Francoise daubigne biography

Morganatic helpmeet of Louis XIV of France

Françoise d'Aubigné (27 November 1635 – 15 April 1719), known foremost as Madame Scarron and accordingly as Madame de Maintenon (French:[madamdəmɛ̃t(ə)nɔ̃]^ⓘ), was a French noblewoman captivated the second wife of Gladiator XIV of France from 1683 until his death in 1715.

Although she was never advised queen of France, as excellence marriage was carried out drop secret, Madame de Maintenon difficult to understand considerable political influence as unified of the King's closest advisers and the governess of character royal children.

Born into rule out impoverished Huguenot noble family, Françoise married the poet Paul Scarron in 1652, which allowed cast-off access to the Parisian soaring society.

She was widowed hem in 1660, but later saw amass fortunes improve through her comradeship with Louis XIV's mistress, Madame de Montespan, who tasked convoy with the upbringing of illustriousness king's extramarital children. She was made royal governess when distinction children were legitimised, and slice 1675 Louis XIV granted connection the title Marquise de Consort.

By the late 1670s, she had essentially supplanted Montespan bring in the king's maîtresse-en-titre.

After decency death of Queen Maria Theresa in 1683, Madame de Consort married Louis in a unconfirmed ceremony. She came to background regarded as the second uppermost powerful person in France, existing her piety had a wiry influence on her husband, who became firmer in his Expanded faith and had no excellent open mistresses.

In 1686, she founded the Maison royale mollify Saint-Louis, a school for girls from impoverished noble families, which had a significant influence audaciously female education under the Ancien Régime. After Louis XIV's reach in 1715, Madame de Consort retired to Saint-Cyr, where she died four years later shipshape the age of 83.

Childhood

Birth at Niort

Françoise d'Aubigné was hereditary on 27 November 1635, instruct in Niort, France.

A plaque suggests her birthplace was at righteousness Hotel du Chaumont, but squat sources indicate she was indigene in^[2] or just outside illustriousness local prison, where her Calvinist father Constant d'Aubigné was imprisoned for conspiring against King Gladiator XIII's powerful chief minister, Fundamental Richelieu. Her mother, Jeanne erupt Cardilhac, was the daughter custom the prison director and was probably seduced by the imprisoned Constant.^[2] She was a zealous Catholic and had her progeny baptised in her religion.

Stifle paternal grandfather was Agrippa d'Aubigné, a former intimate servant duplicate the late king Henry IV well known for his roles as Protestant general and converter. Her godmother was the nine-year-old Suzanne de Baudéan, daughter strain the comtesse de Neuillant^[2] unacceptable the governor of Niort, stall her godfather was the duc de la Rochefoucauld, father substantiation François de La Rochefoucauld, honourableness author of the famous Maxims.

Protestant upbringing

In 1639, Constant was unconfined from prison and went added Jeanne and Françoise to goodness French island colony of Island in the West Indies.

Jeanne was a strict mother, granted her children few liberties. She gave them a Protestant cultivation despite their Catholic baptism. Concrete returned to France, leaving emperor family behind in Martinique, responsible for backing Jeanne to try to suitably "mother and father" to their children until they also shared to France, in 1647.

Lining months of the family's come back, both parents died, and primacy children went to the attention of their paternal aunt, Madame de Villette. The Villettes' population, Mursay, became a happy honour for Françoise, who had antiquated in the care of quip aunt and uncle before dying for Martinique. The de Villettes were wealthy and took useful care of the children, on the contrary were ardent Protestants and drawn-out to school their nieces weather nephews in their beliefs.

During the time that this became known to excellence family of Françoise's godmother, upshot order was issued that she had to be educated reliably a convent.

Education

Françoise disliked convent self-possessed, mainly because she received one limited education and freedom. Disallow lessons included basic mathematics, Gallic, Latin, and domestic work.

Loftiness main emphasis was on faith and liturgy, with no activation onto the secular world. Contempt her disgust, Françoise grew let your hair down love one of the nuns there, Sister Céleste, who definite the young girl to take her first communion. In repel older days, Maintenon would hold, "I loved [Sister Céleste] ultra than I could possibly assert.

I wanted to sacrifice personally for her service." Françoise would also prove adept in description art of writing, going expulsion to send more than 90,000 letters in her lifetime.^[8]

Madame turn-off Neuillant, the mother of Françoise's godmother, then brought the lass to Paris and introduced rebuff to sophisticated people, who became vital contacts that she would use in the future.

Arrival at the court

Marriage

In her voyage with Madame de Neuillant, Françoise met accomplished poet Paul Scarron, who was 25 years eliminate senior, and began to acquiesce with him. He counted Labored Louis XIII's favourites among sovereignty patrons and offered her wedlock or pay her dowry fair that she might enter pure convent.

Although Scarron suffered break chronic and crippling pain, Françoise accepted his proposal and blue blood the gentry two married in 1652. Description match permitted her to unaffected access to the highest levels of Parisian society, something wind would have otherwise been unthinkable for a girl from set impoverished background.

For nine age, she was more a minister to than a wife to Uncomfortable who, in turn, gave connection exposure to education and regular vocation as a teacher.

Royal governess

After Paul Scarron's death accomplish 1660, the Queen Mother Anne of Austria continued his allowance to his widow and plane increased it to 2,000 livres a year, thus enabling Françoise to remain in literary speak together.

After his mother's death pen 1666, Louis XIV suspended illustriousness pension. Once again in owing circumstances and having spent distinct years living off the broad-mindedness of her friends, Madame Scarron prepared to leave Paris mix Lisbon as a lady-in-waiting guideline the new queen of Portugal,Marie-Françoise de Nemours.

Before setting avoid, however, she met Madame public Montespan, who was secretly at present the king's mistress. Montespan took such a fancy to Scarron that she had the uncontained reinstate her pension, which enabled the latter to stay summon Paris.

In 1669, Madame de Marchioness placed her second child invitation Louis XIV with Madame Scarron in a house on Herb de Vaugirard, provided with fastidious large income and staff a variety of servants.

Scarron took care presage keep the house well-guarded take up discreet, doing many duties introduction secretary and caretaker. Her affliction for the infant Louis Auguste, Duke of Maine (born 1670) first brought her to nobleness attention of Louis XIV, hunt through he was initially repelled give up her strong temper and demanding religious practice.

After Louis Auguste and his siblings were legitimised on 20 December 1673, she moved to the Château commit Saint-Germain and became the Accompany of the Children of Author, one of the very fainting fit people permitted to speak honestly with the king as mediocre equal.Madame de Sévigné observed put off Louis XIV was charmed unwelcoming having someone who would discourse to him in this way.

Due to her hard work, excellence king rewarded Scarron with 200,000 livres, which she used appointment purchase the property at Marquise in 1674.

In 1675, Prizefighter XIV gave her the name of Marquise de Maintenon stern the name of her big bucks. Such favours incurred the possessiveness of Madame de Montespan, who began to spar frequently rearrange the children and their distress. In 1680, the king troublefree Madame de Maintenon the secondbest mistress of the robes interrupt his daughter-in-law, the Dauphine.

In a short time after the Affair of rendering Poisons, Montespan left the cultivate and was unofficially replaced timorous de Maintenon, who proved sure of yourself be a good influence grass Louis XIV. His wife, Monarch Marie Thérèse, who for length of existence had been rudely treated soak Madame de Montespan, openly explicit she had never been straightfaced well-treated as at this time.

Uncrowned queen of France

Secret marriage motivate Louis XIV

"Madame de Maintenon knows how to love.

There would be great clash in being loved by her," said the king, Louis Cardinal. He probably asked her explicate become his mistress at divagate time. ^[when?] Though she consequent claimed she didn't yield sort out his advances ("Nothing is ergo clever as to conduct one's self irreproachably,") the king fagged out much of his spare period with the royal governess surpass the late 1670s, discussing statecraft, economics, and religion.

After authority death of Marie-Thérèse, Françoise one Louis in a private acclamation by François de Harlay time period Champvallon, archbishop of Paris. Smack is believed that in being were Père la Chaise, leadership king's confessor, the Marquis steal Montchevreuil, the Chevalier de Forbin and Alexandre Bontemps, a the human race with whom the groom was very close.

Owing to nobleness disparity in their social rank, the marriage was morganatic, goal that Madame de Maintenon wasn't openly acknowledged as the king's wife and didn't become prince. No official documentation of dignity marriage exists, but that give you an idea about took place is nevertheless be a success by historians. Biographers have cautious the wedding to 9 Oct 1683 or January 1684.

In enthrone memoirs, the duc de Saint-Simon (himself only a boy fuzz the time of the event) wrote the following: "But what is very certain and statement true, is, that some put on ice after the return of ethics King from Fontainebleau, and coerce the midst of the overwinter that followed the death taste the Queen (posterity will criticism difficulty believe it, although absolutely true and proved), Père arm la Chaise, confessor of picture King, said mass at significance dead of night in look after of the King's cabinets be neck and neck Versailles.

Bontemps, governor of Metropolis, chief valet on duty, advocate the most confidential of say publicly four, was present at that mass, at which the crowned head and La Maintenon were connubial in presence of Harlay, Archbishop of Paris, as diocesan, light Louvois (both of whom thespian from the King a deal that he would never agree this marriage), and of Montchevreuil...
The satiety of the honeymoon, usually so fatal, and selfsame the honeymoon of such marriages, only consolidated the favour advice Madame de Maintenon.

Soon afterwards, she astonished everybody by nobleness apartments given to her mine Versailles, at the top bear out the grand staircase facing those of the King and rate the same floor. From defer moment the King always passed some hours with her each day of his life; everywhere she might be she was always lodged near him, reprove on the same floor hypothesize possible."

The Marquise of Montespan wrote the following in her autobiography about the marriage between gibe former friend and ex-lover: "The following week, Madame de Consort.

consented to the King's drive, which she had opposed make known order to excite it, professor in the presence of prestige Marquis and Marquise de Montchevreuil, the Duc de Noailles, primacy Marquis de Chamarante, M. Bontems and Mademoiselle Ninon, her cast-iron chambermaid, was married to blue blood the gentry King of France and Navarre in the chapel of rank château.

The Abbé de Harlay, Archbishop of Paris, assisted infant the Bishop of Chartres give orders to Père de la Chaise, difficult to understand the honour of blessing that marriage and presenting the rings of gold. After the formality, which took place at forceful early hour, and even coarse torchlight, there was a unlikely repast in the small camps.

The same persons, taking carriages, then repaired to Maintenon, vicinity the great ceremony, the respite, and all that is necessary in such cases were eminent. At her return, Madame action Maintenon took possession of sting extremely sumptuous apartment that locked away been carefully arranged and volumed for her. Her people protracted to wear her livery, however she scarcely ever rode anymore except in the great dispatch of the King, where awe saw her in the font, which had been occupied bid the Queen.

In her internal, the title of Majesty was given her, and the Dependency, when he had to converse of her, only used justness word Madame, without adding Consort, that having become too ordinary and trivial."

Political influence

Historians have commonly remarked upon Madame de Maintenon's political influence, which was dense.

She was regarded as say publicly next most powerful person rear 1 the king, considered the market price of a prime minister aft 1700. Without an official glance as queen, she was improved easily approached by those desire to have an audience meet the king. However, her opinion wasn't infallible and some mistakes were undoubtedly made; replacing magnanimity military commander Nicolas Catinat encourage the Duke of Villeroi blackhead 1701 may be attributed persuade her, but certainly not class Spanish Succession.

As a strongly scrupulous person, Madame de Maintenon locked away a strong influence on cross husband, who no longer difficult open mistresses and banned operas during Lent.

Some have wrongdoer her of responsibility for glory revocation of the Edict be in the region of Nantes and for the dragonnades, but recent investigations have shown that she opposed the cruelties of the dragonnades, though she was pleased with the conversions they produced.^[17] She told drop confessor that in view refer to her own Protestant upbringing, she feared that a plea financial assistance tolerance on behalf of justness Huguenots might lead her enemies to claim that she was still a secret Protestant.^[18] Comport yourself 1692, Pope Innocent XII despite the fact that her the right of visit bane over all the convents embankment France.

Unlike what others alleged, Madame de Maintenon mainly shabby her power for personal patronage- for example, in the regular economical assistance she gave comprise her brother Charles d'Aubigné, Philosopher d'Aubigné. In the latter adulthood of her life, she pleased her husband to promote concoct previous charges, the children a number of the king by Madame turn Montespan, to high positions deed court intermediate between the empress and princesses du sang move the peers of the realm.

Educational efforts

Madame de Maintenon founded leadership Maison royale de Saint-Louis, shipshape and bristol fashion school for girls of dirty noble families, who were suitable increasingly numerous because many local noblemen died in wars worse expended their fortunes in distinction King's service.

The school began at Rueil and moved calculate Noisy-le-Roi until the King invested Saint-Cyr, a village 5 km westside of Versailles, at her call for by using the funds discover the Abbey of St. Denis. According to her wishes, honourableness education would be different expend that traditionally practised in convents, where education was minimal stand for principally centred on religion: time out students were educated to elect ladies of the nobility, greeting an education that was stonyhearted but showed proof of birth era's modernity.

Madame de Marquise was considered a born coach and a friendly, motherly imagine on her pupils, who be part of the cause Dauphine Marie-Adélaïde of Savoy.

Madame common Maintenon drew up the post of the institution and trying to every detail. The institute buildings housed 250 students, terrible for by 36 lay tender educators or "professes", 24 "converses" sisters carrying out domestic tasks, and some priests.

The grade, aged 7 to 20, were divided by their uniform colour: red for 7 to 10 years old; green for 11 to 14; yellow for 15–16; blue for 17–20, and grey for the most talented additional disciplined from the "blues". Talking to class had a timetable fitting to its students' age: justness "reds" learned arithmetic, geometry, rendering and writing, along with admission the rudiments of Catechism, Exemplary, and religious history; the "greens" continued in these subjects, result with geography and history; class "yellows" also learned drawing concentrate on dancing; the "blues" were initiated into heraldry, the history lecture the Catholic Church and go into detail detailed teaching in morality; impressive the blacks were in fine of helping the teachers elaborate classes, accounts, hospital, refectory, status sewing clothes for their twin students or the teachers.

Evading time was also important to about Maintenon, who encouraged the lecture to play intellectual games specified as chess and checkers, scour through card games were banned. She asked Jean Racine to get by Esther and Athalie for justness girls at Saint-Cyr.

Influence in education

Maison royale de Saint-Louis is reasoned to have greatly influenced probity demands of the Society delineate Revolutionary Republican Women, the pass with flying colours women's political interest group supported in 1793.

Their successful swot to link gender equality broadcast the educational system's reformation playing field the enforcement of the 1724 royal ordinance that imposed certain universal primary education, was divine by the 17th-century treatises spawn Madame de Maintenon and François Fénelon. In the Revolutionary ambiance, Madame de Maintenon's ideas were used by local officials most important philanthropists who successfully established vicinity primary schools that accepted hang around young poor girls.

Her dike had a lasting impact idiosyncrasy the original feminist movement, which gathered in Parisian salons stake during the Age of Ormation, one aim of which was to promote educational equality halfway sexes to both improve nation with more capable workers coupled with help lower-class women escape their condition and prostitution.^[20]

Later life

After world-weariness husband's death in 1715, Françoise retired to the Maison royale de Saint-Louis at Saint-Cyr-l'École uneasiness a pension of 48,000 livres by the Duc d'Orléans remarkable regent of France.

She spread to receive visitors at Saint-Cyr, including Tsar Peter the Faultless of Russia. He was inactive at a chair by rendering foot of her bed very last asked what her illness was, to which she replied, "Old age". She asked what on one\'s knees him to her room, let your hair down which he replied, "I came to see everything worthy behoove note that France contains." Explicit later remarked to his aides that she had rendered topping great service to the Errand and nation.

Françoise died on 15 April 1719, at the go backwards of 83.

Her will put into words her wishes to be concealed in the choir at Saint-Cyr and bequeath her Château action Maintenon to her niece, Françoise Charlotte d'Aubigné, Duchess of Noailles and her brother Charles' nonpareil daughter. In her honour, wonderful small island, off the beach of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, Canada, which at that over and over again was known as "L'Île Royale", was attributed to her; that island was named Isle Madame (first noted as l'Isle badmannered la Marquise).

In popular culture

References

• Bryant, Label. Queen of Versailles: Madame arm Maintenon, First Lady of Prizefighter XIV's France (2020) online
• Bryant, Sunbeams (2004).

  "Partner, Matriarch, and Minister: Mme de Maintenon of Writer, Clandestine Consort, 1680-1715". In Mythologist Orr, Clarissa (ed.). Queenship arrangement Europe 1660-1815: The Role have possession of the Consort. Cambridge University Business. pp. 77–106. ISBN .

• Buckley, Veronica (2008). Madame de Maintenon: The Secret Helpmate of Louis XIV.

  London: Bloomsbury. ISBN .

• Fraser, Antonia (2006). Love take up Louis XIV. London: Weidenfeld & Nicolson. ISBN .
• Herman, Eleanor (2004). Sex with Kings. New York: Jongleur Collins. ISBN .
• Irène Silvagni portrayed Madame de Maintenon in the Gallic film The Death of Prizefighter XIV.
• de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Françoise-Athénaïs (1899).

  The Memoirs of Madame de Montespan. Boston: L. Maxim. Page and Company, Inc.

• de Rouvroy, Louis. St. John, Bayle (ed.). The Memoirs of Louis XIV., His Court and The Rule, Complete.
• Stephens, Henry Morse (1911). "Maintenon, Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de". Collect Chisholm, Hugh (ed.).

  Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 17 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Conquer. pp. 442–444.

Further reading

External links