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Maîtresse-en-titre
The ''maîtresse-en-titre'' () was the official royal mistress of the King of France. The title was vaguely defined and used in the Middle Ages but finally became an acknowledged, if informal, position during the reign of Henry IV (), and continued through the reign of Louis XV (). It was a semi-official position which came with its own apartments, estates and a title if the woman did not have any. Some individuals having this position acquired significant power and more influence than the Queen of France, as some mistresses were known to advise the King of France in state affairs if he was so infatuated, broker favors for clients, elevate others in social mobility, forge alliances and negotiate with foreign diplomats. In contrast, the title ''Petite maîtresse'' was the title of a mistress who was not officially acknowledged. French royal mistresses with the position of ''Maîtresse-en-titre'' While the king may have had many mistresses, there was normally only one off ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of French Royal Mistresses
This article contains a listing of notable French royal mistresses. Chlothar I * Waldrada, Princess of the Lombards * Arnegundis Charibert I * Merofleda * Clothilde * Marcovefa * Theogilda Chilperic I * Fredegund, Fredgunde d'Ardennes (d. 597), mistress, then wife Dagobert I * Regintrude of Austrasia * Berthilde Charlemagne * Gersuinda of the Saxons * Amaltrud of Vienne * Ethelind * Sigrade * Madelgard * Regina (concubine), Regina * Landrade des Herbages * Adelindus Louis the Pious * Theodelinde of Sens Louis the Stammerer * Luitgrade of Saxony * Adelheid of Paris Charles the Simple * Edgiva of Kent * Frederuna von Ringleheim Philip I of France, Philip I * Bertrade de Montfort ( 1070 – c. 1116): marriage not recognised by the Church Louis VI of France, Louis VI * Marie de Breuillet ( – 1119) Louis X of France, Louis X * Unknown woman, with whom he had a daughter, Eudeline. Philip VI of France, Philip VI * Béatrice de la Berruère (1294–1348) Charles V of ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Odette De Champdivers
Odette de Champdivers (; also known as ''Oudine'' or ''Odinette''; – ) was the chief mistress of Charles VI of France (the Mad). She was called ''la petite reine'' ("the little queen") by Charles and contemporaries. According to Georges Bordonove, "Odette was the daughter of a ''maître d'hôtel'' (butler) of the King's Household, certain Guyot de Champdivers", who in fact was her brother. The messages of Père Anselme established her as a daughter of Odin or Oudin de Champdivers, who around 1387 was equerry stableman (Latin: ''marescallus equorum'') at the court of King Charles VI.''Nouvelle biographie générale depuis les temps les plus reculés jusqu'à nos ...'', by Hoefer (Jean Chrétien Ferdinand), Firmin-Didot, p. 474. She features in the novel ''Isabel de Bavière'' (1835) by Alexandre Dumas. Life Family Odette's family took their name after a fief that belonged to them, located near Dole and Saint-Jean-de-Losne in Burgundy. Rousset, in his study of the ''Muni ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Louis XV Of France
Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defined as his 13th birthday) in 1723, the kingdom was ruled by his grand-uncle Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, as Régence, Regent of France. André-Hercule de Fleury, Cardinal Fleury was chief minister from 1726 until his death in 1743, at which time the king took sole control of the kingdom. His reign of almost 59 years (from 1715 to 1774) was the second longest in the history of France, exceeded only by his predecessor, Louis XIV, who had ruled for 72 years (from 1643 to 1715). In 1748, Louis returned the Austrian Netherlands, won at the Battle of Fontenoy of 1745. He ceded New France in North America to Great Britain and Spain at the conclusion of the disastrous Seven Years' War in 1763. He incorporated the territories of the Duchy of Lorr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Biette De Cassinel
Biette Cassinel (; c.1320s-1394) was the supposed royal mistress of Charles V of France from 1360 until 1363. Biette was the daughter of the François Cassinel, ''sergent d'armes'' of John II of France, and Alix Deschamps. She was the sister of Ferry Cassinel, bishop of Lodève and Auxerre and eventually archbishop of Rheims. Biette was married to Gérard de Montagu by 1336. She was the mother of Jean de Montagu, who would rise to become Grand Master of France. It is said by some that Jean was her son by Charles V, while Merlet and Delachenal state there is no evidence for this. Autrand states that a clerk of Parlement Under the French Ancien Régime, a ''parlement'' () was a provincial appellate court of the Kingdom of France. In 1789, France had 13 ''parlements'', the original and most important of which was the ''Parlement'' of Paris. Though both th ... skipped two words, concerning Jean's execution, which incorrectly attributed Charles V as Jean's father, i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Françoise De Foix
Françoise de Foix, Comtesse de Châteaubriant (; c. 1495 – 16 October 1537) was a chief mistress of Francis I of France. Background Born into the House of Foix, Françoise was the daughter of Jean de Foix, Vicomte de Lautrec, and Jeanne d'Aydie. Her father was the son of Pierre de Foix, Vicomte de Lautrec; Pierre had been a younger brother of Gaston IV of Foix, who had married Leonor, Queen of Navarre. Françoise was thus a second cousin of the Duchess of Brittany and Queen of France, Anne, whose mother had been a daughter of Gaston IV and Leonor. Françoise was brought up at Anne's court, where she met Jean de Laval, count of Châteaubriant, to whom she was engaged in 1505. On 11 March 1508 she gave birth to a daughter, Anne, who died on 12 April 1521. The couple formally married in 1509,On the baptismal certificate of her daughter, Françoise is designed ''socie seu dilecte'', friend or partner, rather than ''uxoris'', wife. The couple was probably married after the birth ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Agnès Sorel
Agnès Sorel (; 1422 – 9 February 1450), known by the sobriquet ''Dame de beauté'' (Lady of Beauty), was a favourite and chief mistress of King Charles VII of France, by whom she bore four daughters. She is considered the first officially recognized royal mistress of a French king. She was the subject of several contemporary paintings and works of art, including Jean Fouquet's ''Virgin and Child Surrounded by Angels''. Life in the royal court Born in 1422, Agnes was the daughter of Jean Soreau, '' Châtelain'' of Coudun, and his wife Catherine de Maignelais, She was 20 or 21 years old when she was introduced to King Charles. At that time, Agnes was holding a position in the household of Rene I of Naples, as a maid of honour to his consort Isabella, Duchess of Lorraine. She then went on to serve as the lady-in-waiting for Marie d'Anjou, Charles VII of France's wife and Isabella's sister in law. Agnes would soon become his mistress. The King gave her the Château de ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Anne De Pisseleu D'Heilly
Anne de Pisseleu d'Heilly (), Duchess of Étampes, (15081580) was Maîtresse-en-titre, chief mistress of Francis I of France. She became Francis' mistress following his return from captivity in 1526. Anne enriched her family and friends through her courtly influence and after Francis' death was banished from court and temporarily imprisoned in her husband's castle. She would spend her later years ensuring the fortune of her family. Anne died in 1580. King's mistress Born in 1508, Anne was the daughter of Guillaume de Pisseleu, ''seigneur'' d'Heilly, a nobleman of Picardy, and Anne Sanguin. She came to court before 1522 and was one of the maids-of-honour of Marie of Luxembourg, Countess of Vendôme, Marie of Luxembourg and later Louise of Savoy, Duchess of Angoulême, the mother of Francis I. Francis made Anne his mistress, probably upon his return from his captivity at Madrid (1526), and soon gave up his long-term mistress, Françoise de Foix, for her. Anne was described as be ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diane De Poitiers
Diane de Poitiers (9 January 1500 – 25 April 1566) was a French noblewoman and courtier who wielded much power and influence as King Henry II of France, Henry II's Maîtresse-en-titre, royal mistress and adviser until his death. Her position increased her wealth and family's status. She was a major patron of French Renaissance architecture. Early life Diane de Poitiers was born on 9 January 1500, in the Château de Saint-Vallier, Drôme, France. Her parents were Jean de Poitiers, Seigneur de Saint Vallier, and Jeanne de Batarnay. She became a keen athlete, and frequently went riding and swimming for exercise. When still a girl, Diane was briefly in the retinue of Princess Anne of France, Anne de Beaujeu, King Charles VIII of France, Charles VIII's eldest sister who skillfully held the regent, regency of France during his minority. Like her fellow charges, Diane was educated according to the principles of Renaissance humanism, including Greek language, Greek and Latin, rhetoric, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Royal Mistress
A royal mistress is the historical position and sometimes unofficial title of the extramarital lover of a monarch or an heir apparent, who was expected to provide certain services, such as sexual or romantic intimacy, companionship, and advice in return for security, titles, money, honours, and an influential place at the royal court. Thus, some royal mistresses have had considerable power, being the power behind the throne. The institution partly owes its prevalence to the fact that royal marriages used to be conducted solely on the basis of political and dynastic considerations, leaving little space for the monarch's personal preferences in the choice of a partner. The title of royal mistress was never official, and most mistresses had an official reason to be at the court, such as being a lady-in-waiting or maid-of-honour to a female member of the royal family or a governess to the royal children. However, their real position was most often an open secret, and there was ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry II Of France
Henry II (; 31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was List of French monarchs#House of Valois-Angoulême (1515–1589), King of France from 1547 until his death in 1559. The second son of Francis I of France, Francis I and Claude of France, Claude, Duchess of Brittany, he became Dauphin of France upon the death of his elder brother Francis III, Duke of Brittany, Francis in 1536. As a child, Henry and his elder brother spent over four years in captivity in Spain as hostages in exchange for their father. Henry pursued his father's policies in matters of art, war, and religion. He persevered in the Italian Wars against the House of Habsburg, Habsburgs and tried to suppress the Reformation, even as the Huguenots, Huguenot numbers were increasing drastically in France during his reign. Under the April 1559 Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis which ended the Italian Wars, France renounced its claims in Italy, but gained certain other territories, including the Pale of Calais and the Three Bishoprics ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Henry III Of France
Henry III (; ; ; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589, as well as King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575. As the fourth son of King Henry II of France, he was not expected to inherit the French throne and thus was a good candidate for the vacant throne of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, where he was elected monarch in 1573. During his brief rule, he signed the Henrician Articles into law, recognizing the szlachta's right to freely elect their monarch. Aged 22, Henry abandoned Poland–Lithuania upon inheriting the French throne when his brother, Charles IX, died without issue. France was at the time plagued by the Wars of Religion, and Henry's authority was undermined by violent political factions funded by foreign powers: the Catholic League (supported by Spain and the Pope), the Protestant Huguenots (supported by England and the Dutch) and the Malcontents (led by Henry's own ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Francis I Of France
Francis I (; ; 12 September 1494 – 31 March 1547) was King of France from 1515 until his death in 1547. He was the son of Charles, Count of Angoulême, and Louise of Savoy. He succeeded his first cousin once removed and father-in-law Louis XII, who died without a legitimate son. A prodigious patron of the arts, Francis promoted the emergent French Renaissance by attracting many Italian artists to work for him, including Leonardo da Vinci, who brought the ''Mona Lisa'', which Francis had acquired. Francis's reign saw important cultural changes with the growth of central power in France, the spread of humanism and Protestantism, and the beginning of French exploration of the New World. Jacques Cartier and others claimed lands in the Americas for France and paved the way for the expansion of the first French colonial empire. For his role in the development and promotion of the French language, Francis became known as (the 'Father and Restorer of Letters'). He was also known ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
