Anne de Rohan-Chabot, Princesse de Soubise

In 1648 - likely in July - Marguerite de Rohan went into labour with her third child. The infant was a girl who was quickly given the name of Anne de Rohan-Chabot before being passed off to a governess. The family in which the infant had just been born was at the top of French society. Her mother was the sole heir to the Duc de Rohan while her father, Henri de Chabot, was a scion of an old aristocratic family from Poitou.

As the daughter of a noble family, Anne was destined to be married off at an early age. While little is known of her upbringing, her education was remarkable for a female of her time. By all appearances, Anne was blessed with a natural quick wit and benefited immensely from her education. When she turned fifteen years old, she was considered old enough to marry and her parents set about finding a suitable husband for her. Their choice was François de Rohan, a distant relative. He was a Lieutenant General in the king's army and also happened to be eighteen years her senior.

Meanwhile, the young Anne was quite a catch. Due to her mother's inheritance, she would bestow the ownership of both the seiagneuries of Soubise and Frontenay on the man she married. Naturally, this was quite a draw for a potential suitor but a risk for the family itself - understandably, they were reluctant to have such a title leave their family. This is likely why François was chosen, especially since he had already been married once.

The newly married Anne was considered to be very beautiful. The portraits of her does not give justice to her natural hair colour which is said to have had tints of red. Her complexion was perfect, with no mention of scarring - quite rare in an age with both smallpox and other diseases which ravaged the skin. Another strong feature of hers were her almond-shaped eyes with their brown hue and her dazzling smile. All in all, Anne had plenty to offer when she was officially presented at court after two years of marriage.

Anne in her 20's - clearly a beautiful
young woman

It would seem that Anne was well aware of her beauty and dedicated her daily regime to maintaining it. Her diet of salads and chicken with a variety of fruit and water mixed with wine became a well-known secret at court. By the time she was presented at court, Anne had already given birth to her first child: another Anne, born in 1664. For the next eighteen years, Anne would find herself pregnant more often than not. In total, she would give birth to eleven children, four daughters and seven sons.

Considering her beauty, it is hardly surprising that she caught the eye of Louis XIV. By 1669, she began an affair with the young Sun King but appear to have been more of a distraction than a contender for the coveted position of maitresse-en-titre. At the time, Louis was wavering between Louise de La Valliére and Françoise-Athénais de Montespan which left little room for a third candidate. It was said that the king had given her a pair of extravagant emerald earrings which she would wear to signal to the king that she was available - conveniently, she always wore them when her husband was away.

Despite not being positioned for that great honour, Louis showered her with symbols of his favour. Besides healthy financial gifts, Anne was given the place of dame du palais to Marie Thérèse which placed her constantly at court - and within reach of the king himself. Therefore, when she fell pregnant yet again in 1674, her fellow courtiers did not fail to remark that she went into labour just five months after her appointment to the queen's household; consequently, she must have been pregnant for four months prior. Perhaps the appointment was in recognition of the king's paternity?

Anne in the 1670's

When Anne gave birth to the child in question - Armand Gaston Maximilien - the king was immediately said to be the child's true father. Truthfully, Armand does have a strong resemblance to Louis if judging by their portraits. Both Anne and her husband, François, proved themselves to be model courtiers in this regard. Anne never attempted to openly supplant the king's official mistress nor did she try to flaunt her relations with the king openly. Meanwhile, François dutifully recognised Armand as his own son and made no fuss about his wife's affair. To the king, this was an ideal situation which allowed him to develop his relationship with Anne without public embarrassment - considering the tantrums which Madame de Montespan's husband threw in public, this was undoubtedly a relief. In stark contrast, François obligingly removed himself to various places where his military experience might be needed.

Louis XIV understood the importance of rewarding those who served him well. François was amply rewarded for his acquiescence with large sums of money and preferments, particularly in the army. As for Anne, the king raised her personal seigneurial of Soubise into a principality. This benefited both Anne and François who could then officially style themselves as Prince and Princesse de Soubise. As for their own relationship, Anne and François appear to have been a typical aristocratic couple, in their attitudes towards one another. From the early onset of their marriage, Anne had devoted herself entirely to her husband whom she continued to treat publicly with respect - ironically, as it may seem to today's readers who find it hard to combine an affair with the king with respect for one's husband. However, both Anne and François were products of their time and knew that such relationships were not necessarily a threat to their marriage. In this case, this shared understanding seem to have been the reason behind their strong relationship which resumed after Anne's affair ended. 

Anne's relationship with Louis lasted for six years before coming to an end in 1675. From then on, Anne resumed her role as a courtier within the queen's household until Marie Thérèse died in 1683. Despite not having been his mistress for quite some time, Anne still held some influence with her former lover. She was able to arrange for a beneficial marriage for her nephew, the Prince d'Epinoy, as late as 1692. Furthermore, she later successfully persuaded the king to bestow two new peerages on her near relatives, including the title of Duc de Rohan-Rohan on her own son and the dukedom of Melun on her great-nephew.

Princesse de Soubise

Judging by references in the numerous letters of Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, Anne likely attached herself to Madame de Maintenon. This would certainly have cemented the king's continued fondness for Anne as she made little fuss about the change of power. Anne's relationship with Madame de Maintenon grew closer and the two ladies developed a friendship of their own which included a good portion of confidence.

François certainly had little to complain of with regards to his wife. Unlike his first marriage, his union with Anne had produced a multitude of heirs. She had also brought him a principality - which he, as a younger son, would never have achieved alone - and considerable riches. By 1700, the couple was seemingly still going strong and they purchased the Hôtel de Guise which they renamed to the Hôtel de Soubise. 

Meanwhile, Anne's health was not that good. She had suffered from a delicate physique for years which had attracted several snide remarks from Madame de Montespan over the years. Almost twenty years of childbearing had probably not been particularly kind to her health, especially if it was already unstable to begin with. 

After their purchase of this Parisian abode, Anne seem to have divided her time between there and the court. Since the death of the queen, she was without official duties at court which meant that she had far greater freedom than before. She happened to be in Paris when she caught a cold in early 1709. Before long, it became clear that her condition was serious (likely more than a cold) - on 4 February, Anne de Rohan-Chabot died.