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| Nooo puppy, no! Marie Antoinette (2006), film. Sofia Coppola. |
Showing posts with label Mesdames. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Mesdames. Show all posts
Pups of the Past: Dogs at Versailles
Bad Influences?
"...I found, as I so often do, that whatever is blameworthy in the Dauphine's conduct is due to the promptings of her aunts."
A letter by the Comte de Mercy to Maria Theresa
A pre-revolutionary flight: Louis XVˈs daughters
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Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, Portrait de Adélaïde de France. Pastel on paper, 1787. Palace of Versailles. |
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| Jean-Marc Nattier, Madame Victoire of France. Oil on canvas, 1748. Musée national des Châteaux de Versailles et de Trianon, Versailles. |
Madame Adelaide and her younger sister, Madame Victoire, had lived in quiet retirement for some time before the French Revolution had fully developed. The women, who spent much of their time doing charity work and staying out of the public eye felt the dangers of the intense changing political thought.
They found it in their best interest to leave France for a while, until things quieted down. The ladies planned to travel to Rome where they would visit St. Peters, but ultimately they wanted to find a safe refuge. They secured their passports and with Louis XVI's permission, begun their journey.
The idea of members of the royal family leaving France, or fleeing France, was much discussed, and caused concern of planned escape of other members of the family, perhaps the king and queen, even plots of foreign involvement in the to-be revolution were considered.
The paper, Sabbats Jacobites, had written on the subject with much sarcasm:
"The Ladies are going to Italy to try the power of their tears and their charms upon the princes of that country. Already the Grand Master of Malta has caused Madame Adelaide to be informed that he will give her his heart and hand as soon as she has quitted France, and that she may count upon the assistance of three galleys and forty-eight cavaliers, young and old. Our Holy Father undertakes to marry Victoire and promises her his army of three hundred men to bring about a counter-revolution."
As a result of all the buzz, soon after they left, the daughters of Louis XV were detained at Arnay-le Duc, and awaited a decision from the National Assembly over whether or not they could proceed out of France.
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| Joseph Ducreux, Jacques-Francois Menou (1750-1810). Pastel, black chalk, blue paper on canvas, late 18th century. Versailles National Museum of Versailles and Trianon. |
The decision was not made in haste, and the National Assembly spent good time on the matter. The matter was resolved after Jacques-Francois Menou made the following observation:
With this, the National Assembly permitted them to leave the country, much to the dismay of many. Violent riots broke out in Arnay-le-Ducpreventing their departure for days. Paris too saw its share of rioting over the decision. When the mobs approached the Tuileries, where Louis and his family stayed, they demanded he order his aunts back. Louis held his position, and did not grant their demand nor consider it any further, and the crowds eventually dispersed, and the women made their way to Rome."Europe will doubtless be much astonished, when it learns that the National Assembly of France spent four entire hours in deliberating on the departure of two ladies who would rather hear Mass in Rome than in Paris."
Royal Wedding: Wedding Bliss or Miss
After rumors circulated that he was to marry Adelaide, the king's daughter, the Duc de Chartres' luck took an unexpected turn. Of course, there was nothing wrong with marrying a daughter of France, but the suggested match never fully fabricated. In fact, had he had his way, he may well have married one of the daughters, but not Adelaide (he had eyes for Anne Henriette de France!) The young duc, who was only 18, was hot on the market, and his father was ready for the boy to settle down and live a wholesome life.
Marriage
Daughters of France aside, a bride was chosen for this bachelor duc, Louise Henriette de Bourbon Conti, who strutted around Versailles as Mademoiselle Conti. She was absolutely stunning. The couple had a winter wedding, December of 1743. The ceremony was held in the chapel of Versailles (same chapel Marie Antoinette was married in years later) and the couple was married by the famous Cardinal de Rohan. The entire royal family attended the ceremony, including the duc's old flame, Henriette (below).
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| Adelaide (left) Anne Henriette (right) |
The Honeymoon Ends
The hot passion these two newlyweds shared started to fade a few years after they started their lives together. Six years after the wedding at Versailles, reports of the duc's living were less than desirable. He was staying out until all hours of the night, gaming, and in debt. He drank too much and hung out with society far below his rank. Overall he seemed to be having a good time.
His beloved wife was keeping herself very busy with a lover and was rumored to have several lovers aside from her constant. This scandal was made public in 1751 when the duc finally told his wife enough was enough. He made it very clear that she was not to see the lover again ...or else..she would be sent away to a convent!
Louise Henriette had grown up in one and was not ready to go back. She threw a fit and refused to even dine with her husband. (ps she was also pregnant at this point...but by who...!) Needless to say, things didn't look so good. For whatever reason, the couple reconciled, but Louise Henriette passed away in 1759 just 32 years old. It didn't take long for rumors to spread that the cause of her early death was due to her unfaithful wedded life.
Marie Antoinette and a little peer pressure
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| Mytens or Meytens, Martin II. Archduchess Marie Antoinette Habsburg-Lotharingen , 1767-68, oil on canvas. |
This is an account from the Comte de Mercy on a rather off day for the young dauphine, Marie Antoinette. One day in 1770 the court was just relocating for the season to Versailles (previously at Choisy). Because the hunting grounds were so rich at Choisy, the king decided to go on one last hunt. Still a very new member of the royal family, the young Marie Antoinette accompanied her new aunts (Louis XV's daughters) as they all followed the king on the hunt.
The group of ladies only got so far, when it was decided they needed to turn around. The hunt was venturing too far out to follow. In the carriage, Mesdames grew concerned that the terrain was too soft for the coach to remain stable and decided they needed to exit the coach at once. Marie Antoinette tried to persuade them to pause and remain seated, but it was an unsuccessful attempt.
Older and more influential than she was, Antoinette followed her new aunts out of the coach into the soft, swampy ground. They took the lead but she fell behind when her foot started to slip out of her shoe! The mud was so thick it had literally swallowed her shoe leaving her to hop along in her stocking on the cold wet ground.When she returned to Choisy she was frozen and wet from the weather. To make matters worse, as she attempted to dry off near the fire, her garment caught a flame! Needless to say she was thrilled when they all headed back to the comfort of Versailles. Her excitement faded quickly upon arrival however, when she found her rooms unprepared and no fires burning. She was so chilled from the earlier events that she developed a cold and sore throat which she dealt with for the following three days. It was a terrible way to bring in the new year!
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