Marie Leszczyńska: Portrait of a Queen

Marie Leszczynska was the longest-serving queen consort of French history - she spent 42 years at the French court, gave the king ten children and enjoyed immense popularity from the people. Nevertheless, she remains a somewhat anonymous figure in the age of Versailles. Her reserved personality, dedication to duty and charitable disposition made her an ideal consort but not fit for neither courtly nor city gossip. As it happens, Marie Leszczynska managed to avoid any scandal during her entire tenure as queen of France.

The king's mistresses - particularly the sophisticated Madame de Pompadour and the scandalous Madame du Barry - tend to take center stage, pushing the devout Marie Leszczynska into the background. Later on, the reign of Marie Antoinette further pushed her predecessor into the background, albeit unintentionally. Whereas Marie Antoinette seemingly could do nothing right in the public's eye, Marie Leszczynska was admired and adored throughout her life.

The question remains, what type of woman was the Polish-born queen? What did she like, what were her passions, her hobbies?

Traditionally, Marie Leszczynska has been described as a very religious woman which is certainly accurate. Even as Louis XV drifted further and further away from his religious duties, his wife delved into hers. Her private chambers were typically adorned with religious paintings (a total of 34 for her private apartment alone) - another great interest of hers. Throughout her life she would show particular fondness for the Virgin Mary - like her father had - and the devotion of the Sacred Heart.

While she is traditionally associated with the Dévot faction at court, she maintained a thoroughly neutral position politically. Whereas her children attempted to use their influence within this faction, she had learned her lesson from an ill-fated attempt at political maneuvering shortly after arriving at court. Perhaps this contributed to both her popularity with the people and the perception of her position as superfluous for the ambitious courtier. In comparison to i.e. Madame de Pompadour - whose political influence was both widely known and resented - the queen stayed clear of such dealings which helped keep her name out of less fortunate affairs. However, anyone who wished to advance themselves at court knew that they would gain nothing through the queen which left her somewhat abandoned - or rather, as abandoned as a monarch can be in an absolute monarchy.

Marie Leszczynska had a fascination with the Far East. Her interest developed and she would even dedicate a small room to "Chinese"-inspired décor in 1747; typically, this would be a rather romanticized version of the Far East, as told by stories. Her cabinet was redesigned in 1761 to form the so-called "Chinese cabinet" before being made into a library for Marie Antoinette.

Likewise, she was a collector of Japanese lacquer-ware, Chinese porcelain and painted on imported silks, the latter of which were hung in her little cabinet. Her taste spilled over into the other royal residences, including Fontainebleau where she had a cabinet in the chinoiserie-style delivered to in 1737.

Much like her husband, Marie Leszczynska was quite a reserved person. She enjoyed her privacy and would frequently retire to her small private apartment, either alone or with a few close friends. Typically, she would spent at least two hours here every morning. It was on her initiative that the queen's apartment was expanded by a private section - the inner apartment. Whereas she understood and accepted her role as one of the fixtures of the court, she allegedly truly became herself when surrounded by a few, close friends. Amongst these were the ducal pair of the duke and duchesse de Luynes with whom she often spent her evenings.

Marie as a young queen

One characteristic that is rarely mentioned when discussing the queen is her taste for the arts. Paintings were a favourite of hers but music and literature were also amongst her interests. Interestingly, she seems to have arranged a small chamber to act as a tiny studio for herself; here, she was guided by the master Oudry himself. It is not difficult to draw parallels between her hobby and that of her husband's scientific pursuits or her grandson's lessons at the forge. 

Music, too, played a massive part in her life. Both she and Louis XV were musically inclined - Marie Leszczynska more than her husband - and she ensured that all her daughters were proficient musicians. It was also not unheard of for her to request smaller concerts to be performed in her apartment. The concerts she hosted in her apartments were typically repeats of shows performed in Paris - which she rarely went to - or spiritual concerts. These were held in numerous different locations from the queen's own apartment to the Menagerie or the Salon of Peace and constituted a fixed point in court life; as such, she was a pivotal part of maintaining a musical atmosphere at court. The queen herself was proficient in three different instruments and would receive the young Mozart as a private guest.

She had a talent for linguistics, speaking six different languages (Polish, French, Latin, German, Italian and Swedish) and was generally given a very thorough education including mathematics, theology, sciences and the arts. This capacity for knowledge was something which she passed on to her daughters, particularly Madame Adélaide, who was said to have an insatiable thirst for knowledge. Marie Leszczynska herself maintained her own erudite pursuits; she read an enormous amount and was said to have had a good sense of humour. 

Marie Leszczyńska, 1753

While Louis XV was a notoriously avid hunter, there is little to suggest that Marie Leszczynska had a similar interest in this royal pastime. Her position as the long-suffering wife a husband consorting with a string of mistresses, her public admiration also stemmed from her dedication to charity. She received remarkably little in allowance, much of which went directly to the poor. Amongst her personal campaigns was the so-called Queen's Convent which provided girls from poorer backgrounds with an education; this echoes the efforts of Madame de Maintenon's school of Saint-Cyr, except that Maintenon's efforts were concentrated on noble but impoverished girls with the end-goal of marrying them off decently. 

Upon her death in 1768, the queen had established herself as one of the most popular royals in France. To the ancien regime, she was the ideal queen consort: she had fulfilled her primary duty of producing an heir (and eight princesses), devoted her time to charity and religion and stoically endured her husband's infidelities. Furthermore, her lack of political interference fit perfectly the ideal of the queen as been apolitical. Those were the characteristics that made Marie Leszczynska beloved by the people. They would have known little of her love of painting, of music, of intimate dinners with friends or her fascination with Asian culture. Her charity and duty made her a good queen; her talents, tastes and convictions made her a person.

Deadly Labours: Deaths in Childbirth at Court

Childbirth is a dangerous experience - even more so in an age where knowledge of bacteria was yet more than a century away. Unfortunately, this lack of knowledge resulted in the deaths of thousands of women, of which the ladies of the court were certainly not exempt. Generally speaking, childbed fever (as it was termed) was caused by a streptococcal infection leading to sepsis - unfortunately, this was typically transferred to the birthing woman's nether regions by the hands of those attending her. The numbers vary according to the source; some claim that 40 of 1000 women died during the childbirth itself whereas another source points to 1 in 20. The latter number also accounts for women dying after the birth itself - i.e. from complications - which makes it far more plausible.

At court, the highest-ranking woman who succumbed to death in childbed was the dauphine Marie Thérèse Raphaëlle. She had been married to Louis-Ferdinand for just about a year when she gave birth to their only child on 19 July 1746. Sadly, she appear to have been infected during this period and sepsis soon set in; the dauphine died on 22 July at the age of 20 years old.

The pressure to "produce" an heir for the various aristocratic families often led to such deaths as being quickly forgotten. If the child survived - and was male, mind you - it would still be necessary to produce a spare to the valuable heir. Thus, the late mother was quickly replaced by a new woman. The women involved were often quite young as they were married in their mid-teens and quickly set about establishing  the next generation.

Anne Marie Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne, Princesse de Soubise, had been married off at the age of 12. She conceived her first child, a daughter, at the age of 15 before falling pregnant again at 17. The second delivery went wrong, however, when she fell seriously ill after having birthed her son in September 1739. She died shortly afterwards - her husband went on to remarry twice. In a disturbing twist of fate, her successor would suffer the same fate. The widower, Charles de Rohan, remarried a year and a half after the death of Anne Marie Louise to Anne Thérèse of Savoy. Anne Thérèse was 27 years old - in other words a decade older than Anne Marie Louise - when she went into labour with her first child. Little is known of what actually happened except that the Princesse de Soubise died after having giving birth. One can only wonder whether it were the same people attending the two consecutive princesses...

Auguste of Baden-Baden, Duchesse d'Orléans, had given birth three days earlier when she died on 8 August 1726. The 21-year old had been brought to France from Bavaria to marry the Duc d'Orléans just two years earlier. The widower remained unmarried until his own death sixteen years later.

The pregnancy of Gabrielle Émilie du Châtelet, Marquise du Châtelet, was neither planned nor particularly welcome. She had been estranged from her husband for quite a while which allowed them both to indulge in their separate affairs. The extremely intelligent marquise had a steady relationship with Voltaire before becoming entangled with the poet Saint-Lambert. She fell pregnant by him at the age of 42 which in itself caused quite a scandal. There is some suggestion that Gabrielle Émilie had misgivings about her pregnancy; she confided to her friends that she did not think she would survive the birth.

Such misapprehension would be common enough even for a woman who had given birth thrice before. When she went into labour on 4 September 1749, her fears appeared to be well-founded, but not due to gynecological issues. The marquise died of a pulmonary embolism six days after the delivery.

Marquise du Châtelet

The daughter of the Duc de Bouillon, Armande de La Tour d'Auvergne, was married at the age of 15 to the Prince d'Epinoy. Rather quickly the young princess conceived their first child; she went into labour in early April 1717. However, something went wrong, although it is unclear exactly what happened. The result was devastating with both the 19-year old mother and the child dying.

The premature death of the Princesse de Conti, born Louise Diane d'Orléans, was the result of a premature delivery. She was five months pregnant when she went into labour at her private estate of Issy. The child appears to have been stillborn but the mother suffered severe complications from her ordeal. For three whole days, she lingered before dying on 26 September 1732, at the age of 20. 

Louise Diane 

Marie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans, Duchesse de Berri, lived a remarkably scandalous life. Infamous for her numerous affairs, drinking issues and her extreme life style, the Duchesse de Berri fell pregnant which caused yet another scandal. The crux of the issue was that her husband had died five years previously which made it painfully obvious that the child was illegitimate.

The Duchesse de Berri attempted to conceal her state by deceiving clothing and continuing her lifestyle, even continuing participating in theaters and her father's notorious suppers. On 30st March 1719, she went into labour which would turn out to be particularly gruesome. The child, seemingly, would not arrive. For four days, she suffered to the point of a priest being summoned. He, however, refused to give her the last sacrament due to her scandalous lifestyle. Eventually, she gave birth to a girl. Her health was entirely shattered by her ordeal but wanted to continue the illusion of having not been pregnant at all. Thus, she retired to her estate of Meudon where she participated in a ball. However, this exertion was far too much for her weakened body to endure which caused her health to further deteriorate.

Madame herself paid the Duchesse a visit the following month which gives an indication of how poorly she truly was. According to Madame, the Duchesse had severe pain in her feet which caused her doctors to bleed her from the foot. While the pain was somewhat alleviated, her health failed to restore itself. By 21st July 1719, Marie Louise Élisabeth was extremely weak. She died that day; the obligatory autopsy revealed that she was pregnant again.

Duchesse de Berri

Originally born in Modena, the Italian Marie Thérèse Félicité d'Este was married to the Duc de Penthièvre in December 1744. She had the good fortune of enjoying a good marriage to her French spouse which resulted in six children. However, when she became pregnant with her seventh child, the Duchesse de Penthièvre had seemingly run out of luck. At this point, Marie was 27 years old and she managed to give birth to a daughter before dying herself. It is unclear whether she died directly after the labour or from puerperal fever.

Her husband was reported to be completely devastated by her loss; for the rest of his life, he was said to tear up when her name was mentioned. Sadly, the daughter, too, did not survive for more than a few hours. For once contemporary sources give an indication of what might have contributed to the tragic incident. Apparently, the many consecutive pregnancies had taken their toll on her body and the labour for each was described as "laborious" which could indicate long labour.

Duchesse de Penthièvre

The eldest "Mazarinette", Laura Mancini, had come to France on the invitation of her relative, Cardinal Mazarin. There, she had been married off to the Duc de Mercœur at the age of 14. Giving birth to her first child at 17 and her second at 18, Laura was pregnant again when she turned 20. On 27 January 1657, she gave birth to their third son, Jules César. It is likely that she contracted puerperal fever after the birth which resulted in a period of ill health after the delivery. 14 days later, Laura died.

Laura Mancini

The king's mistresses were not excluded from the plight of their fellow women's suffering. Mademoiselle de Fontanges notoriously died at the age of 19 after having given prematurely birth to Louis XIV's child.

Charlotte Rosalie de Choiseul-Beaupré was exiled by Madame de Pompadour for getting too close to Louis XV. She died of childbirth the following year with the child being rumored to be having been the king's. Pauline Félicité de Mailly-Nesle, Marquise de Vintimille, had fallen pregnant by the king. Unlike other women on this list, she died during the childbirth itself from convulsions. The child survived and was raised by her relatives; sadly, her body was mutilated by an angry mob when the guards left their station.

Pauline-Félicité

Whereas death was obviously the extreme end of the spectrum, women faced considerable obstacles in an age with limited knowledge of both female anatomy and general hygiene. One can only imagine the agony experienced by the Marquise de Clermont whose labour lasted a staggering eight days in 1758.

Frustratingly, it is often impossible to determine exactly what happened during such deliveries. Details were rarely - if ever - mentioned as being considered too intimate for public release. Instead, it is usually simply mentioned that the woman in question died in childbirth. It is also likely that the doctors simply had no answers to share; they might be able to diagnose puerperal fever but had not means of curing it. Likewise, if something went wrong during the delivery itself there was very little to be done.

Today, most infections experienced by new mothers can be treated with antibiotics - something which was entirely unknown until the 20th century.

The Jewels of the Queen Mother

Anne of Austria had been queen consort of France for 28 years and regent for her son, Louis XIV, for eight years. Through these years, she had amassed an impressive collection of jewellery. Upon her death on 20 January 1666, an inventory of her belongings was drawn up, as per tradition. This allows us to take a look into the jewellery owned by the late queen mother.

The jewellery was appraised by the duo Pittan and Ballin. However, the pieces found in her inventory does not account for all the jewels she owned. For instance, her wedding jewels were lavish but some do not appear to be amongst those listed in the inventory. The inventory of the jewellery which she brought with her into France spanned over 13 pages alone. To truly show the jewels that Anne of Austria would have had at her disposal, I have included such other jewels as well. The reason for such disparity is the trend which is still prevalent today of restyling gemstones into modern pieces, including melting gold down for new jewellery. This would explain why so little of her original jewellery dowry appear to have been intact at her death.

Anne as a widow

Rings

In total, 51 rings were located in her possession

1 ring with brilliants 
1 sapphire and diamond ring
2 rings with yellow diamonds 
6 rings with large rubies
3 spinel rings
5 rings with smaller rubies
3 turquoise rings
2 sapphire rings
1 topaz ring
2 emerald rings
1 diamond ring with the portrait of Louis XIII
1 ring with the portrait of a saint
2 peridot rings
1 amethyst ring
3 portrait rings depicting Henri IV, Louis XIII and the Infanta Isabella
1 carnelian ring
1 lapis lazuli ring
1 diamond ring with unknown gemstone

In total, her ring collection was estimated to be 30.000 livres worth.

Necklaces

1 pearl necklace - simply referred to as "the Queen's necklace". This would be handed down to both Marie Leszczynska and Marie Antoinette. Consisting of 30 large pearls 

1 necklace, estimated at having a total of 300 carats - 5.000 livres

1 long necklace in pure gold, enameled in white, red, green and grey, and set with rubies and diamonds

1 large diamond pendant (likely for the gold necklace)

After she became a widow, Anne reverted to her favourite pieces which appears to have been a set - a semi-parure - of a pearl necklace and a pair of matching pearl earrings. For one, many of her portraits feature her wearing just such a small (but immensely expensive) set.

Earrings

1 pair of diamond earrings with each earring consisting of four large diamonds with smaller diamonds hanging underneath - 50.000 livres

1 pair of earrings consisting of square diamonds with large pear-shaped pearls hanging from the diamonds - 26.000 livres

1 pair of diamond and pearl earrings - 50.000 livres

1 par of earrings of enameled gold set with diamonds

Design for earrings worn by Anne

Bracelets

1 bracelet with diamonds and emeralds - 1.500 livres

1 bracelet with green rock crystals and diamonds - 450 livres

1 bracelet with rubies, diamonds and pearls, unknown value

1 bracelet with carnelians, pearls and diamonds - 300 livres

2 bracelets with carnelians and diamonds - 400 livres

2 bracelets with gilded lapis lazuli and diamonds - 300 livres

1 bracelet of pale blue enamel and small diamonds - 100 livres

2 bracelets of horn material - 80 livres

1 jade bracelet - unknown value

1 bracelet with the king's hair - unknown value

1 bracelet of 14 diamonds and golden bows covered in black enamel - 10.000 livres

1 bracelet of 7 large diamonds mounted on jade - 17.500 livres

1 bracelet of 9 large emeralds and 9 diamonds - 4.800 livres

1 bracelet of twelve different gemstones, each surrounded by three smaller diamonds - 5.500 livres

2 bracelets of 14 peridots each, rubies and diamonds - 1.000 livres

A pair of bracelets, one with amethysts and one with diamonds - 1.200 livres

2 bracelets with 13 large rubies each, adorned with diamonds - 20.000 livres

Anne as Queen of France 

Watches

1 carnelian watch adorned with diamonds and attached to a matching carnelian bracelet - 1100 livres

1 lapis lazuli watch also adorned with diamonds and attachable to one of two matching bracelets

1 watch of turquoise and diamonds

1 watch of blue enamel (likely a match to the bracelet)

1 watch with amethyst, diamonds and emeralds - 1.200 livres

1 watch with amethyst, topaz and diamonds - 1.000 livres

1 watch of filigree - with a matching chain - and adorned with diamonds - 600 livres

1 watch previously belonging to the Spanish ambassador - 100 livres

1 large golden watch - 100 livres

1 small watch, "always worn by the queen" - 100 livres

Being an immensely devout woman, Anne had a penchant for Christian jewels, such as rosaries, cross pendants etc.

Religious jewellery

An emerald cross entirely covered with diamonds - 2.500 livres

A cross with a very large ruby adorned with diamonds - 3.500 livres

A ruby cross with diamonds - 600 livres

A filigree cross covered in yellow diamonds - 2.400 livres

A small sapphire cross with four diamonds - 1.200 livres

A cross with five diamonds - 2.000 livres

A large cross with a centerpiece consisting of a massive lozenge-shaped diamond with three large diamonds hanging beneath - 130.000 livres

Another large cross with a large diamond at its centre, four slightly smaller diamonds and finally four small diamonds - 70.000 livres

A large cross made up of pearls and diamonds - 26.000 livres

A large cross with very large diamonds - estimated at about 250.000 livres

A cross with a crown supported by four diamonds - 5.000 livres

A remarkably colourful cross with diamonds, rubies, topaz, sapphire and emerald - 6.000 livres

Besides these pendants, the queen owned countless rosaries of every imaginable material - from diamonds and gold to chrysolite, turquoise and carnelian. 36 different rosaries were listed in a single inventory which indicates that they were stored at the same place.

Finally, the queen's personal collection included various loose gemstones often of immense value. For instance, Cardinal Mazarin had left her several such pieces in his will, including a very large diamond called the Rose of England and a perfect cabochon from the Far East. Her wedding ring had consisted of a large, square diamond.

Considering the price of some of the items above, it is hardly a surprise that the jewellery which Anne of Austria left to her sons was worth over 1.300.000 livres. They were to be divided between Louis and Philippe, with most pieces going to Philippe. This was Anne's own wish - particularly that Anne's granddaughter through Philippe - was to inherit her jewellery as the king's daughter-in-law would be sufficiently provided for.

The House of Rochechouart

Being amongst the oldest noble families in France, the Rochechouart-family had divided into two branches by the ascension of Louis XIV: Rochechouart and Mortemart. As it happens, this division had already happened centuries before. The elder branch - the Rochechouart - were descendants of Aimery IX de Rochechouart, Vicomte de Rochechouart while the cadet branch - the Mortemart - hailed from his younger brother Guillaume de Mortemart.

The Rochechouart

Such a large family would inevitably divided into further branches with that of the Rochechouart splitting into six separate family units: the original line, the Seigneurs de Bourdet (extinct by Louis XIV), the Seigneurs de Chanendiers, the Seigneurs de Faudoas and the current family.

The Original Family (meaning those descending from the eldest male heir)

The family descending directly from Aimery I was in the hands of female heirs by the Grand Siècle. The then-leading figure was Marie de Rochechouart-Pontville:

1. Marie de Rochechouart-Pontville & Jean-Hélie, Marquis de Pompadour

Marie inherited the title of Vicomte(sse) de Rochechouart which was immediately conferred on her husband when she inherited the title. The two had no children which meant that the title was given to Marie's sister.

2. Marie II de Rochechouart & François II d'Espinay de Saint-Luc

The couple did have a child - a girl. This meant that she had to marry a cousin to keep the title within the family. Therefore the young girl, another Marie, was married to François III de Rochechouart-Pontville. Sadly, Marie III died without living heirs which meant that the remaining line descended from her cousin, the reigning Vicomte François III.

Seigneurs de Chanendiers

1. François II & Marie Loup de Bellenaves

Having served as a councillor to Louis XIII, François would later be permitted to use the title of Comte de Limoges, as he was a direct descendant of the 9th century founder of this title.

The couple had one child:

• Charles-François, died at 19

With no heirs, the title passed on to the abbot Claude-Charles who - given his Catholicism - could not have official legitimate heirs. The line therefore went extinct.

Seigneurs de Faudoas

The Seigneurs de Faudoas were elevated to the marquisate of the same name before becoming extinct in the male line in 1717. This meant that the marquisate de Faudoas went to a cousin, Charles de Rochechouart.

1. Charles de Rochechouart & Françoise de Montesquieu

Besides receiving his title of Faudoas, Charles also had his title of Baron de Clermont raised to that of Comte de Clermont. If anything, he and Françoise more than made up for the previous lack of heirs by producing ten children:

• François-Charles
• Marie-Anne
• François-Claude
• Jean-Louis
• Jean-François-Joseph
• Pierre-Paul
• Joseph
• Gaston
• Roger
• Alexandre
• Jean-Louis-Roger

2. François-Charles de Rochechouart & Marie-Françoise de Conflans d'Armentières

François followed the military careers of his ancestors and was made maréchal de camp by Louis XV. He was later made ambassador to Philip of Parma, the king's son-in-law.

He had three children by Marie-Françoise:

• Aimery-Louis-Roger, Comte de Faudoas
• Diane Adélaide, Duchesse de Châtelet-Lomont
• Zéphyrine Félicité, Marquise d'Antigny

3. Aimery-Louis-Roger de Rochechouart & Madeleine de Barberie de Courteilles

Aimery was amongst the nobles who embraced the ideas of the Enlightenment, including the abolition of slavery. He was appointed as a member of the Estates General, representing the nobility.

The couple had four daughters:

• Madeleine, Duchesse d'Aumont
• Diane
• Rosalie, Duchesse de Richelieu
• Constance, Princesse de Carency

The Present Family

The present family descends from the third Montigny La Brosse-branch, beginning with Louis de Rochechouart and the children he had by his second wife, Louise Piédefer. By the age of Louis XIV, this family was led by Isaac-Louis de Rochechouart - however, it would be his younger brother, Joseph, who sired the surviving family. Therefore, the following focuses on Joseph's direct line:

1. Joseph de Rochechouart & Marie-Madeleine de Valenciennes

Joseph was the lieutenant colonel of the Vivonne-regiment. The couple had four children:

• Louis-Joseph
• Louis-Victor
• Jean-Louis
• Louise

2. Louis-Joseph de Rochechouart & Marie-Jeanne Le Vasseur

Very little is known about Marie-Jeanne except that she gave birth to at least one child:

• Joseph-Louis Michel

3. Joseph-Louis Michel de Rochechouart & Élisabeth Marie Anne d'Aldart de Melleville

Despite their illustrious family name, Joseph-Louis was not particularly high-ranking at court which might explain the match to Élisabeth. She was amongst the young noble girls who were brought up at the school of Saint-Cyr which had been established by Madame de Maintenon. A requirement for being accepted was both noble lineage and poor financial status - therefore, Élisabeth did not hail from a wealthy background.

Like Joseph-Louis' own parents, the couple only had one child:

• Jules

It is from Jules that the present family descends - he would also be the last of this branch before the revolution. 

The Mortemart

Unlike their cousins, the Mortemart-family tree was a great deal simpler. Despite having a single family with several titles, they managed to climb higher than their relatives, especially during the reign of Louis XIV.

1. Gabriel de Rochechouart & Diane de Grandseigne

Gabriel was an excellent courtier whose instinct placed his family at an immensely favorable position. Managing to successfully navigate the Fronde, he established himself amongst the leading noblemen at court. Ensuring that the children borne to him by Diane de Granseigne were brought up with concern for the infamous Mortemart-wit, they, too, were remarkably successful.

Diane had a reputation for being both pious and compliant which made her an ideal dame d'honneur to the queen. She raised her children at their country estate - likely due to their rather unstable relationship. She was often the object of both admiration and praise considering how she tackled her husband's numerous affairs with silent dignity.

The couple had four children:

• Gabrielle, Marquise de Thianges
• Louis-Victor, Duc de Mortemart
• Françoise-Athénais, Marquise de Montespan 
• Marie-Madeleine, abbess

Gabriel

2. Louis-Victor de Rochechouart de Mortemart & Antoinette de Mesmes

Louis-Victor was likely amongst the luckiest men at court. Born to inherit a ducal title, his family's influence, intelligence, and wealth made it possible for him to truly establish himself at the head of the court. When his sister became the king's mistress, his favour rose even more. He was made viceroy of Sicily as well as general of the galleys before finally obtaining the extremely coveted position of first gentleman of the king's bedchamber.

Antoinette was amongst those implicated by the Affair of the Poisons but was acquitted - likely by order of the king. She gave her husband six children:

• Louis, Duc de Mortemart
• Gabrielle, abbess
• Charlotte, Duchesse d'Elbeuf
• Marie-Élisabeth, Marquise de Castries
• Louise-Françoise, abbess
• Gabrielle-Victoire, Duchesse de Lesdiguières

Louis-Victor

Antoinette

3. Louis de Rochechouart & Marie-Anne Colbert

Both a duke and a general, Louis also obtained the otherwise rare achievement of being remembered favourably by the Duc de Saint-Simon. The memoirist branded him the "hope of our age" and lauded him for his vastly superior qualities.

Marie-Anne was the daughter of Louis XIV's minister; theirs was therefore a marriage between the noblesse d'épé and noblesse de robe. They had five children:

• Louis II, Duc de Mortemart
• Jean-Baptiste, Duc de Mortemart
• Marie-Anne, nun
• Louise-Gabrielle, nun
• Marie-Françoise, Marquise de Cany

4. Louis II de Rochechouart & (1) Marie-Henriette de Beauvilliers, (2) Marie-Charlotte Élisabeth de Nicoläy

Enjoying the same martial skills as his ancestors, Louis II was maréchal de camp and Lieutenant General. He had inherited his title at the age of just 7 and took the unusual step of abdicating at the age of 49.

Marie-Henriette was herself from a ducal family; she had four children by Louis:

• Marie-Louise
• Louis-Paul, Duc de Mortemart
• Charles-Auguste, Duc de Rochechouart
• Henriette-Athénais, nun

Louis II

5. Louis-Paul de Rochechouart & Marie-Anne de Beauvau

Having added the titles of Prince de Tonnay-Charente and Marquis de Lussac to his already impressive list of titles, Louis Paul was amongst the highest ranking at court. Sadly, he died at just 21 years old without leaving an heir. Therefore, the title went to his younger brother, Charles-Auguste.

6. Charles-Auguste de Rochechouart & Augustine de Coëtquen de Combourg

If Louis-Paul's list of titles had been impressive that of his brother was immense. Besides being a duke and peer, he had two marquisates, three counties and two seigneurships. He was also first gentleman of the king's bedchamber, grandee of Spain (1st Class) and colonel of his personal regiment.

Having married Augustine in 1735, the couple had one child:

• Louis-François

Louis-François appear died at the age of 3 and Charles-Auguste himself died at 29 years old. The title therefore went to Jean-Baptiste, Duc de Mortemart.

7. Jean-Baptiste de Rochechouart & Marie Anne Colbert de Blainville

Inheriting the dukedom of Mortemart, Jean-Baptiste already had that of Vivonne besides a long list of other titles. He had married Marie Anne in 1706 who had then given him four children:

• Louis
• Marie Anne Madeleine
• Jean-Baptiste Victor, Duc de Mortemart
• Charles-Auguste

8. Jean-Baptiste Victor de Rochechouart & (1) Éleonore de Crux, (2) Thérèse de Rouvroy, (3) Charlotte de Manneville

Jean-Baptiste was given the ducal title (à brevet) of Duc de Rochechouart by Louis XV as well as a knighthood of the Order of Saint John of Jerusalem. He married thrice, probably out of necessity as neither one of his first marriages provided any children. It was not until he married Charlotte de Manneville that he got his heir.

Charlotte gave birth to four children with increasingly odd names:

• Victurnien Jean Baptiste Marie, Duc de Mortemart
• Victurnien Bonaventure Victor, Marquis de Mortemart
• Victurnien Henri Elzéar, Vicomte de Mortemart
• Victurienne Nathaline Delphine, Marquise de Rougé

Jean-Baptiste Victor

The family still exist today.

Interesting facts/anecdotes:

• Jean-François-Joseph, son of Charles de Rochechouart, became known as Cardinal de Rochechouart
• Three of Charles de Rochechouart's children were knights of the Holy Spirit at the same time 
• The loss of his eldest daughter caused Aimery-Louis-Roger to retire early; he would eventually die himself at the age of just 46
• Marie-Madeleine (daughter of Gabriel de Rochechouart) was known as the queen of abbesses due to her immense influence
• Louis XIV was enchanted with the Mortemart wit which both Madame de Montespan and her sister, Madame de Thianges, had inherited
• Both Diane Adélaide (daughter of the Comte de Faudoas) and her husband were guillotined; the same happened to Marie-Victoire, Vicomtesse de Rochechouart

Vicious Superiority: Violence in Aristocratic Households

The employment of servants was not solely an aristocratic practice; most families of the bourgeoisie and even some craftsmen's families had servants or domestics. While there were certainly as many benevolent employers amongst the aristocracy as in other classes, it is often the less kind-hearted households that attracted the attention of the contemporaries - thus, they are amongst those handed down to modern readers.

The rather unknown Marquis de Fimarcon employed a man by the name of Le Franc for about a decade. During this time, the marquis himself freely admitted that he had frequently punished Le Franc by beatings or the so-called "cachot" - these were typically found in prisons. It would therefore seem that he had imprisoned his own servant for various transgressions. Surprisingly, Le Franc did not leave his employer which he would have been more than entitled to do.

As it happens, the image of the ever-obedient servant meekly accepting their master or mistress' beatings were not quite accurate. Over the 18th century, the Enlightenment changed how people treated each other, even in the private sphere. Servants became less averse to openly accusing their "masters" of mistreatment whereas the upper classes developed an attitude more influenced by the shared humanity between themselves and their staff. This might seem obvious to modern readers, but it should be remembered that the social hierarchy was based on the theory of divine planning; those born to be aristocrats had long held a vastly different view of their socially inferiors. Likewise, it was widely accepted amongst these "inferiors" that they were just that - inferior. Their place in society required them to serve those better off which was not questioned for centuries due to the stranglehold of the Catholic Church on society - any criticism of this world order was largely seen as blasphemy and harshly punished. In fact, the church even pointed to the Bible itself to justify the master of the house's right to physically beat his servants by referencing St. Paul.

But by the mid-18th century everything was being questioned - including why someone ought to accept mistreatment simply due to their social status. Thus, society was slowly but steadily changing which also included the relationship between servant and employer. It should be said that the laws of the time did not grant the employer a carte blanche to do as he pleased with his household staff. French law itself forbade "excessive and malicious" treatment of servants; by the 1750's it was not uncommon to see servants contact the authorities if they were mistreated. Large parts of the nobility also considered it beneath an aristocrat to exhibit such brutality - even if they had been entitled to do so by law or clerical teachings.

As with any other societal aspect, there were those who refused to relinquish what they considered their natural right - just as there were those who never laid a hand on their employees. 

Princesse d'Harcourt

The Comte de Villefort was, sadly, not amongst the more sensible ones. His servant, Jean Benger, was one of the domestics who contacted the Parisian police force to report the abuse he had experienced at his employer's hands. Villefort was apparently fond of whipping Benger which had led to Benger informing him of his intention to leave.

Even before the emerging ideals of equality, there were those amongst the serving class who simply had no time for such a treatment. The Duc de Saint-Simon recalled how the Princesse d'Harcourt beat her serving-woman through the wall; rather than simply accepting it, the robust servant pounced on her employer and gave her a taste of her own medicine. The unnamed servant quickly made her escape. As it happens, the princesse was notorious for being a terrible mistress who frequently mistreated those in her employ. It is perhaps little wonder that none of her other servants came to the rescue of their mistress. Madame, wife of Philippe d'Orléans, inhabited the apartment below the princesse and corroborated the duke's claim by saying that she often heard the princesse abuse her servants.

Strangely, the Duc de Saint-Simon was amongst those who abhorred violence towards one's staff. It is said that he instructed his son not to use violence with the employees at all which was out of the ordinary in a society largely dominated by violence.

Another instance was that experienced by Legrain, employed by Mirabeau. The two engaged in a quarrel which eventually developed into an outright physical altercation. However, this does not seem to have had a particularly bad effect on the relationship between the two, as Legrain remained in his service. It would seem that Mirabeau was not the only one who indulged in actual fighting with his servants. The Cardinal de Retz was rumoured to have gotten into a fist-fight with one of his stable-boys. The episode was reported by a man by the name of Vauvenargues who even admitted that the cardinal lost.

Verbal abuse were not uncommon either. Marigny, the brother of Madame de Pompadour, shocked his dinner guests when he absolutely exploded upon minor mistakes made by his servant, such as placing a dish slightly wrong. Not even waiting until the company had departed, Marigny began ranting and raving at the manservant to the dismay of everyone involved. It should be said that this episode caused several of his aristocratic guests to part ways with him for good.  

Oddly enough, the decision to leave Marigny's circle of friends was less to do with the unpleasantness of the evening itself but rather what the host's behaviour represented. Many of those present considered his outburst anything but noble which was certainly not something anyone wished to be associated with. Those already predisposed to disdain towards the bourgeoisie-mistress of the king, quickly pointed to such behaviour as been a clear sign of their non-aristocratic origins.

Marquis de Marigny

There appear to have been a distinct difference in perception of the type of physical punishment used. The more extreme measures were collectively frowned upon but violence was pervasive throughout society. Parents thrashed their children, husbands were legally permitted to "chastise" their wives, masters "disciplined" their apprentices etc. Thus, when the Duc de La Feuillade gave his footman a rap with a whip, it did not cause much consternation - even though it happened in front of the king himself. It is not unlikely that such a behaviour was not only accepted but expected. 

The society of the ancien regime was extremely patriarchal, particularly within the family itself. The households of the nobility thus functioned with the master of the house as the "father" of the entire households; as such, he was given certain privileges including the right to physically chastise his family and staff. However, the difference appear to have been in the manner this discipline was administered. Severe or unwarranted violence was unacceptable, even undignified and certain unbecoming of a nobleman, including a duke. 

Yet, simultaneously, the Duc de La Feuillade would also be expected to control, even correct, his staff if they stepped out of line. In a way, he was considered responsible, as the behaviour of his servant reflected on him.

Relationships: Louis XVI & the Comte de Provence

These two sons of Louis Ferdinand and Marie Josèphe could hardly have been more different. Whereas Louis Auguste - later Louis XVI - was reserved and contemplative, Louis Stanislas Xavier was confident and intensely discontent with his lot as the younger son.

Their relationship had been rocky from an early age. One episode when the two brothers were in their teens involved the accidental breaking of porcelain belonging to the Comte de Provence by his notoriously inelegant elder brother. Quick to anger, the two actually ended in a fight which was only broken up by the interference of the newly arrived Marie Antoinette. The last years of Louis XV's reign saw the three princely pairs (Louis XVI/Marie Antoinette, Comte and Comtesse de Provence and Comte and Comtesse d'Artois) mingling as a family, including with weekly dinners and evenings spent with each other. This period was largely dominated by an awkward stalemate with the power of the king acting as a stabilizing factor. However, when Louis XV died in 1774, the ascension of Louis XVI immediately shattered any illusion of equality between the brothers.

Fundamentally, the brothers were like night and day. Provence tended to prefer a hardline against attacks on the monarchy - he would later urge Louis XVI to handle the revolutionaries with an iron fist. In contrast, Louis XVI had a tendency to dither endlessly on the course of action. This indecisiveness essentially stemmed from an immense insecurity and self-doubt which Provence had little understanding for. Provence himself said that trying to pin his brother's character down was like trying to hold "two oiled billiard balls together". 

Louis Stanislas Xavier, Comte de Provence

Louis XVI's character was incredibly difficult to read as he rarely gave a clear indication of what he was thinking. This, in turn, made it impossible to anticipate his next move which Louis Stanislas Xavier simply did not understand. Like many of their contemporaries, the Comte de Provence likely interpreted the silence of Louis XVI as stupidity - in Provence's case, because he himself would never react in that manner.

The crux of the issue was primarily jealousy. The Comte de Provence considered his brother a weak ruler and often challenged him, even in public. The seven long years of infertility of his elder brother's marriage meant that Louis Stanislas Xavier remained the heir to the throne for close to a decade. However, with the births of two nephews, the Comte de Provence saw himself sliding lower down the succession. This was a source of immense frustration for a man who considered himself better suited for kingship than his brother. Louis XVI - in turn - did not permit his younger brother to play a part in the politics of the court which caused Provence to leave Versailles for extended periods from 1774.

While in his self-imposed exile, the Comte de Provence used his influence to undermine both his brother and his sister-in-law whom he had rapidly fallen out with. The leaking of a confidential memorandum in April 1781 was largely attributed to Provence; as were scandalous pamphlets mocking the infertility of his brother's marriage prior to 1778. After the birth of Madame Royale, Provence turned his attention to questioning her paternity instead. Once again, such seemingly unprovoked - and remarkably vicious - attacks on his brother can be attributed to jealousy. Despite loud boasting of his own virility, the Comte de Provence was by all accounts impotent. His marriage to the Comtesse remained childless and it was even questioned whether it had been consummated at all. In that light, he might have been further angered when Marie Antoinette finally began giving birth to the new generation of royals. If one is to look sympathetically on Provence, it must have been frustrating to always feel outdone by his brother. Not only did Louis XVI possess all the power that Provence desperately desired, he was also able to produce a family. In contrast, Provence was without both influence and children.

While the rumours surrounding his brother's marriage were crude, at least, the memorandum was a political challenge to his brother. The new king had shown himself to be more amenable to the parlements who had caused Louis XV endless troubles with their attacks on royal authority. As usual, Provence advocated a stern response and even went so far as to publicly demand of his brother (in the memorandum) whether he intended to replace an openly disobedient Parlement in a position of power. Naturally, Louis XVI did not take kindly to been thus publicly challenged on his policies.

Louis XVI

If Louis XVI's relationship with his brother had cooled over the years, that with his wife had become far stronger. Having initially been extremely skeptical of Marie Antoinette's intentions (he was instructed to consider her little more than an Austrian spy), the queen's unwavering support of her husband throughout his public trials brought them closer together. Thus, when Provence turned his attacks on Marie Antoinette, any chance of a reconciliation vastly dwindled. 

Oddly enough, despite their differences the two helped each other out when it came to financial issues. Both the Comte and Comtesse de Provence were living lavishly and racked up immense debts which they had no way of repaying. Consequently, Louis XVI paid off 10.000.000 livres for his wayward brother and sister-in-law in 1780. Likewise, it was Louis XVI that the Comte de Provence turned to when he fell out with Beaumarchais after the publication of the Marriage of Figaro. Provence deeply hated that particular play and had publicly criticised it prompting Beaumarchais to retort in a manner considered deeply insulting by Provence. Louis XVI would sanction the imprisonment of Beaumarchais for a brief period.

Ten years later, Provence was implicated in the so-called Favras-conspiracy which focused on the forceful removal of Louis XVI and the appointment of the Comte de Provence as Lieutenant General of the Realm. However, the plans were discovered and quickly abandoned by Provence while Favras himself was executed.

The relationship between Louis Auguste and Louis Stanislas Xavier might have been merely an average fraternal relationship between two very different people - if they had not been royal. However, their very status elevated their internal feuds to nationwide issues; anger that could have been kept within the family was easy to display using the established papers, and jealousy over precedence had influence over the very perception of the monarchy as a unit.