Catherine Charlotte de Gramont
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Catherine Charlotte de Gramont (1639 – 4 June 1678) was the
Princess of Monaco Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince. Princess as a subst ...
by marriage to Louis I of Monaco. She is known to have been a mistress of
Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of ...
in 1666.


Life


Early life

Catherine Charlotte de Gramont was the eldest daughter of Marshal, Duke Antoine de Gramont and Françoise Marguerite du Plessis de Chivré (1608–1689), a niece of Cardinal Richelieu. Catherine Charlotte's elder brother was Guy Armand de Gramont, the celebrated ''Count of Guiche'', known for his arrogance and good looks, who was successively the lover of Philippe of France, Duke of Orléans and
Princess Henrietta of England Henrietta Anne of England (16 June 1644 O.S. N.S.">New_Style.html" ;"title="6 June 1644 New Style">N.S.– 30 June 1670) was the youngest daughter of King Charles I of England and Queen Henrietta Maria. Fleeing England with her mother and ...
, husband and wife. Catherine Charlotte was educated in a fashionable convent school, the Visitation Faubourg Saint Jacques in Paris, where many daughters of the aristocracy were educated. She was described as a sophisticated, vivacious, strong-willed beauty.Anne Edwards, ''The Grimaldis of Monaco'', 1992 She fell mutually in love with her cousin, Antonin Nompar, marquis de Puyguilleim, and when her father refused his permission for them to marry, they became lovers all the same.


Duchess of Valentinois

In March 1660 at the Chateau de Gramont, Catherine married Louis de Grimaldi, the second
Duke of Valentinois Duke of Valentinois (french: Duc de Valentinois; it, Duca Valentino) is a title of nobility, originally in the French peerage. It is currently one of the many hereditary titles claimed by the Prince of Monaco despite its extinction in French law ...
and heir to the throne of Monaco, who was described as "a glorious and avaricious Italian". They had six children. The marriage was arranged to strengthen the alliance between Monaco and France against Spain by forging a connection between the Princely House of Monaco and a member of the French high nobility, which could provide valuable connections to the French court. Catherine Charlotte's family connections fit this description, Louis was impressed by her beauty, and the French monarch gave his consent. Catherine Charlotte herself was convinced because her lover refused to elope with her, she was older than most noblewomen when they married, and that her marriage would give her a high rank at the French royal court, which she would not have to leave, at least not until her husband became Prince of Monaco. After marriage, the couple resided in Paris and regularly attended the French court, and Catherine Charlotte continued her relationship with her cousin.


Princess of Monaco

In 1662, she became Princess of Monaco when her husband succeeded to the throne. Catherine Charlotte was forced to accompany him to Monaco against her will, but Puyguilleim accompanied her on the way in disguise. She remained in Monaco for three years. She did not like her stay in Monaco, where the Princely court did not consist of much more than the Grimaldi relatives and hardly any court life or high society life existed at the time. In 1665, the Prince and Princess of Monaco returned to the French royal court, where Catherine Charlotte was appointed lady-in-waiting to
Princess Henrietta of England Henrietta Anne of England (16 June 1644 O.S. N.S.">New_Style.html" ;"title="6 June 1644 New Style">N.S.– 30 June 1670) was the youngest daughter of King Charles I of England and Queen Henrietta Maria. Fleeing England with her mother and ...
, sister-in-law and former lover of Louis XIV, with whom she was rumoured to have a bisexual love affair. Her aunt, Suzanne Charlotte de Gramont, marquise de Saint Chaumont, was also a member of Henrietta's household as the governess of her two daughters, Marie Louise and
Anne Marie Anne-Marie Rose Nicholson (born 7 April 1991) is an English singer. She has attained charting singles on the UK Singles Chart, including Clean Bandit's " Rockabye", which peaked at number one, as well as "Alarm", " Ciao Adios", "Friends", "200 ...
. She continued her love affair with Puyguilleim, but also became involved in a love affair with the Duke de Guiche. She was renowned for her beauty and wits, and attracted many lovers, including the king, the marquis de Villeroi, and her cousin, "the little Lauzun".
Madame de Sévigné Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ...
described her as "greedy for pleasure", and she was nicknamed Catherine ''the
Torrent Torrent or torrents may refer to: * A fast flowing stream Animals * Torrent duck, a species of the family Anatidae * Torrent fish * Torrent frog, various unrelated frogs * Torrent robin, a bird species * Torrent salamander, a family of s ...
''. Henrietta encouraged Catherine Charlotte to have an affair with the king to attract him away from his mistress,
Louise de la Vallière Françoise ''Louise'' de La Vallière, Duchess of La Vallière and Vaujours, born Françoise Louise de La Baume Le Blanc de La Vallière, Mademoiselle de La Vallière (6 August 1644 – 7 June 1710) was a French noblewoman and the first mistres ...
, back to Henrietta. The king's affair with Catherine Charlotte in danger of being exposed to a public scandal because of Catherine Charlotte's other lovers, de Guiche and Puyguilleim: after a scene at court, there was a fear that the rivalry between the three men (as well as her husband) would result in a duel. After the scene, Catherine Charlotte's husband and her lover Duke de Guiche left the court to serve in the war. In the end, the king did leave Louise de la Vallière, but after his affair with Catherine Charlotte, he did not return to Henrietta, but begun an affair with
Madame de Montespan Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ( ...
instead. In 1668, Catherine Charlotte had a love affair with Philippe, Chevalier de Lorraine, lover of the king's brother and Henrietta's husband
Philippe I, Duke of Orléans ''Monsieur'' Philippe I, Duke of Orléans (21 September 1640 – 9 June 1701), was the younger son of King Louis XIII of France and his wife, Anne of Austria. His elder brother was the "Sun King", Louis XIV. Styled Duke of Anjou from bir ...
. Henrietta regarded Lorraine to be her mortal enemy and was deeply offended by the affair, and successfully asked the king to exile Catherine Charlotte from court. At the same time, Catherine Charlotte's long-time lover Puyguilleim married. She returned to Monaco, where she lived a quiet life and remained for four years. In 1672, Catherine Charlotte was able to return to Paris when she was offered a position as lady-in-waiting to the king's mistress, Madame de Montespan. Her employment ended the following year, but she was given her own house in Paris, where she was able to stay. During the following years, however, she fell ill with a progressive cancer. Catherine Charlotte died in
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
on 4 June 1678, aged 39.


Issue

# Antoine Grimaldi (25 January 1661 – 20 January 1731) Prince of Monaco, married
Marie of Lorraine Marie de Lorraine (12 August 1674 – 30 October 1724) was a princess of the House of Lorraine- Guise and Princess of Monaco as consort of Antonio I of Monaco. She was the mother of Louise Hippolyte Grimaldi, the only sovereign Princess of Mo ...
. #Maria Teresa Carlotta Grimaldi (14 January 1662 – 1738), died unmarried. #Giovanna Maria Devota Grimaldi (14 January 1662 – 21 April 1741), twin of Maria Teresa, a nun in San Remo. #Teresa Maria Aurelia Grimaldi (20 May 1663 – 15 February 1675), ''Mademoiselle des Baux''. #Anna Ippòlita Grimaldi (26 July 1664 – 23 July 1700), married Jacques de Crussol (1675–1739) Duke of Uzès. #Francesco Onorato Grimaldi (31 December 1669 – 18 February 1748), Archbishop of Besançon. #Amelia Grimaldi (ca. 1675 – died young).


Ancestors


References


Le grand dictionaire historique ou le melange curieux
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gramont, Catherine Charlotte De 1639 births 1678 deaths French princesses House of Grimaldi Mistresses of Louis XIV Princesses of Monaco Hereditary Princesses of Monaco