) to complete her trousseau.

Originally, the plan had been to send back some of her belongings before she left Wissembourg where she resided; however, her shoes and gloves were in such poor condition that the French envoy had to make his apologies but they would not make for good models. 

The whole procedure of taking the measurements must have been a trial for the young woman. She would be stripped of her clothing, typically in front of several strangers, who would then prod her like a prize calf. Perhaps it was not for nothing that one of Madame de Prie's first additions to Marie Leszczynska's wardrobe was several chemises.

As it happens, the dire financial situation of the bride's father meant that paying for the trousseau fell to the French treasury. The French envoy who had gone to Stanislas himself reported that he ci-devant Polish king was embarrassed by not being able to give his daughter a trousseau - although he could give her the crown of France. He had apparently revealed her fate to her by the word:

"You see Marie, providence rewards honest people; you did not have a chemise in 1725 and you are queen of France"

The price of the trousseau would have been a very expensive post, indeed - in comparison, when her linen alone was renewed in 1738, it cost 30.000 livres; some forty years later, Marie Antoinette's would cost a staggering 400.000 livres. While one has to account for both inflation and the superior position of the Empress of Austria, the number still gives a good idea of how expensive a royal trousseau could be

To her detractors, this was yet another reason for why the young woman was entirely unsuitable. It should be said, though, that the French government was entirely aware of her father's situation; it had been her very place as a non-entity in the power play of Europe that made her such a desirable bride in the first place. Had she been richer, there would have been a greater risk of offending Spain whose royal family were already furious at having their candidate sent back to them.

However, in 1725, the newly arrived bride needed even the most essential parts of a woman's wardrobe, let alone a royal woman. It has been suggested that the physical examination (which she was also subjected to) was made so much of due to her lacking trousseau. By emphasizing her ability to bear children - which the king and country desperately needed - it was hoped that people would be more willing to overlook that the bride was neither rich nor represented a powerful alliance.

On the positive side, the fact that the French court was tasked with filing the new bride's trousseau also meant that they could not possibly find fault with it. That seems to have been the case - no one made negative comments on the bride's wedding dress when the wedding day finally came.