Misplaced Pages

Marie Angélique de Scorailles: Difference between revisions

Article snapshot taken from Wikipedia with creative commons attribution-sharealike license. Give it a read and then ask your questions in the chat. We can research this topic together.
Browse history interactively← Previous editContent deleted Content addedVisualWikitext
Revision as of 07:55, 9 November 2011 editCaptain Abu Raed (talk | contribs)65 edits →Mistress to a king, untimely death: copyedit← Previous edit Latest revision as of 04:39, 10 November 2024 edit undo2.39.14.246 (talk)No edit summaryTags: Mobile edit Mobile web edit 
(107 intermediate revisions by 64 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|Mistress of Louis XIV (1661–1681)}}
{{multiple issues|copyedit=May 2011|unreferenced=May 2011}}
{{Infobox nobility {{Infobox nobility
| name =Marie Angélique de Scorailles | name = Marie Angélique de Scorailles
| title=Duchess of Fontanges | title = Duchess of Fontanges
| image = Château de Bussy-Rabutin - Marie-Anglique de Scorailles de Roussille, duchesse de Fontanges (bgw19 0359) (cropped).jpg
| image=Duchess-Fontages.jpg
| full name=Marie Angélique de Scorailles | full name = Marie Angélique de Scorailles de Roussille
| birth_date =1661 | birth_date = {{Birth date|1661|7|27}}
| birth_place =], ] | birth_place = ], ], ]
| death_date =28 June 1681 | death_date = {{Death date and age|1681|6|27|1661|7|27|df=yes}}
| death_place =], France | death_place = ], France
| occupation = ] to ]|known_for=Mistress of ]}}
}}


'''Marie Angélique de Scorailles''' (1661 – 28 June 1681) was a French noblewoman and one of the many ] of ]. A ] to his ] the ], she caught the attention of the Sun King and became his lover in 1679. She died as a result of childbirth. '''Marie Angélique de Scorailles, Duchess of Fontanges''' ({{IPA|fr|maʁi ɑ̃ʒelik də skɔʁaj|-|LL-Q150 (fra)-Exilexi-Marie Angélique de Scorailles.wav}}; July 1661 – 28 June 1681) was a French noblewoman and ] of ]. Additionally she held the position of a ] to his sister-in-law ], the ]. Marie caught the attention of the Sun King and began an affair with him in 1679. She died two years later, most probably as a result of complications arising from childbirth.


== Mistress to a king, untimely death == ==Royal Mistress==
Marie Angélique de Scorailles was born in 1661 at the ] in Upper Auvergne.<ref name="rouge">{{cite book|url=https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=uc1.32106000340726&view=1up&seq=277|title=The Favourites of Louis XIV|author=Le Petit Homme Rouge|publisher=Chatto & Windus|year=1912|location=London|pages=249–252|author-link=Ernest Alfred Vizetelly}}</ref> She came from a very old aristocratic family; her father was the Comte de Rousaille, and the King's Lieutenant.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=-CD7CBji2i8C&q=Marie+angelique+duchesse+de+fontanges|title=Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King|last=Fraser|first=Antonia|publisher=Hachette|year=2008|isbn=9780297857921|language=en|chapter=Chapter 8 A Singular Position}}</ref> Her family eventually came to realization that her beauty was a great asset and raised enough money to send her to court, with the aim of restoring the family fortunes.<ref name=" Hilton, Lisa 2002">Hilton, Lisa (2002).''Athénaïs: the life of Louis XIV's mistress, the real queen of France'' footnote 14, 15, 16, 17</ref> Marie arrived at the court of Louis XIV in 1678 and became maid of honor to the ].<ref>{{cite book|last=Somerset|first=Anne|title=The Affair of the Poisons: Murder, Infanticide, and Satanism at the Court of Louis XIV|year=2004|publisher=St. Martin's Press|location=Principal Characters of the Affairs of the Poisons|isbn=0312330170|page=xiv|url=https://archive.org/details/affairofpoisonsm00some_0 |url-access=registration}}</ref> At the time Louis XIV had appeared to be losing interest in his longtime established mistress ] and turning to the governess of their children, ]. Infatuated by the beauty of the young girl, the king suddenly abandoned both women,<ref name="Hilton, Lisa 2002"/> and the stand-off between the two was suddenly eclipsed by a new passion which appeared to threaten them both equally.<ref name="Hilton, Lisa 2002" />


Despite her physical charms, Marie Angélique was said by the court to be "as stupid as a basket." The Duchess of Orleans wrote " a stupid little creature, but she a very good heart"<ref name=":1">{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Gkt8DAAAQBAJ|title=City of Light, City of Poison: Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of Paris|last=Tucker|first=Holly|date=2017|publisher=W. W. Norton & Company|isbn=9780393248845|pages=153–154|language=en}}</ref> but described her as "lovely as an angel, from head to foot".<ref>{{Cite book|url=http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/43238|title=Princes and Poisoners: Studies of the Court of Louis XIV|last=Funck-Brentano|first=Frantz|publisher=Duckworth & Co|year=1901|location=London|language=en|translator-last=Maidment|translator-first=George|chapter=II. Madame de Montespan}}</ref>
Marie Angélique de Scorailles was born in ] in July 1661. Having noticed her great beauty, a cousin was responsible for bringing her to the court of Louis XIV in 1678 as maid of honor of the ], sister of the king. Louis XIV was, at this time, torn between the ] and ]. Athénaïs de Montespan saw Marie Angélique as a way of reclaiming her royal lover - seduced by the beauty of the young girl, the King would then abandon the Marquise de Maintenon. Knowing that despite her physical charm, Marie Angélique was, according to the ], "stupid as a basket", Athénaïs was sure that Louis XIV would then return to her. The arrangements were quickly made, and, a few weeks after the presentation of the young girl, the king made her his new ] and presented entertainments in her honour.


Louis XIV, however, suddenly felt young again. He wore diamonds, ribbons and feathers,<ref name="rouge" /><ref name="Hilton, Lisa 2002" /> and presented her with a pearl grey carriage with eight horses.<ref name=":1" />
Louis showed his great affection for Marie Angélique by wearing ribbons often matched to hers. This flattery spoiled her, and she began to believe herself ]; she passed ] without greeting, and treated Athénaïs de Montespan ignominiously. The king gave her one hundred thousand crowns a month, twice as gifts, but he could not exhaust her extravagance, her ] was being driven by eight ]s, it seemed to "eat her reign at a time." For Fontanges, Louis XIV had become young, wearing diamonds, ribbons and feathers. Every day a new party, hunts, ], ] -- never had luxury been pushed so far.


During a hunt in the ], her hair clung to a branch and she appeared before the king with her hair loosely tied in a ribbon, tumbling in curls to her shoulders. The king found this rustic style delightful, and the next day many courtiers adopted the new "]" hairstyle,<ref name="Hilton, Lisa 2002" /> except the Marquise de Montespan, who thought it was in "bad taste". Two pet bears belonging to Montespan escaped from their menagerie and managed to find, and destroy, Marie's apartment in ]. This event made both women comical at court.<ref name="Hilton, Lisa 2002" />
Soon, it appeared that she was pregnant, causing the wrath of Madame de Montespan, who did not think the king so enamoured of his young conquest. She then said to the ] "the king has three pillars: my name, this girl and your heart." Marie-Angélique soon created the famous fashion of Fontanges: during a ride in the forest of ], her hair clinging to a branch and she appears before the king dishevelled, which Louis found charming. The next day, all the courtiers adopted this hairstyle, except the Marquise de Montespan, who thought it in "bad taste".


Soon it appeared she was pregnant, further angering Montespan, who had thought their affair was a passing fancy, easily controlled and easily disposed of. She said to the ] that the king had three mistresses: herself in name, this girl in bed and Maintenon in his heart.<ref name="Hilton, Lisa 2002" />
In December 1679, Marie Angélique gave birth ] to a son who died at birth. She was then said to have been "wounded in the service." In 1680, the favour of Marie Angélique declined, after the king bestowed on her the title of Duchess of Fontanges. Still sick (suffering from serious blood loss) since the birth, she retired to the ], and did not reappear before the court. While the Duchess remained in the Abbey of Chelles, her doctor prescribed mineral water, six vials of which were dispensed each evening. These bottles were filled with poison, with the identity of the attempted poisoner unknown. In late 1680, Madame de Montespan brought two tame bears after the king offered to permit sack the sumptuous apartment of Mademoiselle de Fontanges in ]. The event made Marie Angélique the laughingstock of the whole court.


In January 1680,<ref>]: ''Louis XIV'', éd. Pygmalion, 2006, ''collection Les Rois qui ont fait la France'', pp. 186–187.</ref> Marie gave premature birth to a stillborn boy, and was said to have been "wounded in the service of the King." In April, Louis granted her the title Duchess of Fontanges and a pension of 80,000 ],<ref name="Hilton, Lisa 2002"/> as was his usual habit on ending love affairs.<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=97tE0zaZStsC&q=filastre|title=Strange Revelations: Magic, Poison, and Sacrilege in Louis XIV's France|last=Mollenauer|first=Lynn Wood|publisher=Penn State Press|year=2007|isbn=9780271029153|pages=48|language=en}}</ref> Unwell after the birth, she retired to the ].
In 1681, Marie Angélique suffered a high fever and was sent to the ]. According to some sources, Marie Angélique gave birth prematurely to a ] girl in March. The poor girl did not long survive her retirement. One day the court learned that Mademoiselle Fontanges was going to die and had asked for the king. Louis XIV surrendered to the wishes of the patient, and seemed touched by the suffering of the poor girl, and wept. "I thank your majesty," murmured Fontanges, I'm happy because in my death bed I saw my king cry." The Duchess died on the night of 27 to 28 June 1681.


==Death==
⚫ == Dead by poisoning? ==
In 1681, Marie suffered a high fever and was sent to the ], where, according to some sources, she gave birth prematurely to a ] girl in March.<ref name="Hilton, Lisa 2002"/> Realising she was going to die, she asked to see the king, who, touched by her suffering, wept while at her deathbed. Fontanges is reported to have said, "having seen tears in the eyes of my King, I can die happy".<ref name="rouge" /> This story was deemed untrue by many at ] because according to them, the king had, in fact, already forgotten her. The duchess died on the night of 28 June 1681. She was not yet 20 years old.<ref>{{cite book|last=Herman|first=Eleanor|title=Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge|year=2005|publisher=Harpercollins|location=Death Takes a Mistress|isbn=978-0060585433|page=|url=https://archive.org/details/sexwithkings500y00herm/page/215}}</ref>


Louis XIV expressed the wish that there be no ], however, at the request of her family, one was performed. The doctors found that her lungs were in appalling condition (with the right one in particular being full of "purulent matter") while her chest was flooded with fluid.<ref name=":0">{{cite book|url=https://archive.org/details/affairofpoisonsm00some_0|url-access=registration|title=The Affair of the Poisons: Murder, Infanticide, and Satanism at the Court of Louis XIV|last=Somerset|first=Anne|publisher=St. Martin's Press; 1st edition|year=2004|isbn=0312330170|location=Chapter 10- The End of the Affair|pages=-292}}</ref> All six doctors concurred that death was due to natural causes.<ref name=":1" />
Marie Angélique died in full ''Affaire des Poisons'' (Case of Poisons), and poisoning is evoked to explain the early death of the young duchess. During the interrogation of witches and wizards, some of them mention the name of Mademoiselle de Fontanges, referring to a plot to poison the young woman. Thus, Marie-Marguerite Monvoisin, daughter of the sorceress ], accused accomplices of his late mother, having planned the poisoning of the Duchess of Fontanges. A man named Romani and Bertrand were some of those arrested in 1680. The first was accused of trying to sell poisonous stuffs to Miss Fontanges; the second of attempting to deliver to her gloves impregnated with poison. Defendants pronounce the name of Miss Carnation, lady's maid to the Marquise de Montespan. However, be aware that prisoners were able to communicate them in prison and at first seen, they agreed to say the more often the names of Madame de Montespan and Miss Fontanges hoping to not having to undergo the ordeal of ]. Their testimonies can be fabricated. It also appears that Frances Filastre, poisoner and abortionist, sought to enter the service of Marie Angélique de Fontanges. When asked, the Filastre denies attempt on the life of the young Duchess: all she wanted was to enter as a domestic service to provide for his family. Under torture, she admits, however, have acted on behalf of Madame de Montespan: Marquise wished the death of his young rival and regain the love of the king. And yet, before being executed, the poisoner returns to his statements: "All I said is false. I did that for me free of pain and torment of pain and fear that I rappliquât question{{clarify|date=May 2011|post-text=what does this mean?}}. I say all this because I do not want to kill the guilty conscience of a lie." Clearly, the Marquise de Montespan has never sought to poison Miss Fontanges. Moreover, all attempts at poisoning failed. If Madame de Montespan had been involved in these conspiracies, it would have been easy to penetrate the poisoners in the yard. In 1680, it is clear that although Marie Angélique escaped an attempted poisoning: when she was sick at the Abbey of Chelles, her doctor prescribed mineral water which is made the same evening at six vials. Marie Angélique eatetk{{clarify|date=May 2011|post-text=what does this word mean?}} fortunately not for tomorrow, we see that the bottles are filled with poison. We do not know who was the author of this attempted poisoning.


⚫ ===Possible death by poisoning===
When he learned the death of the Duchess, Louis XIV asked that there be no autopsy. This request of the monarch did amplify the doubts of poisoning. At the request of the family of the deceased, the autopsy still occurred. Without really means medical doctors diagnose TB with "rot total lung lobes rights" and "water in the membrane surrounding the heart which results in increasing the volume of the liver, that the called fatty liver." Thus, we are given is the cause of death of the duchess but do not in any way connected with the blood loss which she suffered for months from 1680. And for good reason, although doctors try to see clearly at the time, they were quickly discouraged.
]
As Marie Angélique died during the ] in France, poisoning was suspected.<ref name=rouge/> During interrogations, some of the accused had mentioned the name of Fontanges, and several other women of the court in connection to various schemes and plots. ], the daughter of sorceress ] was the first to accuse accomplices of her late mother of poisoning the duchess. Monvoisin's lovers, Bertrand and ], were arrested in 1681 as suspects. Bertrand was accused of selling poisonous stuffs to Fontanges; while Romani was accused of delivering her gloves contaminated with poison.


], a servant in the household of Fontanges was arrested, and when asked about what she knew about the duchess's death, under torture claimed that Montespan had hired her to murder Fontanges,<ref name=rouge/> so she could regain the love of the king. Before being executed, Filastre later recanted : "All I said is false. I did that for me to be free of pain and torment. I say all this because I do not want to kill the guilty conscience of a lie." Although rumours of poisoning abounded, dubious evidence from various unreliable witnesses who either recanted or contradicted each other meant no charges were ever laid.
They had in mind to explain these losses simply by a missed ]. So the doctors thought that the young mistress of Louis XIV was guilty of the crime of infanticide and abortion. This makes no sense because all the king's mistresses (and Marie Angélique was no exception) wanted more than anything to give children the King to consolidate their place at court. It was not until the late twentieth century that a medical specialist, Professor of Gynecology Yves Malinas, conducted a study of the autopsy. According to him, Marie Angélique died of cancer of the fetal membrane. After childbirth, a piece of ] remained in the body of the Duchess and would have caused the loss of blood. However, the Duchess of Fontanges gave birth to a son in late December 1679.


===Aftermath===
Although it shows signs of weakness due to her confinement, she did not have the least glorious day of the year 1680. At that time, his losses have not yet begun. These signs of weakness, therefore only prove that the Duchess resents pregnancies, in contrast to the Marquise de Montespan. Blood loss to begin mid-1680. Madame de Caylus wrote about Miss Fontanges "this girl was killed for trying to Fontainebleau from 13 May (1680), the same day that though the king was in labor and give birth. It was from still languishing." According to Ernest Lavisse and Bernard Christmas "Two miscarriages caused her to lose favor with the king." Can we really speak of miscarriage for the first pregnancy in 1679, as Marie Angélique is good to a son (born prematurely and who does not live) in December? Although the child of Marie Angélique, born prematurely, died a natural death, Princess Palatine, who does not like Madame de Montespan, wrote that he was probably poisoned by the Marquise! Yves Malinas, these losses of blood flow of a second miscarriage (or confinement) which, logically, takes place in 1680 when the bleeding starts. This may challenge some sources speaking of a child (usually a girl) stillborn in March 1681 because at that time, their losses, which last for months, the Duchess of Fontanges can hardly be pregnant again especially if a piece of placenta is still in it.
Historian ] suggests that Marie Angélique died from pleuro-pneumonia induced by ].<ref name=":2" /> As she was known to have suffered from a persistent loss of blood after her miscarriage, another doctor{{Who|date=May 2021}} suggested that when she lost her baby, a fragment of the ] lodged in her uterus.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} An alternative suggestion is that she was killed by a rare form of ], which occasionally develops after a cyst on the placenta is expelled during pregnancy.{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} The probability is that she died from complications arising from her earlier miscarriage.<ref name=":0" />{{POV statement|date=May 2021}}


At court, several courtiers wrote about the duchess's death. According to ] and ], "Two miscarriages caused her to lose favor with the king."{{Citation needed|date=May 2021}} The Duchess of Orleans claimed that it was certain the duchess was poisoned by Madame de Montespan, and suspected that the poison was administered in her milk.<ref name="rouge" /> Despite the medical findings, rumours persisted that the Duchess of Fontanges died from poisoning.<ref name=":0" />
Legend has it that in 1695, the ghost of Marie Angélique appeared to the king when he came to bed. The Duchess then asked him to dispose of the Marquise de Maintenon would have recalled that when she was still alive, he had vowed repeatedly that she was the woman he loved best and today she was very sorry to see that he had forgotten so quickly in the arms of another. The Duchess told him that the return of Madame de Maintenon was the only solution to ease his future punishment in purgatory for this was that it was and that the king would be after death. She also reportedly told Louis XIV that his years of rule were numbered and that soon he would join her, she was waiting. She finally confessed that it was Madame de Montespan, who had been poisoned and begged Louis to abandon for good Madame de Maintenon and look only to God. It is true that the Marquise de Montespan was accused of the death of the Duchess of Fontanges: it would have killed Maria Angelica by administering a poison to be delayed, which would explain the sudden flow of blood began in 1680. For eleven months, Athenais de Montespan would slowly passing away and her rival. Before dying, the Duchess of Fontanges had indeed been responsible for his death deprived the favorite and the Princess Palatine wrote about that "it is certain that the Fontanges died poisoned. A servant that had won Montespan was destroyed with milk." Although science innocent of this crime the marquise, for some, the death of Miss Fontanges still does not appear to be natural.

===In film===
*''L'Affaire des poisons'' (1955) played by ]
*'']'' (1954) played by ]


==See also== ==See also==
{{Portal|Kingdom of France}} {{Portal|Biography}}
* ] * ]
* ] * ]

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}


==External links== ==External links==
⚫ {{Commons category|Marie Angélique de Scorailles}}
* *
⚫ * {{Cite NIE|wstitle=Fontanges, Marie Angélique de Scoraille de Roussille, Duchesse de|short=x}}
{{Authority control}}


{{Persondata <!-- Metadata: see ]. -->
| NAME = Scorailles, Marie Angelique De
| ALTERNATIVE NAMES =
| SHORT DESCRIPTION =
| DATE OF BIRTH = 1661
| PLACE OF BIRTH = ], ]
| DATE OF DEATH = 28 June 1681
| PLACE OF DEATH = ], France
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scorailles, Marie Angelique De}} {{DEFAULTSORT:Scorailles, Marie Angelique De}}
] ]
]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
] ]
]

]
]
]
⚫ ]
]
⚫ ]
]
]
]
]
]
]

Latest revision as of 04:39, 10 November 2024

Mistress of Louis XIV (1661–1681)
Marie Angélique de Scorailles
Duchess of Fontanges
Full nameMarie Angélique de Scorailles de Roussille
Known forMistress of Louis XIV
Born(1661-07-27)July 27, 1661
Château de Cropières, Auvergne, France
Died27 June 1681(1681-06-27) (aged 19)
Abbaye de Port Royal, France
OccupationLady-in-waiting to Elizabeth Charlotte, Madame Palatine

Marie Angélique de Scorailles, Duchess of Fontanges (French pronunciation: [maʁi ɑ̃ʒelik də skɔʁaj] ; July 1661 – 28 June 1681) was a French noblewoman and mistress of Louis XIV. Additionally she held the position of a lady-in-waiting to his sister-in-law Elizabeth Charlotte, Madame Palatine, the Duchess of Orléans. Marie caught the attention of the Sun King and began an affair with him in 1679. She died two years later, most probably as a result of complications arising from childbirth.

Royal Mistress

Marie Angélique de Scorailles was born in 1661 at the Château de Cropières in Upper Auvergne. She came from a very old aristocratic family; her father was the Comte de Rousaille, and the King's Lieutenant. Her family eventually came to realization that her beauty was a great asset and raised enough money to send her to court, with the aim of restoring the family fortunes. Marie arrived at the court of Louis XIV in 1678 and became maid of honor to the Duchess of Orléans. At the time Louis XIV had appeared to be losing interest in his longtime established mistress Marquise de Montespan and turning to the governess of their children, Madame de Maintenon. Infatuated by the beauty of the young girl, the king suddenly abandoned both women, and the stand-off between the two was suddenly eclipsed by a new passion which appeared to threaten them both equally.

Despite her physical charms, Marie Angélique was said by the court to be "as stupid as a basket." The Duchess of Orleans wrote " a stupid little creature, but she a very good heart" but described her as "lovely as an angel, from head to foot".

Louis XIV, however, suddenly felt young again. He wore diamonds, ribbons and feathers, and presented her with a pearl grey carriage with eight horses.

During a hunt in the forest of Fontainebleau, her hair clung to a branch and she appeared before the king with her hair loosely tied in a ribbon, tumbling in curls to her shoulders. The king found this rustic style delightful, and the next day many courtiers adopted the new "fontange" hairstyle, except the Marquise de Montespan, who thought it was in "bad taste". Two pet bears belonging to Montespan escaped from their menagerie and managed to find, and destroy, Marie's apartment in Versailles. This event made both women comical at court.

Soon it appeared she was pregnant, further angering Montespan, who had thought their affair was a passing fancy, easily controlled and easily disposed of. She said to the Marquise de Maintenon that the king had three mistresses: herself in name, this girl in bed and Maintenon in his heart.

In January 1680, Marie gave premature birth to a stillborn boy, and was said to have been "wounded in the service of the King." In April, Louis granted her the title Duchess of Fontanges and a pension of 80,000 livres, as was his usual habit on ending love affairs. Unwell after the birth, she retired to the Abbey of Chelles.

Death

In 1681, Marie suffered a high fever and was sent to the Abbey of Port-Royal, where, according to some sources, she gave birth prematurely to a stillborn girl in March. Realising she was going to die, she asked to see the king, who, touched by her suffering, wept while at her deathbed. Fontanges is reported to have said, "having seen tears in the eyes of my King, I can die happy". This story was deemed untrue by many at Versailles because according to them, the king had, in fact, already forgotten her. The duchess died on the night of 28 June 1681. She was not yet 20 years old.

Louis XIV expressed the wish that there be no autopsy, however, at the request of her family, one was performed. The doctors found that her lungs were in appalling condition (with the right one in particular being full of "purulent matter") while her chest was flooded with fluid. All six doctors concurred that death was due to natural causes.

Possible death by poisoning

La duchesse de Fontanges

As Marie Angélique died during the Affair of the Poisons in France, poisoning was suspected. During interrogations, some of the accused had mentioned the name of Fontanges, and several other women of the court in connection to various schemes and plots. Marguerite Monvoisin, the daughter of sorceress La Voisin was the first to accuse accomplices of her late mother of poisoning the duchess. Monvoisin's lovers, Bertrand and Romani, were arrested in 1681 as suspects. Bertrand was accused of selling poisonous stuffs to Fontanges; while Romani was accused of delivering her gloves contaminated with poison.

Françoise Filastre, a servant in the household of Fontanges was arrested, and when asked about what she knew about the duchess's death, under torture claimed that Montespan had hired her to murder Fontanges, so she could regain the love of the king. Before being executed, Filastre later recanted : "All I said is false. I did that for me to be free of pain and torment. I say all this because I do not want to kill the guilty conscience of a lie." Although rumours of poisoning abounded, dubious evidence from various unreliable witnesses who either recanted or contradicted each other meant no charges were ever laid.

Aftermath

Historian Antonia Fraser suggests that Marie Angélique died from pleuro-pneumonia induced by tuberculosis. As she was known to have suffered from a persistent loss of blood after her miscarriage, another doctor suggested that when she lost her baby, a fragment of the placenta lodged in her uterus. An alternative suggestion is that she was killed by a rare form of cancer, which occasionally develops after a cyst on the placenta is expelled during pregnancy. The probability is that she died from complications arising from her earlier miscarriage.

At court, several courtiers wrote about the duchess's death. According to Ernest Lavisse and Bernard Noël, "Two miscarriages caused her to lose favor with the king." The Duchess of Orleans claimed that it was certain the duchess was poisoned by Madame de Montespan, and suspected that the poison was administered in her milk. Despite the medical findings, rumours persisted that the Duchess of Fontanges died from poisoning.

In film

See also

References

  1. ^ Le Petit Homme Rouge (1912). The Favourites of Louis XIV. London: Chatto & Windus. pp. 249–252.
  2. ^ Fraser, Antonia (2008). "Chapter 8 A Singular Position". Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King. Hachette. ISBN 9780297857921.
  3. ^ Hilton, Lisa (2002).Athénaïs: the life of Louis XIV's mistress, the real queen of France footnote 14, 15, 16, 17
  4. Somerset, Anne (2004). The Affair of the Poisons: Murder, Infanticide, and Satanism at the Court of Louis XIV. Principal Characters of the Affairs of the Poisons: St. Martin's Press. p. xiv. ISBN 0312330170.
  5. ^ Tucker, Holly (2017). City of Light, City of Poison: Murder, Magic, and the First Police Chief of Paris. W. W. Norton & Company. pp. 153–154. ISBN 9780393248845.
  6. Funck-Brentano, Frantz (1901). "II. Madame de Montespan". Princes and Poisoners: Studies of the Court of Louis XIV. Translated by Maidment, George. London: Duckworth & Co.
  7. Georges Bordonove: Louis XIV, éd. Pygmalion, 2006, collection Les Rois qui ont fait la France, pp. 186–187.
  8. Mollenauer, Lynn Wood (2007). Strange Revelations: Magic, Poison, and Sacrilege in Louis XIV's France. Penn State Press. p. 48. ISBN 9780271029153.
  9. Herman, Eleanor (2005). Sex with Kings: 500 Years of Adultery, Power, Rivalry, and Revenge. Death Takes a Mistress: Harpercollins. p. 215. ISBN 978-0060585433.
  10. ^ Somerset, Anne (2004). The Affair of the Poisons: Murder, Infanticide, and Satanism at the Court of Louis XIV. Chapter 10- The End of the Affair: St. Martin's Press; 1st edition. pp. 291-292. ISBN 0312330170.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location (link)

External links

Categories: