Marie Monpensier biography. Lollipops of the Duchess de Montpensier. Small from great. Ladies don't age
On the border of Normandy and Picardy rises an imposing and melancholic castle, once specially built for the amusement of the court, but now bored under the burden of past years.
The castle in O has been around for a very long time. The creator of the first small fort was a Viking nicknamed “I Walk”: according to legend, even when he was sitting on a horse, his feet reached the ground.
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Robert I of Normandy, the Handsome, 6th Duke of Normandy from 1027 to 1035. Chateau de Haut is located in Upper Normandy, Montreux commune, Orne department
The castle, O, was built on land that was the cradle of the ancient Norman family, whose first representative, known as Robert O, accompanied the Duke of Normandy, Robert I the Fair, on his pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Renaissance portal The building is rectangular in shape, flanked by two towers, there is a courtyard with a gallery on the ground floor, the arcades have carved columns. The façade may date from the Renaissance. The castle also includes Renaissance elements, and an orangery, and a church from the 19th century. It is surrounded by a moat with bridges. |
The Viking liked this region, and, apparently, his love was passed on to his descendants. It was here that William the Conqueror, not yet known by that name, married Matilda of Flanders. At first she refused to marry an illegitimate, but then she changed her mind and soon turned into a tender wife. The wedding festivities are said to have been joyful and impressive.
Then the fiefdom passed in turn to the Lusins, Briennes and the Artois family, and in 1471, with the help of Louis XI, it became the property of Jean (Johann) of Burgundy, Duke of Neveu. During the war with the Burgundians under the leadership of Charles the Bold (the Braves), fearing that he would not receive support from England, the king decided to completely destroy the castle of O. Therefore, having come into the possession of the charming Catherine de Cleves, after her marriage to the Duke de Porcean, the castle was a very modest home...
Mademoiselle is the title of the eldest daughter of the brother of the French king. The young woman was not at all interested in him until she, having become a widow, remarries the Duke of Guise. The Duke of Guise (Henry "The Marked") was the passionate lover of Queen Margaret and the idol of the Parisians, the founder of the Holy League, the instigator of St. Bartholomew's Night and a rebel.
Henry (Henri) I of Lorraine
Guise decides to build a modern castle here in the style of the era (this castle has survived to this day - only one wing has been changed since then) according to the plans of his brothers Leroy de Beauvais.
But the Duke did not have time to live in the new castle. Just during the housewarming celebration, on December 23, 1588, King Henry III, in order to save the kingdom, which was under the threat of a Spanish invasion provoked by Guise, executed him at the castle of Blois. However, he understands well that by doing so he is signing his own death warrant, knowing that the brothers of the deceased will not allow him to live in peace.
Paul Delaroche. "The Murder of the Duke of Guise" (1834)
The death of Guise plunged Catherine de Cleves into despair, who, despite his constant infidelities, adored her husband. He even spent his last night with the beautiful Marquise de Noirmoutier, Charlotte de Sauve. Did Catherine know about this circumstance? Maybe not, then she might not have suffered so much for 45 years, completely devoted to the memories of the deceased. Catherine built a magnificent crypt for him and herself, where she was finally able to find her lover again in 1633.
Crypt of Catherine and Henry
In 1660 the castle was put up for sale. It is bought by Mademoiselle or, more precisely, the Great Mademoiselle, who during the Fronde dared to turn the cannons of the Bastille on the troops of her cousin, the young King Louis XIV. She will have to pay for her mistake for many years to come, and it is because of this that she will not become Queen of France, because Louis XIV could not forgive her for such an act.
In 1660, Mademoiselle - Anne-Marie of Orleans, Duchess de Montpensier and Princess of Dombes is bored, not knowing what to do with herself or how to manage her money. Louis XIV marries the Infanta Maria Teresa, and she buys O and throughout the summer of 1661 she works on the reconstruction of the interior, as well as the improvement of the gardens. The ensemble is truly luxurious and worthy of the Sun King, to whom the penitent cousin dedicates the interior decoration. And Mademoiselle, at 37 years old, is still very good-looking, well-built and attractive.
A few years later, she fell madly in love with the most seductive man at court: the amiable, witty, daring and insufferable Antoine Nompart de Caumont, Marquis de Puyguilhem, Comte de Lauzun.
Antoine Nompart de Caumont, Duke of Lauzun, Marquis de Puyguilhem.
On July 29, 1669, Mademoiselle attends a solemn celebration of a man who drives all the women around crazy. From this moment on, Mademoiselle falls ill and will never be cured. Lauzen, of course, is too cunning not to guess the feeling he inspires, and soon his plan is ready: if he manages to marry the king’s cousin, who is also the richest woman in France, he will reach dizzying heights.
He has little chance of failure: Louis XIV, after much explanation, finally gives in to his cousin's admonition. Lauzen had almost become the Duke of Montpensier when the king, at the insistence of Madame de Montespan and Louvois, revoked the permission. Lozen is just Lozen, Lozen will remain.
Naturally, the ambitious man is angry and, not daring to harm the king, takes on the favorite. When Louis XIV finds out that Lauzen comes to court and walks around the city with a mistress who looks like a prostitute, he orders the insolent man to be punished by sending him to the Pinerol fortress in Piedmont, where Superintendent Fouquet has been dying of boredom for many years.
Losen will stay there for 10 years. 10 years of anxiety and despair for Mademoiselle, who often shed tears in O, where she dreamed of spending her honeymoon. Perhaps Lauzen would have been destined to remain forever in Pinerol if Madame de Montpassier had not had a wonderful idea: to adopt the young Duke du Maine, the eldest of the children of Madame de Montespan and the king.
In this way, she thought, she could kill two birds with one stone: not only to provide for her child almost royally, but also to please the king, who now prefers Madame de Maintenon, who also adores the little Duke du Maine.
The poor woman is so eager to find her lover again that she signs a deed of gift for part of her fortune. And the freed Lozen returns...
Alas! The once cheerful and charming man turned into a gray-haired and toothless old man, embittered by captivity. His humor, often cruel before, now becomes downright evil. In addition, after ten years of abstinence, he runs for skirts even more. But... Mademoiselle, still in love, does not see the changes that have taken place in him. And immediately upon his return, she secretly marries him and finally brings him to O.
Very soon she begins to regret her madness, realizing that she has connected her life with the most terrible rude person the earth has ever seen. But, alas, it's too late! O Lauzen never ceases to reproach, criticizing everything: the decor, the gardens, which surpass in beauty even the Park of Versailles, the service and, naturally, most of all, his wife. Three weeks later he leaves for Paris to visit his mistresses. Mademoiselle is left alone.
Unfortunately, she decides to follow him and finally catches up with Lauzen in his palace in Luxembourg, behaving like the blindest and stupidest woman, which she was not.
Tired of constant insults, Mademoiselle finally decides to go to O, leaving Lauzen in Paris. During one of the rare meetings, when he dared to treat her like a servant, she told him: “Don’t ever come into my sight again. You are a real bastard."
The descendants of Madame de Montespan did not express a desire to settle in O. Her grandson, Count d'O, served exile here after the Selamar conspiracy. The Duke de Penthievre, the heir of this cousin, visited here once a year. And with the beginning of the revolution, silence settled in this noble estate .
During the Empire, the Senate of Rouen, considering that maintaining the castle was quite burdensome, partially destroyed it. During the Restoration, the Dowager Duchess of Orleans, daughter of de Penthièvre, made an attempt to restore what had been destroyed. And only the future king Louis Philippe brought the castle back to life. Having fallen in love with O, he spends all his holidays here.
Three years before descending from the throne, he received Queen Victoria there, who left a charming description: “I am writing to you from a charming place,” she confidentially informs the Belgian King Leopold I, her uncle, son-in-law of Louis Philippe, “where I live among the pleasant and wonderful a family in which I truly feel at home. The reception of the esteemed royal couple is full of kindness."
Monument to Madame in Luxembourg
Princess Montpensier
La Princesse de Montpensier
Micro paraphrase: 1562, France is ruled by Charles IX, religious wars are raging in the country... Marie de Maizières, one of the richest heiresses of the kingdom, loves the young Duke of Guise, who later received the nickname "Marked", and he, it seems to her, shares her feeling. However, the girl’s father, the Marquis de Maizières, seeks to elevate his family and gives his daughter in marriage to Prince Montpensier, whom she does not even know. Charles IX summons the prince to join him in the fight against the Protestants...
The story takes place in France at the end of the Wars of Religion, before the infamous Night of St. Bartholomew.
Marie de Maizières, a descendant of an ancient family of French kings, one of the richest heiresses of France, is in love with the young Duke of Guise. Parents are against their relationship; they promised the girl to de Guise’s younger brother, the Duke of Mayenne. Marie believes that Henry Guise loves her too.
Soon Marie's father changes his mind and gives his daughter in marriage to the unknown Prince de Montpensier. After the wedding, King Charles XI calls the prince into military service. In France, there is a bloody civil war between Catholics, supporters of the king, and the rebel Huguenots. On the road, Montpensier meets his old friend and teacher, Count Chabanne, who was tired of the bloody massacre and deserted from the royal army. Now he is being pursued, threatened with death, both by the Huguenots, whom he had previously killed, and by the royal troops.
Montpensier sends his friend to his Champigny castle. so that he would protect his young wife. Arriving at the castle, Shaban falls in love with a young woman, but she remains indifferent to him, despite the difference in age and position, they become friends.
After a two-year absence, Montpensier returns to the castle, but as soon as the war flares up again, he leaves for Paris. He is accompanied by Chabann, who was able to rehabilitate himself in the eyes of Queen Catherine de Medici.
During the fighting, the king's brother, the Duke of Anjou and de Guise, showed themselves bravely. During the next inspection, the Duke accidentally meets de Guise, and they go to Montpensier Castle. The Duke of Anjou is also captivated by Marie's beauty and begins to court her in the presence of her husband. It turns out to be a kind of polygon: a princess, constantly watched by her husband; the Duke of Anjou, courting her; the Duke of Guise, who likes the princess; husband and Count Chabanne, who is in love with the princess.
Chabanne's loyalty to Princess Montpensier goes so far as to help the Duke of Guise escape when her husband appears on the doorstep. Montpassier considers the Count to be his wife's lover, but he denies this. And only the girl’s fainting will save Shabanna from the bloody reprisal by her husband. The Count goes into hiding, joins the royal army and dies during clashes near Paris. Absolutely by accident, Montpensier finds the corpse of his former friend on the battlefield.
The princess, meanwhile, is waiting for letters or news from her lover de Guise, who already has a new lover. Having learned about this, the girl plunges into depression, falls ill and soon dies.
The family happiness of the richest bride in France, cousin of King Louis XIV, Anne-Marie de Bourbon (aka Duchess de Montpensier) somehow did not work out. Well, something went wrong in the celestial spheres. In addition, she was of a warlike character, extremely picky, and on top of that, her choice was extremely limited: there were fewer young men equal to her in wealth and nobility than the fingers of one hand. Anna tried all the options, but each time the insidious hand of fate wrote in front of her name in mocking calligraphic handwriting - “demoiselle” (not married).
Years passed, “demoiselle” de Montpensier was bored, and when she was already 45, not a family blanket, but a tender and soft blanket 
the lady's happiness completely overwhelmed her. And somewhere there, in the darkness of this wonderful, warm little world, a wonderful face softly shimmered with different colors - a short, fair-haired man, with a mocking, hard face, with the eyes of a sorcerer and ruler. The name of this most charming man, with an exceptional courtly reputation, was Antoine-Nompart, Comte de Lauzun. He, too, was no longer an ardent youth - he had turned 40 years old, but the count had not lost his irresistible courtly charm at all. And all the Versailles beauties were still standing in a tight line at his boudoir. And there was a reason.
Being a short man, Antoine de Lauzunwas, for his height, quite well built,dressed smartlyhis face was arrogant, intelligent, and inspiring respect. He was full of noble manners, quick to enmity (even over trifles), merciless towards strangers 
shortcomings. He loved to look for these shortcomings and put people in a funny position. He was exceptionally brave and dangerously daring. All this excited and fevered women’s hearts, but what inflamed them was completely different.As one enchantress who drank the sherbet of his lips said, in childhood Antoine had the opportunity to lick Cupid’s arrow, so that since his youth there was no more gallant and sweet-sounding gentleman next to him. Compliments were born on his lips without any tension, and when expressed in a quiet and low voice, they made a completely stunning impression on the lovely ladies. And what was especially important: Chevalier de Lauzun never repeated himself in his compliments! How did he do it? God knows, but as soon as his eye noticed some, albeit small, zest in the appearance of a lovely lady, he immediately, without thinking at all, gave birth to a compliment full of mysterious and unique charm. With his compliment, he seemed to be taking an instant photo, and what woman’s heart can resist a successful photo of herself, so beautiful, unique and irresistible. And this takes into account the fact that tomorrow this compliment will be gossiped about in all corners of the Versailles courtyard!
Although, as another lady, pleasant in all respects, noted, the courtly warrior did not lick Cupid’s arrow at all - he himself was this Cupid! And as soon as the heat of the words of this dear gentleman reached the tender ears of the Versailles enchantresses, their icy hearts immediately thawed and turned into tender butterflies with slightly velvety wings...
By the way, we must give the newly-minted Cupid his due - he answered them in the same way. Not everyone, of course, Antoine de Lauzun’s eye was whimsical and selective: for one “Yes!” he had ten “No!” But with this choice he was even more desirable, because what winners those ladies felt who heard from him: “Mademoiselle,que faites-vous ce soir?” (Mademoiselle, what are you doing in the evening?) And with what envious eyes the other Versailles ladies looked at them.
Despite the fact that Antoine was a professional military man who showed himself very worthy in numerous battles, it was the ladies who were his first fiery passion. He had honors, money, and awards, but all this faded as soon as he saw another seductress slowly floating by and languidly swaying her hips.
One example. In 1673, fate would make him a prisoner of the most disgusting fortress of Pin, located in the most remote corner of France. 
hierol. For two weeks he will throw himself on the walls, set the cell on fire, pretend to be deaf and mute, suffer from epileptic seizures, but then he will calm down. The warriors will find him dozing during the day in a chair near the fireplace, wrapped up to his head in a warm blanket. They will think that the balloon has deflated! No! After all, no one knows how forty-year-old Antoine-Nompart spent his nights? And he conducted them properly - he dug a tunnel! To the masonry! It took him four years to dig a hole just 3 meters long, and once he was already looking out from the prison wall! All that remained was to get past the not-so-high prison wall! Freedom was already smiling at him and waving her soft and dry palm encouragingly.
Another day of preparations followed, and in the deepest part of the night, when all the guards, exhausted by the incredible day's work, were resting sweetly at their posts and seats, Antoine-Nompart, Comte de Lauzun squeezed through the hole and climbed out through it into the prison square. A little more effort and “freedom will greet you joyfully at the entrance,” but... the young daughter of the prison baker was walking across the courtyard. Bakers, they get up early, and this young cyprida, leisurely swinging a bucket, walked to the well. The Count could have waited until she got some water and retreated to her wretched little temple. But de Lauzen was a count only in the second place, and in the first place he was Cupid, and therefore the freed prisoner slowly crossed the square, approached the girl and struck up a leisurely conversation with her. At first, the young charmer thought about calling for help, but the words of the charming stranger were so courteous and sweet... And he himself did not give the impression of danger. The girl answered him and somehow didn’t notice at all that an hour later he was already lifting up her skirts in the depths of the hayloft. She didn’t notice this, but her father noticed it, who, without waiting for his daughter with water, went in search of her….
As a result, de Lauzen spent another 6 years in prison and at the same time he did not regret what happened at all. Imagine! A man dug a tunnel for 4 years, had every chance of liberation, but lost it all just by looking at the cheeks of a young beauty.
But there was a holiday on his street. One day, the news touched his ears that in Versailles she had fallen, by whose evil will he was imprisoned in this vale of sorrow and sorrow - the Duchess de Montespan had lost her high status as the royal favorite. The heart of the Chevalier de Lauzun rejoiced in anticipation of great changes. And changes were not long in coming...
However, we digress from the history of demoiselle de Montpensier. Excited by my own 
In hopes she led a direct attack on the fortress called the Cavalier de Lauzun. The offensive did not bring tangible benefits - the cavalier was impregnable. He, of course, was extremely polite and, as usual, did not stop to say a charming word even to the already slightly withered lady. But play a game of love chess with her? Have mercy, God! He, of course, was flattered by her attention, and was also not indifferent to her millions and numerous titles, but... but... but... . And then he finds out that Mademoiselle de Montpensier has not just alcove-like views of him, but matrimonial ones! And this radically changed things! This meant that, with a successful combination of circumstances, he could become a relative of the French king! He! Poor Gascon nobleman! 20 years ago, he showed up in Paris penniless! Vanity was one of the few sins that he allowed himself. So, at the next meeting with Anna-Marie de Bourbon, he lingered a little longer with his gaze on her eyes, which led the not-virgin madam into a state of purely virginal shyness. She felt hope!
The Duchess had long been ready to take courageous action. She knew everything about the count and, in her own way, sought her own path to his heart. She knew that in addition to the fact that this brave Gascon is an extraordinary dandy, he is also an unusual clean man. Antoine-Nompart, Comte de Lauzun took a bath more often than anyone else in the French kingdom - twice a week! Nobody washed so often in France. Moreover, the count said that he would have taken a bath every day, but the water brought to Paris by order of the king flowed in such a thin stream that there was only enough for 2 baths in a week. Mademoiselle de Montpensier also knew that the amiable gentleman de Lauzun was a keen connoisseur of fragrances, and Anna (oh, what a vicious misfortune) had a very unpleasant odor from her mouth. As for body odors, she, like many ladies in the kingdom, successfully fought them by placing bags of dried marjoram under their skirts, wearing them on her belt and even sewing them into the collars of her dresses. She neutralized armpit odors with special essences brought to her from the Levant. But the bad breath was a terrible problem and Anna-Maria couldn’t do anything about it; after all, she was not 22. King Louis the 14th himself, her cousin, by the age of forty had only 2 teeth left in his mouth, and the smell from the royal mouth on the fly threw insects sensitive to smell to the ground. But the king did not need to seek the attention of de Lauzen, and Anna, flowing with the juices of love, needed this more than a sip of cold water in the hot summer. And, of course, she found a way out.
At this time, famous female seducers - Italian pharmacists sold sweet candies of all different varieties, colors and aromas, but they were all quite large and the ladies usually sucked on these cute little things in a purely female company. Doing this in front of men was considered indecent. Anna was not at all averse to doing this by seducing the gentleman de Lauzen, but she was afraid that he would consider it vulgar and decided the issue in her own way. She called one of the pharmacists and ordered him to make the same lollipops, but small ones so that 
when she held them in her mouth, nothing was noticeable. The pharmacist fulfilled the order and the duchess received it in a tin box on which was written “Madame de Montpensier’s Lollipops.” It was with this simple weapon that she broke the last barrier separating her from the courtly de Lauzen. On the very first evening, the new Caesar crossed his Rubicon and she got him into her alcove snare. Further - easier. First, she gave him the largest peerage in France, de Yu. Then she gave him her family peerage, de Montpensier. Then another dukedom, then another and another. Anna de Bourbon, the king's cousin, did not become poor because of this - her wealth was countless.
And then, with her characteristic determination, the duchess asked the noble count: “Do I dare to hope that the noble count will not refuse me a little something...” - here she faltered and blushed.
“What little?” de Lauzen raised his eyebrows in confusion.
“Would you consider it possible to become my husband?” having uttered this phrase, poor Anna felt that she was dangerously close to fainting. She looked for a vinegar bottle on her belt, but did not dare to use it in the presence of the idol of her heart.
“M?” - de Lauzen thought and shook his head a little, tilting it slightly to the side, “I don’t know what to tell you, my lady.”
He looked thoughtfully into her eyes and rocked slightly on his heels. Anna began to dangerously see things double, and a cold trickle of sweat ran down her back.
“You know,” he finally broke the prolonged silence. Anna froze, looking defenselessly into those merciless green eyes. “I have to think,” he took off his hat and made a respectful gesture with it."Au revoir" turned and walked out. Anna gently slipped into a saving faint: “Lord, what happiness - he DID NOT REFUSE!”
For three days her heart beat in confusion, the gentleman left somewhere on the orders of the king, but another day she received a message that smelled so deliciously of his perfume. The message briefly and clearly said that having examined the depths of his heart, the count realized that there was a place there for such a worthy lady and he was ready to become her husband. After reading these lines, Anna fainted again - her dreams were coming true!
Without wasting any time, the Duchess de Montpensier went to see her cousin, because she was of blue royal blood and could not get married without the permission of the monarch. After listening to her, Louis did not exactly become stubborn, but made it clear to his sister that she also needed to remember about decency. After all, the marriage of his cousin and a certain, albeit extremely gallant, but just a Gascon nobleman was a clear misalliance. He, of course, understood that Anna had no chance of getting married, but still, this alleged matrimonial madness of hers could greatly damage His royal reputation. The king's sisters were supposed to marry kings! In addition, de Lauzen was from a Protestant family and this also did not contribute to his marriage with a Catholic girl. But Anna was persistent, she even threatened that she would go to Spain and take Spanish citizenship there, thereby creating the pretext for another Spanish-French war!
Louis understood that she would not do this, but still... After thinking a little, kind 
the king thawed and gave his most merciful permission for the proposed marriage. Don’t think that he pitied his sister, not at all! Quite the contrary. He knew the reputation of de Lauzun, who was a pure sweetheart when he wanted to charm this or that beauty charmante , but as soon as this avant-garde monsieur achieved what he wanted, he turned into a strict and jealous tyrant and despot. True, many women liked it, but Louis knew for sure that Anna would not like it. And since twenty years ago his sister had offended him by participating in the Fronde, the king said to himself the following: “Well, this is, of course, a misalliance, but let her also drink from the cup of sadness and sadness, let her remember the nasty things that she once did it for me!”
Hearing about the consent to the marriage, Anna, happy, ran away, and the king went to his chambers. 
his unsurpassed favorite, the Duchess de Montespan. And there, without feeling the trouble, he recounted what had happened. What a storm erupted in response to his message! “Yes, how did YOU, my good Louis, allow yourself and your House to be humiliated like that! What a pity there is for one’s own sister when this destroys the very foundations of the French monarchy! What will they say in Spain, with which France is connected by family ties?! After all, this is a belittlement of their dignity! Etc. and so on."
At the end of the conversation, Louis called his cousin and said that under the circumstances he was forced to take back his permission. Anna, frozen like a pillar of salt, couldn’t even find anything to say. The meaning of what was said still could not reach her. When he reached it, the pillar of salt crumbled. The Duchess de Montpensier fell to the floor and began to roll on the floor, screaming heart-rendingly. She had no words, and only inarticulate sounds and angry curses came from her throat. At the insistence of Louis, she was forcibly dragged out of the royal chambers.
And if the insidiously deceived demoiselle did not find the right words, then the gentleman de Lauzun, who had already tried on the title of a member of the royal family, showed himself to be at the height of the event. Having learned where this evil wind was blowing, he came to the chambers of his former mistress (but now the official mistress of the king) Francoise de Montespan and brought down on her head such words and epithets that the experienced duchess had never even heard. They say that out of the decent ones there were only “corrupt b...!” , “totally oh…. bitch!" and “shameless brute!” Entering into a rage, the count even began to hit her, who was lying in bed, on the cheeks, then he got carried away and began to pull her hair. In normal times, in the alcove pleasures, she probably would have even liked it. Such emotions! Such genuine passion! But now she was the royal favorite, so she could not allow herself to get carried away by emotions. And when de Lauzen left, knocking his boots indignantly, she prepared a stream of tears and began to wait for the king, and when he came... This is how our de Lauzen went to foreign Pignerol in 1673 on direct royal orders.
By the way, Anna, Duchess de Montpensier has been waiting for her chosen one from Pignerol for all ten years! She was strictly forbidden to visit him in prison, but she sent him gifts in abundance. And when, as a result of the “Poisoning Case,” the fall of the official favorite Madame de Montespan took place, Anna Maria exchanged her lover from the king for a large land holding. And the fifty-year-old lovebirds were reunited on the nuptial roost!
Well, now, as expected, a bad ending. Nothing disappoints us more than the magic of our own enchantment. The union of Anne-Marie-Louise, Duchess of Montpensier and Antoine-Nompart, Comte de Lauzun did not even last for two years. Anna wanted to make the man of her dreamsmari exemplaire (exemplary spouse), but did not succeed at all in her desire. De Lauzen remained de Lauzen and he could not have become anyone else. Louis
he correctly warned his sister about this and now enjoyed his little revenge.
The couple separated. Anna continued to delight herself with the candies that received her name and left for one of her castles, and the rebellious de Lauzen went to England. They never met again.
Ending. In April 1693, the nuns of the Ursuline Order carried the heart of Anne-Marie, Duchess de Montpensier, who had recently presented herself to the Lord, to burial in the Bourbon family crypt, sealed in a funeral vessel. They brought it to the crypt, placed the vessel in front of the image of the Virgin Mary and sang a funeral prayer. And that’s when God’s brides sang to “Hurry, Saints of God, come out to meet, AngelsLord, accept her soul...” the vessel suddenly exploded with a terrible roar! The nuns ran shamefully, screaming heart-rendingly.
This is how the creator of Monpensier sweets, Anna-Marie d'Orléans (nee de Bourbon), ended her journey.
Introduction
Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans (29 May 1627 – 3 April 1693) was a French princess of royal blood, Duchess of Montpensier. She was the niece of Louis XIII. Also known as the "grand mademoiselle", an active participant in the Fronde, author of the famous "Memoirs".
1. Biography
1.1. Parents
Anna was born in the Louvre Palace. Her father, Gaston d'Orléans, who bore the title of Monsieur, was the youngest son of King Henry IV. Thus, Anne was the cousin of Louis XIV. Mother, Marie de Bourbon, Duchesse de Montpensier was the great-granddaughter of the 1st Duke of Montpensier and inherited from her ancestors a huge fortune with a large number of titles. She died giving birth to Anna. The girl was raised at the court of King Louis XIII under the tutelage of his wife Anne of Austria.
1.2. Personal life
Being a princess of royal blood and heir to a huge fortune left by her mother, she seemed to represent a brilliant match. One of the first suitors of the Duchess de Montpensier was the Prince of Wales, the future King of England Charles II, who was then forced to stay in France while his father tried to maintain power in England. However, Anna considered the candidacy of the prince in exile not suitable enough.
W. Dobson. Portrait of the Prince of Wales. OK. 1642
In addition, in May 1646, she learned that Maria Anna of Spain, Queen Anne's sister, had died, leaving Emperor Ferdinand III a widower. Then she came up with the idea of becoming an empress by marrying him. However, the matchmaking matter did not progress, and in the end it turned out that the emperor was going to marry not her, but the Archduchess of Tyrol. Anna was offended by the courtiers when she found out that they were hiding the true state of affairs from her.
Anna Maria Louise did not give up the thought of a successful marriage. She decided to marry her cousin Louis XIV, who was ten years younger than her. But her hopes were not destined to come true; the duchess was imbued with the ideas of the Fronde. Like her father, she took the side of the frondeurs, which was greatly facilitated by her hostility towards Cardinal Mazarin, whom she considered guilty of a failed marriage. In the Fronde of the Princes, Anne joined the forces of the Grand Condé. Her actions during the armed clashes in Paris were very decisive. She not only nominally commanded one of the armies on the side of the princes, but also personally participated in military operations. On July 2, 1652, the Duchess saved the Prince of Condé and his men by firing cannons at the royal troops and controlling the gates to the city. At the end of 1652, when Queen Regent Anne of Austria and Mazarin regained power, Anne, along with other frondeurs, was expelled from the capital.
Antoine Nompart de Caumont, Duke of Lauzun, Marquis de Puyguilhem.
Only in 1657, having received the king's forgiveness, did she reappear at court. Mademoiselle was still unmarried, but no one was in a hurry to marry her, due to her rebellious past. And the princess’s first youth has already passed. She was almost forty when Antoine Nompart de Caumont, son of the noble Count of Lauzun, attracted her attention. In 1670, Mademoiselle solemnly demanded the king's permission to marry Lauzun. Louis understood that he could not allow his cousin to marry any of the princes, since Anna’s impressive dowry and status would make the groom too influential. Therefore, he allowed her to marry an ordinary nobleman. However, not everyone at court agreed with the king's decision. For an unknown reason, a year later, in December 1671, Losen was arrested; he spent the next ten years in Pinerolo, and Anna tried her best to free him from there. Ten years later, the Duke was released after Anne agreed to give Dombes and some of her other possessions to the king's illegitimate son, Louis Auguste. The elderly lovers (in 1681, when Lauzen was released, he was almost fifty, and Anna was fifty-four) secretly got married. But the Duke treated his wife with contempt, and after several cases of obvious disrespect, Anna Maria Louise broke off all relations with him and refused to see him even on her deathbed.
1.3. Last years
The Duchess lived for several years at the Luxembourg Palace, where she died on April 3, 1693. Anna Marie Louise was buried in the Abbey of Saint-Denis; her grave, like many others, was plundered during the French Revolution. The duchess's heart was deposited in the church of Val-de-Grâce.
2. Memoirs
Palace of the Duchess of Montpensier in the city of E.
In the last years of her life, she wrote memoirs, which she began when she was out of favor thirty years earlier. Her memoirs (first published in 1729) are of great literary and historical value, despite the fact that they are self-absorbed and extremely fragmentary. The author of memoirs pays attention not so much to historical events as to picturesque episodes from his own life. The memoirs allow you to imagine the celebrities of the 17th century - Louis XIV, Anne of Austria, Gaston of Orleans, Prince of Condé, Henrietta of England - in their homely, everyday guise. The portrait of the famous Queen Christina of Sweden, who visited France in 1656, is of great interest to the costume historian:
“She was wearing a skirt made of gray silk fabric with gold and silver lace, a fiery camelot caftan with lace of the same color as the skirt, and a small braid - gold, silver and black; also on the skirt there was a knotted scarf of Genoese lace with a fiery bow: a light wig, and at the back a ring, as women wear; hat with black feathers, which she held in her hands." (Trans. V. D. Altashina)
In her memoirs, Mademoiselle de Montpensier quite successfully mixes different genres - diary, novel, short story, comedy, farce.
3. Titles
Duchess de Montpensier. Copy from the portrait of J. Nocret. Fragment
Anna had a title from birth Mademoiselle, worn by the king's unmarried granddaughters, nieces and cousins. Her father, the Duke of Orléans, bore the title Monsieur, and subsequently, when Louis XIV ascended the throne, Gaston began to be called Grand Monsieur to distinguish him from his nephew, Louis XIV's brother Philippe of Anjou, who received the title Petit Monsieur. Following her father, Anna also added the prefix Great (Grand) to her title (fr. La Grande Mademoiselle), it is under this name that she is known in Dumas's novels.
Anna inherited possessions and titles from her mother, here are some of them:
Duchess de Montpensier, Saint-Fargeau, Chatellerault, Beaupréo;
Princesse de Dombes, Luc, la Roche-sur-Ion, Joinville;
Dauphine d'Auvergne;
Marquise de Maizières;
Countess d'E, Forez, Mortain, Bar-sur-Seine;
Viscountess d'Auge, Bresse, Domfront;
Baroness de Beaujolais, Montague-en-Combray, Mirbeau, Roche-en-Renier, Thiers-en-Auvergne.
Interesting facts: Montpensier lollipops are named after her (often distorted: montpensier). Source
Memoirs of Mademoiselle de Montpensier (French)
Altashina V.D. The art of small talk: “Memoirs” of the Great Mademoiselle // Altashina V.D. Poetry and the truth of memoirs (France, XVII-XVIII centuries). - St. Petersburg: ed. RGPU named after A.I. Herzen. - 2005. - P. 87-108.
