Laura Mancini, Duchess of Mercœur (6 May 1636 – 8 February 1657) was a niece of Cardinal Mazarin. She was the eldest of the five famous Mancini sisters, who along with two of their female Martinozzi cousins, were known at the court of

Louis XIV of France LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

as the '' Mazarinettes''. She married Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, grandson of King Henry IV and was the mother of the great general the Duke of Vendôme.

Biography

Laura was the eldest daughter of Baron Lorenzo Mancini, brother-in-law of Cardinal Mazarin through his wife Girolama Mazzarini. She received the name ''Vittoria'' honour of her paternal grandmother, Vittoria Capoccii. The eldest of ten children, through the influence of her uncle, the personal advisor of

Louis XIII of France Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. ...

, Laura and her family were invited to France, leaving Rome in 1653 following the death of her father along with their cousins Laura and Anna Maria. The family resided in the Palais Royal in Paris, home of Queen Anne and her sons

Louis XIV LouisXIV (Louis-Dieudonné; 5 September 16381 September 1715), also known as Louis the Great () or the Sun King (), was King of France from 1643 until his death in 1715. His verified reign of 72 years and 110 days is the List of longest-reign ...

and Philippe, Duke of Orléans. Laura's four sisters were: # Olympe (1638–1708)Treccani website, ''Ortensia Mancini''
/ref> married Eugene Maurice, Count of Soissons, mother of the famous general Eugene of Savoy. # Marie (1639–1715) first love of

, wife of Prince Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna. # Hortense (1646–1699) married Armand Charles de La Porte de La Meilleraye and mistress of

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651 and King of England, Scotland, and King of Ireland, Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest su ...

. # Marie Anne (1649–1714) married Maurice Godefroy de la Tour d'Auvergne, Duke of Bouillon, nephew of '' Turenne''. The Mancini also had three brothers: Paul (1636-1652), Philippe, Duke of Nevers (1641-1707), and Alphonse (1644-1658). Originally engaged to Louis Charles de Nogaret de La Valette, Duke of Candale, son of the Duke of Épernon, the match did not take place and she was instead married to Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Mercœur when she was 14. 38-year-old Louis was the son of the Duke of Vendôme, himself an illegitimate son of Henri IV of France and the famous '' Gabrielle d'Estrées''. Laura married Louis at the Palais Royal in the French capital on 4 February 1651 and was thus became Duchess of Mercœur. Having married a ''legitimised prince of the blood'', Laura was allowed the style of '' Serene Highness''. However, she had a lower rank than that of her cousin the Princess of Conti who had married a legitimate prince. The older duke was instantly enamoured with his wife and his affections were returned. Three sons followed in quick succession the eldest of which being a famous commander in the wars of the Grand Alliance and Spanish Succession. Laura died as a result of childbirth to Jules César, named after his grandfather and the Cardinal, in 1657. Born on 27 January, the Duchess died a fortnight later on 7 February. Buried in Paris, her husband retired from public life to become a

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal most commonly refers to * Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of three species in the family Cardinalidae ***Northern cardinal, ''Cardinalis cardinalis'', the common cardinal of ...

, ensuring his children's upbringing to Laura's sister the Duchess of Bouillon.

Issue

# Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendôme (1654–1712) married Marie Anne de Bourbon and died childless. # Philippe, Duke of Vendôme (1655–1727) ''prieur de Vendôme'' died unmarried. #Jules César (1657–1660) died in infancy.

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mancini, Laura 1636 births 1657 deaths Nobility from Rome Laura Italian socialites Emigrants from the Papal States Immigrants to France Laura Duchesses of Vendôme Countesses of Dreux Deaths in childbirth 17th-century French nobility 17th-century Italian women 17th-century French women Mancini family French duchesses by marriage