Elvira made great lovers. Beautiful ladies of the era of Louis XIV Henrietta English Duchess of Orleans

As you already know, Louis XIII of France also discovered homosexual tendencies, and his lover took great power over him, and Queen Anne of Austria strongly tolerated this depravity from her husband: she could not get pregnant for more than twenty years. English William II and William III and Richard I were bisexual.

Saint-Simon, and the minister of the French king Francis I, and the lover of Diane Poitiers, who was also the most powerful mistress of Henry II, Duke of Brissac, are also considered homosexuals. The courtiers said about him: "He had at once a penchant for two opposite pleasures."

A frightening coldness towards young women was also found in his youth by Louis XV. His fascination with boys became so serious that the king's advisers gathered the handsome boys they were looking for and sent them into exile. When the young Louis XV asked why they were exiled, he was told that "they broke the fences." This became a conditional password at Versailles. "Breaking fences" means engaging in homosexuality. Well, the vicious desires of this king were nipped in the bud and did not spread further. But the situation was different with the father of the regent Louis XV, Philippe of Orleans, brother of Louis XIV. For some political reasons, Cardinal Mazarin simply made this a homosexual, having discovered that he had vicious inclinations. From childhood, the prince was instilled with a consciousness of the inferiority of the female sex. He himself was dressed in women's dresses, luxurious bows were woven into his head, he wore earrings in his ears, and he was allowed to play with a beautiful boy dressed as a girl. And under the influence of such an upbringing, the homosexuality of Philip of Orleans developed, of course, into such a form when women became indifferent to him, and men very much not. His first wife, Henrietta of England, daughter of Charles I of England, was greatly tormented by this handicap of her husband. She was poisoned by her husband's lover. The second, ugly and even ugly Princess Palatine, who with great difficulty gave birth to her husband a son who became regent of Louis XV, also under the name of Philip of Orleans, not only suffered from her husband’s sexual practices, but also openly expressed her indignation, saying: “Oh, if you only knew how unbearable it is to live with a pervert.” But the perversity of Philippe d'Orleans took the sinister form of wild orgies, when they mocked women, mostly poor Parisian prostitutes, with might and main. What Philippe of Orleans did with them together with his friends: they put the candles they lit in their back passages, and they blew up some firecrackers under their chairs, and other outrages, as if taking revenge on these poor creatures for the fact that they were born women. Brother Louis XIV, the powerful king, looked through his fingers at these “pranks” of his younger brother, probably because it was convenient for the king not to see or hear anything, who did not even allow the thought that such a thing was possible in the deified Versailles. But it was not possible to completely cover up the "pranks" of Philip of Orleans, since the story of a love triangle between Philip of Orleans, his wife Henrietta of England and Philip's lover, the handsome Guccio, became very noisy.

And this Guccio, an indescribably handsome man with refined and polite manners, but a daring, and even defiant look, suddenly changes his love inclinations. You know how often it happens with bisexual homosexuals: today they are with a friend, tomorrow with a girlfriend, with whom it is more pleasant, perhaps, they themselves are not able to figure it out. In a word, this handsome Guccio falls in love with the wife of his homosexual companion Philip of Orleans, Henrietta of England, whose mother is the wife of the beheaded Charles I Stuart. And she, although young and brought up in strict monastic rules (her mother spent the rest of her life in French monasteries), at first looked absolutely through her fingers at the love affair of her husband with Prince Guccio. Even this was to her advantage, since she could then freely flirt with the king, Louis XIV. He has violet eyes, hers are black, and by the principle of mutual attraction, they felt sympathy for each other. Of course, no sexual connection has yet come to pass, as long as they only bathe together in the Seine and go for rides on horseback. And gradually, when sympathy for her sister-in-law could develop into a love interest, the king's mother, Anna of Austria, intervenes and sternly reads him a notation about the inappropriateness of such behavior, in which his brother Philip of Orleans walks gloomy with jealousy. The king, in order to lull the suspicions of his mother and brother, decides to choose among the ladies-in-waiting Henrietta no matter which lady-in-waiting as a screen, pretending to be in love with her. Henrietta of England, who had flirting in royal blood before her, and it is not known from whom, since mother and father were famous for chastity, readily agrees with this. And so they choose not very beautiful, but so-so court lady Louise La Vallière for the "screen". And that she was really so-so, nothing special, many chroniclers and historians tell us about this, and we have already informed you about this.

And so the king fell in love with Louise with a young, youthful, ardent love, and he no longer needs any Henrietta of England. He can't breathe on his "lame leg". Henrietta, of course, felt hurt and left with a nose, but in order not to be completely with a nose, she decided to recapture his lover, the handsome Guccio, from her own husband. And now she, like a real coquette, mobilizes all her feminine tricks and charms in order to pull him over to her side and make him fall in love with her. This she did remarkably well. Guccio fell in love forever and ever! Until the death of Henrietta, he will give her a loving feeling, despite all the obstacles and displeasures of the royal court and the king himself. His life will become a continuous adventure, and we will not be surprised if adventurous novels with the central hero Prince Guccio appear somewhere or have already appeared. A painfully entertaining plot for an adventure novel is born from his life. Now Guccio is busy bombarding the adored Henrietta of England, the wife of his lover, with love letters. She, having read the next message, having enjoyed it, gives it away from sin to the court lady Montalez, and she keeps these letters in a special box. Philippe d'Orleans noticed, of course, these unequivocal views of his former lover on his wife. He runs around the Louvre like an angry beast, throwing sidelong glances at his ex-lover. And is preparing to get rid of it from the white light. And Guccio, a desperate fellow, is looking for any excuse to stay tete-a-tete with Henrietta. He can even change into a woman's dress and warn her somewhere in a dark corridor to shake a hand or, at best, kiss this hand. But, of course, a hot young temperament requires a stronger and more complete, that is, sexual, feeling. His sixteen-year-old wife walks pregnant like a sleepy somnambulist, he does not pay attention to her, he is busy with his love for Henrietta of England. And in revenge, or, perhaps, not only in revenge, but Philippe d'Orleans constantly makes his wife pregnant. She always either gives birth or walks with a tummy, which is absolutely not a hindrance to Guccio's feelings. Once he climbed into her bedroom almost the day after her difficult birth. We personally believe, dear reader, that pregnancy should detract from love feelings, but not in the era of Louis XIV. In this era, favorites and wives went pregnant for most of their lives, and this did not interfere with lovers in their ardent love feelings.

Margaret of Navarre.

In a word, her birth and pregnancy did not interfere with Henrietta of England and did not detract from her feelings for Guccio, and in general she really likes this whole game with the female disguise of her lover, his fiery messages! Then one of the courtiers, a certain Vardes, suddenly wished to take the place of Guccio himself and become the lover of Henrietta of England. In such cases, the best way to eliminate an opponent is to report the criminal feelings of the right place, and Vardes goes to Guccio's father and informs him of the great danger to the French kingdom and the impending scandal if his son's connection with Henrietta of England is revealed in the royal court. The father, in horror and fear for the future of his son, who himself climbs into the noose, begs the king to send his son to hell in the army, to lead the troops, and the king, still not guessing anything and believing that this request comes from Guccio himself, sends him to the war.

The seamstress's heart was beating in the marshal's stern chest.

(Robert Miquel)

Having lost the letters of his favorite, Philippe d'Orleans at first fell into the deepest grief. Lying face down on the bed in the locked room, from time to time he filled the house with piercing cries, from which the walls trembled and the servants shuddered.

This went on for about a week, and all the inhabitants of Villet Cotret unanimously pretended not to hear anything. These were the demands of good manners.

But time runs quickly, having a beneficial effect on passions and on reason. The day came when the king's brother suddenly fell silent. Indeed, in the midst of his sobs, he suddenly realized that only obedience could restore the freedom of the Chevalier de Lorrain.

And when Colbert, sent by the king, who could not do without his intermediary, gave Monsieur the order to return to the court, he did not make the slightest objection.

On the evening of February 24, he arrived in Saint-Germain. His brother met him with open arms, and he settled in the Château Neuf.

Madame immediately resumed her secret meetings with Louis XIV. Every evening they closed for several hours, correcting, changing and improving every paragraph of the future treaty.

These were the happiest moments in the life of Henrietta, who once dreamed of becoming Queen of France and continued to look at her former lover with tender adoration. However, upon her return to Château Neuf, she had to answer countless questions from Monsieur: he emanated jealousy, suspecting that some secret was being hidden from him.

What did you do with the king?

We talked about hunting.

These precautions were necessary to keep Holland and Spain in the dark, for Philip, according to Saint-Simon, "was more talkative than many women put together, and was incapable of keeping a secret."

Therefore, he was not told anything about the proposed trip to England. Louis XIV was going to visit the newly conquered Flanders together with the court: once in Dunkirk, the king would offer Henriette, as if it had just occurred to him, to visit his brother, who had long been calling his sister to him. Thanks to this little trick, Monsieur will never know what political role his wife has played.

Finally, in order to finally reassure his brother and make him forget about returning to Villers-Cotres, Louis XIV gave the order to release the Chevalier de Lorrain.

Philip, beside himself with joy, warmly thanked the king.

There seemed to be no flaw in this cunning plan. Louis XIV did not take love into account ...

* * *

Mignon did not linger in Marseille. Full of hatred for Madame, whom he considered the culprit of his imprisonment, he moved to Rome and again began to send letter after letter to the Duke of Orleans. From friends, he received detailed news about everything that happened at court, and in his hands again were the strings with which he controlled the perfumed puppet, which had the title of Monsieur.

The latter once entered the study of Louis XIV with an evil twinkle in his eyes and with a gloomy look; facial expression..

I have just learned, he said, that you are preparing to send my wife to England. I know what you were secretly conferring about, but I came to ask you why I didn't get anything about it. So I'm considered immodest or incapable? Because I'm not going to be invited to visit Charles II. You have made me a laughing stock, and I will never forgive this insult. If you are the master of the kingdom, then I am the master of my wife, and I forbid her to go to England.

With these words, Monsieur, turning on his heels, headed for the exit, and Louis XIV looked after him in confusion. He was stunned, depressed. Who could give away the secret? Only four knew the "English project": Louvois, Turenne, Lyonne and Madame. The King found Madame guilty...

He ordered to send for her.

Sister, we betrayed me,” he said. - My brother knows the secret, which means that my secret walks in your chambers.

Henrietta swore that she did not trust the secret to anyone, so no one could let it slip.

The king, very intrigued, called Monsieur to him in order to find out this riddle. Wanting to appease his brother, he told him that an agreement would soon be concluded with England. Monsieur, flattered by this false frankness, then admitted "that he learned the news of Madame's journey from the Chevalier de Lorrain."

Who told him? asked the king.

Madame de Coaquin.

Louis XIV understood everything. This charming young lady, who was once the mistress of the Chevalier de Lorrain, managed to arouse insane passion in the old heart of Marshal de Turenne. The great commander completely lost his head from love: there was no doubt that it was he who betrayed the secret. Knowing that Madame was going to take with him a retinue of pretty court ladies, and wanting to please his beloved, he told about the trip and added that he would get her included in the escort ...

The king, calling Turenne to himself, addressed him directly and without preparation.

“Confess to me as your confessor. Have you spoken to anyone of my intentions regarding Holland and Madame's journey to England?

How, sir, - stammered Turenne, - did Your Majesty's secret become known?

It doesn't matter," the king continued to insist, "did you tell anyone about this?

Of course, I did not utter a word about your intentions regarding Holland, Turenne replied. “I will tell Your Majesty the whole truth. Madame Coakin was afraid that she would not be accepted into the retinue, and I promised to assist her. And to make her ready in advance, I mentioned Madame's intention to see her brother the king. But I said nothing more, and I ask Your Majesty's forgiveness for my mistake.

The King laughed and asked:

So you are in love with Madame de Coaquin?

No, sir, replied Turenne, not at all, but she is one of my closest friends.

Well, said the king, what's done is done. But don't tell her anything else. If you love her, then I will have to upset you: she is in love with the Chevalier de Lorrain, she notifies him of everything, and the one from Rome notifies my brother ...

Turenne, embarrassed, begged forgiveness once more and withdrew, bowing his head in shame.

The king, however, somewhat calmed down, since his diplomatic negotiations remained a secret for everyone, and ordered to prepare for a trip to Flanders.

On April 28, 1670, the court with a retinue of three thousand people left Saint-Germain. Monsieur, urged on by Guise, continued to sulk. He made a firm decision not to let his wife into England, since he himself was not allowed to negotiate; and during the journey he tried in every possible way to inject Madame. Once she was unwell, and he announced:

Daniel de Cosnac cites this dialogue in his Memoirs.

- Several wives were predicted to me, and I believe in it. Madame is in such a state that, apparently, she will not live long, and it was predicted to her that she would soon die ...

These words did not go unnoticed, and after a while the courtiers had to remember them.

At Courtrai, Henriette received an official invitation from her brother. Charles II, by pure chance, took a walk to the banks of the English Channel and said that he would be happy to see his sister at Dover.

Monsieur made an attempt to keep his wife to himself. The king himself intervened:

- Madame will go to England. This is my will. And Henrietta went to Dunkirk, while Philippe d'Orleans shut himself up in his room to straighten out his frayed nerves.

The boat trip turned out to be wonderful, and all the travelers were delighted. In Madame's retinue was a delightful twenty-year-old blonde named Louise de Kerual, who was to play a very significant role in the negotiations. The king himself chose her, knowing the amorous nature of Charles II. "He believed," says Macaulay, "that there was no better ambassador for London than a beautiful, lecherous, and cunning Frenchwoman."

Henrietta spent two weeks in England. On June 1, the Treaty of Dover was signed, sealing the alliance between France and Great Britain against Holland.

It was a big diplomatic victory. Madame, proud of the work of her hands, returned to Saint-Germain on June 18, showered with praise and covered with glory. In her brother's bed, she left the young Louise de Kerual, whom the British would call Milady Carvel in their own way, but no less effectively, continued to strengthen the Anglo-French friendship ...

* * *

After the signing of the Treaty of Dover, Monsieur's eyes were opened. Finding that he was again tricked, and jealous of Henrietta, who was entrusted with an important state business, he wrote a bitter letter to the Chevalier de Lorrain.

He realized that he would never return to Saint-Germain if his hater further strengthened her influence at court. Then he obtained an Italian poison, unknown in France, and sent it with a trusted man to Saint-Cloud. On June 30, Madame became ill, and on the same day she died ...

Bossuet told about the circumstances of this strange death. However, I prefer the prosaic account of the witnesses to the majestic vagueness of the Tomb Sermon. Here is how Madame de Lafayette describes the onset of the illness that brought Henriette of England to her grave: “After leaving Boisfrance, the princess came to Madame de Meckelbourg. While they were talking, Madame de Gamache brought sweetened water, which Madame had asked for a short time before; her maid, Madame de Gourdon, handed her a cup. She drank and barely had time to put the cup on the saucer, when, clutching her side with her hand, she said in a voice expressing deep anguish: “Oh, how it hurts me! I can't take it!“

As she said these words, she blushed, and a moment later she turned as white as a sheet, which frightened us all; she continued to moan and ordered us to put her to bed, saying that she could not stand on her feet.

We took her by the arms, she moved her legs with difficulty and walked bent over. She was quickly undressed, I supported her while her bodice was unlaced. She was breathing heavily, and I noticed that there were tears in her eyes. I was amazed and touched by this, for I knew that there was no one more patient than she.

Kissing her hands, I said that she must be suffering greatly; she replied that it could not even be imagined. She was put to bed, but she began to scream even more than before, and began to thrash about from side to side, like a person who has to experience unbearable pain. At this time, her life physician, Mr. Asprey, was already sent for. He came and, announcing that it was stomach cramps, prescribed the usual remedies under such circumstances. However, Madame's suffering did not diminish. She said that her illness was more serious than everyone thought, that she was dying, so that they immediately sent for a priest ...

Everything I'm talking about happened in less than half an hour. Madame continued to scream and said that she had a terrible pain in her stomach. Suddenly, she ordered to examine the water that she drank, saying that there was poison in it, that the bottles were mixed up, that she was poisoned, she is sure of this, and she needs to be given an antidote ...

I stood in the alcove next to Monsieur. And although I considered him incapable of such a crime, the curiosity inherent in corrupt human nature made me look at him carefully. At Madame's words, neither surprise nor embarrassment was expressed in his face ... "

A few hours later, after excruciating agony, Madame passed away, despite the best efforts of helpless doctors.

Although Madame de Lafayette gave an excellent description of the symptoms of an unexpected illness, and there are several accurate testimonies of other contemporaries to this effect, some historians still believe it is possible to dispute the fact that Henrietta of England was poisoned. However, we now know for certain how it all happened.

The Chevalier de Lorraine, who in Rome became the lover of Maria Mancini (who, after her marriage to the constable Colonna, turned into a very ardent person), made acquaintance with all the adventurers and rogues who visited the house of the exalted beauty. Therefore, it cost him nothing to get closer to one of the suspicious healers or sorcerers who supplied poisons to the Italian nobility. For poisoning flourished on the peninsula. Every month, many wives, husbands, lovers and competitors went to the cemetery. At the end of official gala dinners, it was not uncommon to see how an influential politician suddenly sank into an armchair after tasting a poisoned dessert; and during conclaves, cardinals who had a chance of being elected died like flies under the influence of deadly powders or essences.

Poisoning became a fact of everyday life, and it was not even considered a crime. It was one of the ways to secure a quiet life.

However, they did not forget about decency, and alchemists continuously improved poisons so that they could not be detected in the body of the victim. Some of them were slow-acting, like the famous Borja poison, which killed on a precisely appointed day; others struck instantly and were prepared in an absolutely terrifying way, according to some authors. The alchemist poisoned the pig; then the carcass decomposed for several days; then the liquid emanating from the rotting body was distilled, and the experimenter received a few drops of poison, which had crushing power.

Having obtained one of these poisons, the chevalier began to think about how to smuggle it to France. He first thought of his brother Marsan, who had come to Rome to join him, but he could not have returned to Saint Germain without drawing attention to himself. It required a person ... unknown to anyone.

In the end, the Chevalier de Lorrain managed to find a performer who was suitable in all respects: it was a native of Provence named Antoine Morel - a smart, cunning and depraved fellow.

To avert suspicion from him, he was given a message coming from the Vatican. True, Giza with his brother and Morel had to solve one more important issue. Let us listen to the Princess of the Palatinate, who learned the whole ins and outs of this case, becoming the second wife of Monsieur: “When the villains made a plan to poison the unfortunate Madame, they began to deliberate whether they should notify Monsieur in advance. The Chevalier de Lorrain said: “No, you don’t have to say anything to him, he can’t keep silent. If he does not let it slip in the first year, he will send us to the gallows in ten years.” So they assured the late Monsieur that the Dutch had poisoned Madame with a slow poison that worked on the appointed day.”

Arriving in Paris, Morel learned that Monsieur and Madame had gone to their Saint-Cloud castle for the summer. Then he secretly met with the Marquis d "Effia, Guise's comrade-in-arms in many revels, gave him poison and disappeared.

It was d'Effia's turn to act. How did he manage to slip the deadly poison to Henrietta of England? Let us turn again to the testimony of the Princess of the Palatinate: "D" Effia, she writes, poisoned not Madame's sweetened water, but her cup, which was extremely cleverly invented, for others might also taste this water, while no one drinks from another's cup.

The valet, who was with Madame, and then with me (he has now died), said that on that morning, when Madame and Monsieur were at mass, d "Effia went to the sideboard, took a cup and wiped it from the inside with paper. "Sir, - asked his servant, - what are you doing near our wardrobe and why are you touching Madame's cup? He replied: "I'm dying of thirst. I was thirsty, and seeing a dirty cup, I wiped it with paper. "In the afternoon, Madame asked for sweetened water. As soon as she took a sip, she shouted that she had been poisoned. Those who were with her, they drank the same water, but from different cups, which is why nothing happened to them. Madame had to be taken to bed, she grew worse, and two hours after midnight she died in terrible agony. When they wanted to examine the cup, they found that "she disappeared. Then they found her anyway. She had to be ignited in a fire to clear the poison."

Saint-Simon describes the case in a similar way and just as definitely points to the Marquis d "Effia. And another courtier, the author of couplets Genier, in the comments on a short poem on a modern plot, specifies that Madame was poisoned by order of Philippe, Chevalier de Lorrain, " who used for this purpose a certain Provencal named Morel: this scoundrel came to France, having an order to give poison to Madame.

How can you doubt that the crime actually took place?

After the death of the Duchess of Orleans, Louis XIV "sank into the deepest sorrow." Suspecting poisoning, on the 30th of June he undertook his own investigation, and in the evening Brissac brought to him Purnon, Madame's chief butler.

“Seeing him, the king immediately sent Brissac and his valet away. Such an expression appeared on his face and he spoke in such a tone that anyone would be frightened:

“My friend,” he said menacingly, “if you confess everything to me and tell the truth about what I want to know, then I will forgive you, no matter what you have done, and there will never be any more talk about it. But beware if you make any attempt to hide anything from me, because in that case you will die before you get out of here.

Madame was poisoned? “Yes, sire,” he replied. “Who poisoned her,” the king asked, “and how was it done?” He replied that this was done by order of the Chevalier de Lorrain, who sent poison to Bevron and d "Effia. Then the king, doubling both caresses and threats, asked the question: "And my brother? Did he know about this?" - "No, sir, there was no fool among us three to tell him; he does not know this secret, otherwise he could destroy us. " Hearing this answer, the king said loudly "Ah!", Like a man who managed to throw off a terrible heaviness and take a deep breath. "All right," he said, "that's exactly what I wanted to know. Do you confirm this to me?" Then, calling Brissac, he ordered the man to be taken somewhere far away and released on all four sides.And it was this man who, many years later, told the whole story to M. Joly de Fleury, Attorney General of the Parliament, from whom I also learned this story. ".

After making sure that Madame was really poisoned, the king was frightened in earnest. Indeed, he immediately thought of the Treaty of Dover: the English would certainly tear it up if they knew about the poisoning of their dear princess. All the political consequences of this crime could not even be foreseen. At all costs, the court had to be assured that Madame had died of natural causes.

In front of everyone, Louis, with due solemnity, ordered an autopsy, but at a secret meeting with doctors he ordered not to look for traces of poison.

The doctors obeyed: it was announced that Madame had died of cholera, and Charles II of England pretended to believe this tale. Madame's handiwork - the Treaty of Dover - was saved ...

Since no one was supposed to suspect a crime, the king, naturally, could not bring the perpetrators to justice. On the contrary, a few years later he allowed the Chevalier de Lorrain to return to court.

Monsieur met his friend with tenderness...

Henrietta of England: daughter-in-law and lover

Henrietta Anna Stuart, the youngest daughter of Charles I, was born on June 16, 1644, in the midst of the civil war raging in England. From birth to the end of her days - and she lived a little regretfully - this princess seemed to be pursued by evil fate. She had very few happy days.

By 1641, the confrontation between Charles I and Parliament had gone so far that it was no longer possible to resolve the matter by peaceful negotiations. The absolute monarchy in England was living out its last days. Parliament did not want to give the king power either in governing the country or in international politics, and the conflict between Catholics and Protestants escalated. The parliamentarians went so far as to demand that the Catholic queen be expelled from the country and that her children be deprived of the right to inherit the throne.

Henrietta Maria of France married Charles I in 1625, when she was only 15 years old, and the first three years of her life in a foreign land became a real nightmare for her. In addition to the fact that she had to compete with her husband's favorite handsome Buckingham - to compete, of course, completely unsuccessfully - she also behaved stupidly, for some reason imagining that she had been sent from above a holy mission to return England to the bosom of the Catholic Church. Particularly strange antics of the queen, such as her refusal to participate in the coronation of her husband or her prayer service at Tyburn, where Catholics were hanged who were about to blow up parliament, set the English so negatively towards her that Charles I was forced to take some measures to curb the religious fervor of his wife : in particular, he sent home to France, most of her retinue.

However, when the Duke of Buckingham was killed in 1628, as if a veil fell from the eyes of Charles I, he suddenly turned his attention to his wife and seemed to see her for the first time. A real feeling broke out between the spouses. They stopped fighting. They began to live soul to soul. And the children began to appear one by one.

The first birth of Henrietta Maria was so difficult that she herself almost died, and the child died without living even a few hours. Nevertheless, all subsequent pregnancies ended successfully, although they followed one after another, pretty exhausting the young queen. In 1630, the future King Charles II was born, in 1631 the daughter Mary Henrietta was born, followed by the future James II - 1633, Elizabeth - 1635, Anna - 1637. Catherine - 1639 and finally Henry, Duke of Gloucester - 1640.

In 1641, fearing for her life, Henrietta Maria was forced to flee to Holland, where, pawning her jewelry, she bought weapons and ammunition for the king's army, after which she bravely decided to return to England, going on a ship into a stormy sea. On the very shores of Foggy Albion, her ship was attacked by the parliamentary fleet, and Henrietta Maria was almost captured. In this case, she gave the team the order to blow up the ship, because she knew that as soon as she was in the hands of the rebels, her husband would do everything, make any concessions, just to return her freedom. Fortunately, everything worked out.

In the summer of 1643, Henrietta Maria reunited with her husband, and at the same time their last child was conceived - a girl named after her mother Henrietta.

Charles I was at war with Parliament, and his headquarters was located in Oxford. But shortly before the birth of the princess, the rebel troops came close to the university campus. Fearing for the life of his wife, the king was forced to hastily send her to Exeter. Because of all these unrest and endless moving, the birth of the queen was extremely difficult. In addition, just two weeks after the birth of her daughter, Henrietta Maria was forced to flee to France - Parliamentary troops almost captured Exeter - and little Henrietta remained in the care of the Countess of Morton.

Charles I at that time was still victorious over the rebels, he managed to drive the enemy army away from Exeter and take his newborn daughter in his arms. He considered her very beautiful ... The most beautiful of all his children ...

The king performed a rite of baptism, after which he was forced to go to war again - he would never see his youngest daughter again.

Together with the Countess of Morton, little Henrietta lived in Exeter for two years, until the situation of the king became completely disastrous. He was losing battles, he was losing supporters, and by 1646 his cause was completely hopeless - it could already be said that Charles I had suffered a crushing defeat.

Exeter was by that time in the hands of Parliament, and Cromwell ordered the Countess of Morton to go with the little princess to London. But along the way, he managed to escape. Disguised as a peasant woman and passing off Henrietta as her son, the Countess of Morton left England and reached Paris. Where at last the baby was in the arms of her mother.

Henrietta Maria doted on the girl, becoming attached to her more than to all other children. Returning to her homeland, she, a zealous Catholic, was finally able to raise her children as she saw fit, without looking back at anyone, and did everything possible to save the soul of little Henrietta, introducing her to the true faith.

She baptized her daughter according to the Catholic rite, giving her the name Anna, in honor of the Queen of France, Anna of Austria.

The fugitive queen was given quarters in the Louvre - the daughters of Henry IV, of course, could not refuse shelter. However, no one had the time or desire to take care of her well-being. France, too, was worried like a stormy sea, the Fronde was gaining momentum, the royal family was forced to flee Paris, and the pension once assigned to Henrietta Maria from the treasury ceased to be paid.

“For eight years, the French court could not provide effective assistance to the exiles,” writes Guy Breton. It was so cold in their apartment in winter that Henrietta stayed in bed all day long, and all her food consisted of several vegetables boiled in water. In order to somehow live, the English queen sold her dresses, jewelry, furniture, and in the end, all her property, according to Madame de Motteville, consisted of “one small cup to be able to quench her thirst.”

Who knows how the matter would have ended if one of the leaders of the Fronde, Cardinal de Gondi, had not taken care of the unfortunate, ordering food and firewood to be brought to them when the situation became completely desperate.

In January 1649, Henrietta Maria learned the terrible news about the execution of Charles I. Gone was the last hope that her life could change for the better. And in fact, everything only got worse, although, it would seem, there was nowhere to go further ...

Henrietta Anna was still too young to be fully aware of what was happening, but she had a hard time. After the death of her husband, her mother, already not in good mental health, seemed to have completely lost her mind. Her religious zeal went beyond all possible limits. In addition, she had a lover. It was one of the English emigrants, Lord Germine, a rude, greedy and narrow-minded man, and a fighter as well. “He once gave two heavy blows to the Queen of England,” writes Breton. “And she, being a worthy daughter of her father Henry IV, did not remain in debt and hit him painfully on the leg, and in front of the frightened girl a fight began between lovers ...”

In 1653, Mazarin entered into an alliance with Cromwell, because of which the sons of the executed king, Charles II, James, Duke of York, and Henry, Duke of Gloucester, were forced to leave France. However, at that time, their relationship with their mother completely deteriorated, who could not think of anything else but their baptism into Catholicism, otherwise she threatened to curse.

Henrietta Anna could not do the same as the brothers and just leave, so all the fervor of religious zeal and parental care went to her.

In 1654, Mazarin resumed paying them a pension. And Henrietta Maria moved to the old country mansion of Marshal Bassompierre on the hill of Chaillot, which she immediately turned into a monastery.

In addition to religious zeal, Henrietta-Maria was obsessed with another idea, she wanted to marry her daughter to Louis XIV, and therefore, from the age of eleven, Henrietta-Anna began to be taken out into the light.

The girl was unable to attract the attention of her royal cousin. She was too poorly dressed. She was thin and pale and completely ugly. They only made fun of her ... Louis dismissively called her "holy innocence" and "holy relics." While Henrietta herself was secretly in love with him and was very sad from the consciousness of her imperfection.

Of course, neither Anna of Austria nor Mazarin supported the idea of ​​this marriage. Cromwell's power in England seemed unshakable, the likelihood that Charles II would ever return the crown was vanishingly small. And Henrietta Anna was considered a completely unpromising bride for one of the most influential monarchs in Europe. Everyone understood this, except for Henrietta Maria, who continued to torment her daughter with her senseless dreams.

However, everything changed in 1660.

Cromwell died, and his son could not hold power, real chaos began in the country and parliament was forced to ask Charles II to return to England.

Her brother became king and Henrietta's status instantly changed. She was no longer a hanger-on at the French court, she became an English princess.

Together with her mother, Henrietta returned to her homeland, which she did not remember at all and did not love, France was her real home, she wanted to return there. She would have preferred to return as a queen, but, alas, Louis XIV was already married.

How exactly the princess reacted to the proposal to become the wife of the Duke of Orleans is not known, because she knew that the king's brother was not attracted to women. It probably didn't matter to her. Henrietta wanted to return to France. Not as a poor relative. But as the sister of the English monarch. As the wife of the brother of the French king. After all the years of humiliation, she wanted to triumph, she wanted to shine.

And on March 31, the wedding took place. A few days before his death, the cardinal asked the heartbroken queen not to postpone the ceremony in any case. However, this was hardly possible. All of Europe already knew about the upcoming marriage of the Duke of Orleans and Henrietta of England. And Mazarin ... Well, who is Mazarin? He died and was immediately forgotten by everyone. Everyone suddenly remembered - that France has a king.

After the marriage, his majesty presented his brother with the Palais Royal, the palace where they spent their childhood and which was now to become the city residence of the Duke and Duchess of Orleans.

The transformation into a princess somehow suddenly changed Henrietta. It was as if the fairy godmother touched her with a magic wand, turning her from an ugly woman into a beauty in an instant.

“Henrietta, having matured, became a wonderful beauty. Her beauty blossomed even more magnificently when the Stuarts again ascended the throne.

Misfortune robbed her of her sparkle of pride, but prosperity brought it back again. She shone all over in her joy and prosperity, like those greenhouse flowers that, accidentally left overnight to the first autumn frosts, hung their heads, but the next day, warmed by the air in which they were born, they open with unprecedented splendor.

Lady Henrietta, who combined the charm of French and English beauties, had never loved and was very cruel when she began to flirt. A smile - this is a naive evidence of the girls' benevolence - did not illuminate her face, and when she raised her eyes, she looked so intently at one or another gentleman that they, with all their insolence and habit of pleasing the ladies, were involuntarily embarrassed.

Alexandre Dumas "The Vicomte de Brangelon, or Ten Years Later"»

Since she returned from England, accompanied by a luxurious retinue, the French court looked at her in a new way, and found that she was intelligent, charming and graceful.

Even Philip was infatuated with his wife for some time. True, not for long. In his own words, he "loved Madame exactly two weeks after the wedding." Whereupon his highness returned to his dear friend de Lorrain and his usual pastimes.

Henrietta at that time did not feel sad at all, she lived as if in a fairy tale dream. Holidays gave way to balls, picnics, and everywhere she shone, caressed by compliments and admiring glances of the courtiers.

And even His Majesty the King, who just at that time finally broke up with Maria Mancini, suddenly began to show Henrietta unequivocal signs of attention, appointing her to the comic post of "Minister of Amusements."

“She participated,” writes Madame de Lafayette, “in all the amusements that seemed to be arranged only in order to please her. As for the king, he perceived them indirectly through her and was pleased only if she liked the holidays. In the summer, Madame liked to swim every day. Because of the heat, she rode to the pond in a carriage, and returned back on horseback, accompanied by smartly dressed ladies in feathered hats, young courtiers and the king. After dinner, everyone got into the carriages and took night walks along the canal.

The king was so carried away by his daughter-in-law that their romance became obvious to everyone.

Even for the queen, who remained due to pregnancy, bored in Paris.

Maria Theresa complained to the Queen Mother that His Majesty was behaving inappropriately. Anna of Austria tried to exhort her son, but he did not heed her words. Then Anna went to a little trick - she hinted to Philip that his wife "is not sufficiently safe from a love affair."

Philip was surprised and angry. Despite the fact that he did not love his wife and did not care at all about maintaining marital fidelity, he was terribly jealous and gave Henrietta a huge scandal. And then, considering that this was not enough, he came to the king and reproached him for encroaching on his honor.

Louis did not want to quarrel with his brother at all, especially since he really felt guilty, but breaking off relations with his wife was beyond his strength.

Henrietta came up with a cunning plan.

Pretend, - she advised the king, - that you love another woman, and the rumors that annoy us will immediately stop.

It was a dangerous path. The most dangerous of all ... But Henrietta was too young and inexperienced, too in love and too self-confident to guess this.

“After agreeing among themselves,” writes Madame de Lafayette, “that the king will pretend that he fell in love with some court lady, they began to look for a suitable candidate to implement the plan.”

Their choice was for two ladies-in-waiting to the Queen: Mademoiselle de Pont and Mademoiselle Chemereau. But the first, not wanting to play such a miserable role, immediately left for the provinces. The second was too assertive and decided to really win the heart of the king.

And then Henriette herself found a suitable candidate: a sweet, unpretentious provincial from her retinue, Louise de La Vallière. A naive, modest and completely unambitious girl. And besides, also a limp.

«- What do you say about Mademoiselle de Tonnet-Charentes, Henriette? - asked the king.

- I will say that her hair is too light, - answered the princess, immediately pointing out the only flaw that could be reproached for the almost perfect beauty of the future Madame de Montespan.

- Yes, too blond, that's true, but still, in my opinion, a beauty.

- Oh yes, and the gentlemen are circling around her. If we hunted caretakers instead of butterflies, look how many we would have caught around her.

- And what do you think, Henrietta, what would they say if the king intervened in the crowd of these courtiers and cast his eyes on the beauty? Would the prince continue to be jealous?

- O sir, Mademoiselle de Tonnet-Charentes is a very strong remedy, - sighed the princess. - A jealous man would, of course, be cured, but, perhaps, a jealous woman would appear!

- Henrietta, Henrietta! - exclaimed Louis. - You fill my heart with joy. Yes, yes, you are right, Mademoiselle de Tonnet-Charentes is too beautiful to serve as a screen.

“The screen of the king,” Henrietta replied with a smile. - This screen must be beautiful.

- So do you recommend it to me? - Ludovic asked.

- What can I tell you, sir? To give such advice is to give weapons against oneself. It would be foolishness or self-importance to recommend to you a woman much more beautiful than the one you pretend to love.

The king sought the princess's hand, her gaze, and whispered a few gentle words into her ear, so softly that the author, who should know everything, did not hear them.

Then he added loudly:

- Well, choose for yourself the one that will have to heal our jealous ones. I will look after her, devote to her all the time that I have left from work, I will give her the flowers picked for you, I will whisper to her about the tender feelings that you will cause in me. Just choose carefully, otherwise, offering her a rose plucked by my hand, I will involuntarily look in your direction, my hands, my lips will reach out to you, even if the whole universe guesses my secret.

When these words, warmed by love passion, flew from the lips of the king, the princess blushed, trembled, happy, proud, intoxicated. She could find nothing in return: her pride, her thirst for worship had been satisfied.

- I will choose, - she said, raising her beautiful eyes to him, - only not in the way you ask, because all this incense that you are going to burn on the altar of another goddess, - ah, sir, I'm jealous of her, - I want it all to come back to me, so that not a single particle of it is lost. I will choose, sir, with your royal permission, the one that will be the least able to captivate you and leave my image untouched in your soul.

- Fortunately, - the king noticed - your heart is not evil, otherwise I would tremble at your threat. In addition, it is difficult to find an unpleasant face among the women around us.

While the king was speaking, the princess got up from the bench, looked around the lawn and called the king to her.

- Come to me, my lord - she said, - do you see there, by the jasmine bushes, a pretty girl who has lagged behind the others? She walks alone, her head down, and looks down at her feet, as if she has lost something.

- Mademoiselle de Lavalier? asked the king.

- Don't you like her, sir?

“Look at her, poor thing. She is so thin, almost incorporeal.

- Am I fat?

- But she's kind of sad.

- The complete opposite of me; I am reproached for being too cheerful.

- Plus, lame. Look, she deliberately let everyone go ahead so that they would not notice her shortcomings.

- Well, so what? But she will not run away from Apollo, like the swift-footed Daphne.

- Henrietta, Henrietta! - exclaimed the king in annoyance. - You deliberately chose the ugliest of your ladies-in-waiting.

- Yes, but still this is my lady-in-waiting - notice that.

- So what?

- To see your new deity, you will have to come to me, willy-nilly; modesty will not allow you to seek meetings in private, and you will see her only in my home circle and talk not only with her, but also with me. In a word, all the jealous will see that you do not come to me for my sake, but for the sake of Mademoiselle de La Vallière.

- Limps.

- She only limps a little.

- She never opens her mouth.

- But when he opens it, he shows the most charming teeth.

- Henrietta!..

- After all, you gave me a choice.

- Alas, yes!

- Obey him without objection.

- Oh, I would even obey a fury if you chose her!

- Lavalier is meek as a lamb. Do not be afraid, she will not resist when you declare to her that you love her.

And the princess laughed.

- You will leave me the friendship of a brother, the constancy of a brother, and the favor of a king, will you not?

- I will give you a heart that beats only for you.

- And you think our future is secure?

- Hope.

- Will your mother stop looking at me as an enemy?

- And Maria Theresa will no longer speak Spanish in the presence of my husband, who does not like to hear foreign speech, since he always seems to be scolded?

- Maybe he's right - the king spoke.

- Finally, will the king still be accused of criminal feelings if we have only pure sympathy for each other, without any ulterior motives?

- Yes Yes, - muttered the king - True, they will say something else.

- What else, my lord? Will we never be left alone?

“They will say,” continued the king, “that I have very bad taste. Well, what does my pride mean compared to your calmness?

- My honor, sir, you want to say, the honor of our family. And besides, believe me, you are in vain setting yourself up against Lavalier in advance; she limps, but she really is not devoid of some intelligence. Whatever the king touches, however, turns into gold.”

Alexandre Dumas "The Vicomte de Brangelon, or Ten Years After"

… Who knew that Louis's heart would respond so warmly not to bright beauty and not to a hot temperament, but to tenderness, selflessness and purity ...

The "sun king" had four great loves: Maria Mancini, Louise de Lavaliere, Athenais de Montespan and Francoise de Maintenon. Each of them was something special.

But the most famous mistress of Louis XIV was still Louise de Lavalier - it was about her that most books were written, including such famous authors as Madame de Genlis and Alexandre Dumas-father, and in the nineteenth century one of the factories even produced a dinner service " Louise de Lavalier" with scenes from her life depicted on the bottom of the plates.

Why exactly is she?

One of the court ladies of Louis XIV, Madame de Quelus, famous for her insight, wrote in her memoirs that Louise de La Vallière was the only favorite of the "Sun King" who really loved Louis, and not "His Majesty".

And Louis couldn't help but appreciate it.

From the book In the circle of queens and favorites author Breton Guy

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The wife of Charles I, was forced to leave Oxford, where her husband's headquarters was located during the Civil War. This measure was due to the fact that the parliamentary troops came too close to the university city, and therefore the king, fearing for the life and health of his wife, sent her to Exeter, where on June 16 (26), 1644, Henrietta Stuart, the youngest of the children, was born royal couple. Two weeks after her birth, the mother of the princess, who was having a hard time enduring her last pregnancy and not fully recovering from childbirth, had to flee to the continent: the army of the Earl of Essex was like Exeter. The girl remained in the care of Anna Dalkit, Countess of Morton. Very soon, Charles I drove the parliamentary troops from the city. He ordered the baptism of "the most beautiful of his children", which was attended by the 14-year-old Prince of Wales.
Henrietta remained in Exeter until her second birthday, when Anna Morton was ordered to London with her child. Before reaching the capital, the governess managed to escape, disguised as a peasant woman and passing off the princess as her son.

In France, Henrietta was raised by her mother, who became attached to her daughter more than to her other children. First of all, the girl was baptized according to the Catholic rite, giving her the name Anna, in honor of the Dowager Queen of France, Anna of Austria. It is known that the Prince of Wales was very disapproving of this step, however, Henrietta Maria, who did not abandon her attempts to bring her children into the bosom of the Roman Church, but had previously encountered the gentle but unequivocal resistance of her husband, was obsessed with saving the soul of the girl. The education of the convert was entrusted to the nuns of the monastery of Chaillot, who enjoyed the special love of the Queen of England.

The first years of their stay in France were marked by poverty and dangers: due to the outbreak of the Fronde, which forced the young king, his mother, brother and Cardinal Mazarin to flee Paris, the pension was no longer paid, it came to the point that the fugitives had nothing to eat and nothing to heat their apartments with. in the Louvre, which was empty after the court moved to the Palais Royal. Only the intervention of one of the leaders of the rebellion, Coadjutor Retz, who ordered firewood and food to be brought to the palace, saved the daughter and granddaughter of Henry the Great from vegetating.

In the Louvre, they were overtaken by the news of the execution of Charles I in January 1649. Being very small, Henrietta Anna could not fully understand what was happening, as well as her mother’s quarrels with all her brothers: Charles, who, after the death of his father, became King Charles II, and. Young people left Paris, partly for political reasons (Mazarin concluded a peace agreement with Cromwell), partly because of the rapidly deteriorating relationship with Queen Henrietta.

Then the widow directed all her indomitable energy to her youngest daughter. The unfortunate woman, whom the physician of the English monarchs, Dr. Theodor Mayern, called crazy, set out to pass off her favorite as Louis XIV. From the age of eleven, Henrietta Anna began to be taken out into the world, where, however, the fragile, sickly girl could not attract the attention of her august cousin. Louis dismissively called the Englishwoman "holy innocence" and "holy relics", alluding to her thinness. Anna of Austria and Mazarin were not enthusiastic about marrying her either: Charles II was still a king without a crown, Cromwell's power seemed unshakable, and therefore the marriage of one of the most influential monarchs in Europe with Henrietta Stuart looked completely unpromising.

Everything changed in 1660 when Charles was invited to England by Parliament. A decision was immediately made to marry the princess with. After a short visit to England, Henrietta returned to her second homeland, where on March 31, 1661, a wedding ceremony took place in the chapel of the Palais Royal, a gift from the king to her brother. According to the duke himself, he "loved Madame exactly two weeks after the wedding." Known for his homosexual inclinations, Philip soon lost interest in his wife, although he performed marital duties with surprising regularity for such a case: the couple had four children (Marie Louise (1662-1689), Philippe-Charles, Duke of Chartres (1664-1666) , daughter (1665), Anna-Maria (1669-1728)), not counting the four miscarriages of Henrietta (1663, 1666, 1667, 1668).

At the same time, Louis XIV suddenly discovered many virtues in "holy innocence": married by that time to Infante Maria Theresa, he began to openly court a relative who became the "amusement minister" at the court of the young monarch. Walks, picnics, balls, receptions, etc. - all this was invented by him together with the Duchess of Orleans. Cheerful, lively, witty, she became the soul of society. Philip, stung by the closeness of his brother and wife (most likely, remaining at the level of platonic love), complained to his mother about the inappropriate behavior of his relatives who were too keen on each other. This was followed by a story that was repeatedly written out in fiction, incl. and the great Alexandre Dumas: young people decided to behave more prudently, covering up their relationship with the alleged love of the Sun King in one of the duchess's ladies-in-waiting, the modest Louise de La Vallière. The one that was predicted for the role of a "screen" suddenly won the heart of Louis for everyone, who made her his favorite.

According to Madame de Lafayette, who wrote The History of Henriette of England, Henriette was upset by this turn of events, but soon Count Armand de Guiche, who had previously been the favorite favorite of the Duke of Orleans, appeared among her admirers. All sorts of rumors circulated about this couple and, of course, one of the reasons for their appearance was the count's overly ardent behavior. Many modern historians are inclined to believe that the princess herself did not allow herself to neglect marital fidelity, although she could not do anything about her innate penchant for coquetry. Marshal de Grammont, Guiche's father, was forced to make every effort to send his son to the army so that he would not do more stupid things. However, these measures had little effect on the lover, who continued to secretly run into Paris to see the lady of the heart.

A lot of trouble Henrietta brought other favorites of her husband, because of the defiant behavior of which the Palais Royal and Saint Cloud, the country residence of the Dukes of Orleans, were often shaken by scandals. The enmity of the princess with, in which Philip did not cherish the soul, was especially fierce. Having become a knight of the Order of Malta at the insistence of his family, the young man led a lifestyle far from corresponding to the ideal of a warrior monk. Numerous precious gifts poured out on this brether and heartthrob from the bounty of the only brother of the king, but this was not enough. Wishing to become a secular abbot of one of the richest abbeys (i.e., to enjoy benefices, but not to perform any priestly duties), he was suddenly refused. Philip of Orleans immediately rushed to his wife with a request to influence the decision of the king who favored her. Henrietta, having suffered enough from the insolence of the favorite, refused. Moreover, Louis XIV ordered the Chevalier to be arrested, after which he was sent to Italy. Philip defiantly left the court, forcing the duchess to follow him to Villa Cotret. According to her letters, the duke repeatedly engaged in assault, demanding that she return his beloved Lorrain. The king refused again and again.

Apparently, the last years of Henrietta's life were far from the carelessness of her brilliant youth: the death of children, deteriorating health, very bad relations with her husband, and also the death of Henrietta Maria (1669), to which Minette, as she was called in the family, was very tied.

In 1670, Louis decided to conclude an agreement with Charles II in order to secure himself against Holland, Sweden and Spain. The difficult political situation in Foggy Albion made it difficult to conclude an Anglo-French alliance at the official level. As a result, in June, a secret agreement was signed at Dover, according to which England was obliged to enter the war on the side of France, in exchange for a solid financial allowance, which Charles Stuart so badly needed, who did not want to constantly depend on the favors of Parliament. The negotiations took place with the direct participation of the Duchess of Orleans, chosen by Louis XIV because of her especially warm relationship with her brother.

Two weeks after returning to France, Henrietta suddenly felt a sharp pain in her stomach. After suffering for less than a day, she died in Saint-Cloud on June 30, telling Philip before her death that he "had hated her in vain, since she never cheated on him." Her sudden death caused many rumors, the essence of which boiled down to one thing: the duchess was poisoned. The villains were immediately "revealed" - the Chevalier de Lorrain and the Marquis d "Effia, who acted on the orders of the first, while having fun in Rome in the company of Maria Mancini, the king's first lover. However, the autopsy was carried out on the orders of Louis XIV, who was very upset by the death of his cousin , showed that the woman died of peritonitis caused by a perforating ulcer.Charles II, however, continued to believe that his beloved sister was poisoned with the tacit assistance of Philip of Orleans.

The latter did not stay long as a widower, a year after the funeral of his first wife (the funeral service was conducted by one of the best preachers of that time, Jacques Benigne Bossuet), married to Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate.

Henrietta's eldest daughter, Maria Luisa, was married to Charles II of Spain. Like her mother, she lived only 26 years and, according to rumors, was poisoned by opponents of the French party at the Madrid court. Anna Maria became the wife of Victor Amadeus II, Duke of Savoy and the first king of Sardinia. Two centuries later, their descendant, Victor Emmanuel, was proclaimed king of a united Italy. Anna Maria's daughter, Adelaide, who inherited her grandmother's charm and cheerfulness, married the grandson of Louis XIV, Duke of Burgundy, becoming the mother of the future Louis XV.

Daughter of Charles I and Queen Henrietta, who became the wife of King Louis XIV's brother Philip.

Portrait of Pierre Mignard

“In this carriage, a beautiful young princess sat, under a canopy of embroidered silk, bordered with feathers, as if on a throne; pink highlights fell on her radiant face, gently playing on her mother-of-pearl matte skin.”

” The Duke of Orleans was afraid of de Lorrain's caustic remarks when the mockery of the favorite was especially played out.
He ended this conversation.
“The princess is not bad-looking,” he remarked casually, as if it were a question of a woman he did not know.
"Yes," de Lorrain replied in the same tone.
- You said that "yes" just like "no". And I find that she has very beautiful black eyes.
- Small ones.
- That's right, not particularly big. She has a beautiful figure.
- Well, the figure is not brilliant, your highness.
- Perhaps. But she has a noble posture.
- Yes, but too thin face.
- Looks like amazing teeth.
- They are easy to see. Thank God the mouth is big enough. Positively, your highness, I was wrong: you are more beautiful than your wife.”

Maria Mancini

Niece of Cardinal Mazarin, with whom the young King Louis was madly in love.

“Indeed, two ladies were sitting in the carriage: one was a wonderful beauty, although somewhat thin; the other is less beautiful, but extremely lively and graceful. The slight wrinkles on her forehead indicated her strong will. The penetrating look of her lively eyes was more eloquent than all the kind words generally accepted in those days.
D "Artagnan turned to the second, and was not mistaken, although the first, as we said, was much more beautiful."