More on favourite characters of the French Court

While looking at blogs in my spare time I have noted

that there is a blog of “I wish I were living in France”

and “I wish I was living at Versailles.” I have not clicked

on to this later blog yet as I am often pressed for time on

the internet.

However, this question, I have often asked myself: “Would I

be happy to live at Versailles?” I believe that the answer to this

all empowering question is “No.” Life could not be the same

living there without the enduring presence of the king. Perhaps

if Louis XIV was to be there life would be different. The reign of

the Sun King is believed to have been the best of times. I love

wandering through the magnificent chateau and viewing the places

where Louis XIV lived with his court. The atmosphere of warmth

can be felt in the king's bedroom and it must have been a beautiful

place at one time in which to live. The galleries and paintings,

furnishings, art works and chapel can easily take a day's viewing

leaving little time to view the beautiful gardens.

Versailles and the Schonbrunn Palace in Vienna can also be remembered

as happy places for the last queen, Marie Antoinette.

It is interesting that recently a new hotel is being established to

overlook the Orangerie. It is difficult to contemplate thelP reaction

of Louis XIV to this concept as the mass tourist market would

not have existed during his time. However, people always did travel,

but most likely in those times, they may have been diplomats,

pilgrims or members

of the aristocracy and later in the century perhaps people involved in trade.

Of my favourite characters of the seventeenth century court of France, Louis XIV

comes first, closely followed by the beautiful and elegant Louise

de la Valliere, a popular favourite of the court.

The wife of the Duc de Saint-Simon was also noted as being very nice,

friendly and popular and was often invited by the king to attend Trianon or

Marly with a few select friends.

The Palatinate Princess, Liselotte, as mentioned in a previous post, called a spade

a spade, but at the same time there was a special quality about Liselotte, which

brought people to her and she was admired and was popular at court.

She was the second Duchess of Orleans, after the misfortune of the first Duchess

d'Orleans, Princess Henriette

of England, dying at a young age. She seemed to be more in control in her marriage

to the King's brother. This had not been the case with Princess Henriette's marriage

to the Duc d'Orleans. This may have been as Liselotte was older by this time. Her son

became the Regent following the demise of the king, Louis XIV in 1715. This would

have been a source of pride for Liselotte.

Princess Henriette was beautiful, waif-like, sister of Charles II of England. She had

been sent with her servant to the court of France at a young age. Her mother, Queen

Maria of England may have wished for a marriage for Princess Henriette with

Louis XIV. As Henriette was young at the time she arrived at the court, Louis XIV never noticed her until

after she was married to his brother, Philippe d'Orleans. Princess Henriette would have danced

in many of the ballets in the earlier years at the court.

At the time of her marriage

Princess Henriette was sister to a king of England without a throne and who was living

his life in dire poverty travelling in Europe. Princess Henriette may not have been seen

as a suitable candidate for the prospective bride of Louis XIV. For reasons beyond the control of Louis XIV

at the time, as he was still young and Cardinal Mazarin and his mother, Anne of Austria, were in control, Charles II found that his time at the French Court was limited and he had to move on.

He eventually made his way to

The Netherlands and fathered a child with Lucy Walters, the Duke of Monmouth. In the book “Mad Madge: The extrordinary life of Margaret, Duchess of Newcastle: The First Woman to live by her Pen” ( a story of the second Duchess

of Newcastle) by Katie Whitaker, it is

mentioned that the Duke and Duchess of Newcastle requested a loan from Charles II while in exile. They had

followed the king into exile along with many of his royalist supporters. However the king

said that they were probably better off than he was but that he hoped that one day he might be

able to help them. Even though Charles II did not have children to succeed him on the throne

of England, from his mistress Louise de la Kerouaille, (who had been in the retinue of Princess Henriette of England) Princess Diana is a descendant from the son with Louise de la Keroualle, the Duke of Richmond.

A favourable account has been given of the Duke de Gramont who was a friend of Louis XIV.

This account is given in the book “Louis XIV” by historian, Vincent Cronin. He was very upset and retired to his room in tears when it was believed that the king would not survive his last illness.

Louis XIV also made friends with creative and talented people and his court would have been very lively at times with the flourishing arts, music and literature.

The Grande Mademoiselle, Duchess of Montpensier, was also likeable and popular at the court. Unfortunately,

she may have been vulnerable at times, falling in love with the
Duc de Lauzun, whom she subsequently married after many disappointments and let -downs

by people she believed she could trust. The Duc de Lauzun, who had spent many years in

prison until the Duchess de Montpensier eventually bought him his freedom.

More favourite characters of the court to follow at a later stage.

My best wishes