List of French royal mistresses

Agnès Sorel Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan Madame de Pompadour Madame du Barry became a Maîtresse-en-titre despite her "low birth", which was considered scandalous.

This article contains a listing of notable French royal mistresses.

## Chlothar I

[edit]

* Waldrada, Princess of the Lombards
* Arnegundis

## Charibert I

[edit]

* Merofleda
* Clothilde
* Marcovefa
* Theogilda

## Chilperic I

[edit]

* Fredgunde d'Ardennes (d. 597), mistress, then wife

## Dagobert I

[edit]

* Regintrude of Austrasia
* Berthilde

## Charlemagne

[edit]

* Gersuinda of the Saxons
* Amaltrud of Vienne
* Ethelind
* Sigrade
* Madelgard
* Regina
* Landrade des Herbages
* Adelindus

## Louis the Pious

[edit]

* Theodelinde of Sens

## Louis the Stammerer

[edit]

* Luitgrade of Saxony
* Adelheid of Paris

## Charles the Simple

[edit]

* Edgiva of Kent
* Frederuna von Ringleheim

## Philip I

[edit]

* Bertrade de Montfort (c. 1070 – c. 1116): marriage not recognised by the Church

## Louis VI

[edit]

* Marie de Breuillet (c. 1080 – 1119)

## Louis X

[edit]

* Unknown woman, with whom he had a daughter, Eudeline.[1]

## Philip VI

[edit]

* Béatrice de la Berruère (1294–1348)

## Charles V

[edit]

* Biette de Cassinel (c. 1340 – c. 1380)[a][b][4]
* Unknown, mother of Oudard d'Attainville (1360 – ?).[5]

## Charles VI

[edit]

* Odette de Champdivers (c. 1384 – 1424)[1]

## Charles VII

[edit]

* Agnès Sorel (c. 1422 – 1450)[6]
* Antoinette de Maignelais (c. 1430 – c. 1461)[7]

## Louis XI

[edit]

* Félize Régnard (c. 1425 – 1475)[8]
* Marguerite de Sassenage (c. 1424 – 1471)

## Francis I

[edit]

### Official mistresses (maîtresse-en-titre)

[edit]

* Françoise de Foix (1495–1537), countess of Châteaubriant
* Anne de Pisseleu d'Heilly (1508–1580), duchess of Étampes

### Unofficial mistresses (petite maîtresse)

[edit]

* Marie Gaudin (1490 or 1495–1580), dame de La Bourdaisière, she was an ancestor of Gabrielle d'Estrées
* La Belle Ferronnière (1500-1530)
* Claude de Rohan-Gyé (1519–1579), countess of Tonnerre and of Thoury
* La Châtelaine de Montfrault
* Jacquette de Lansac (1490–1532)

## Henry II

[edit]

### Official mistresses (maîtresse-en-titre)

[edit]

* Diane de Poitiers (1499–1566)

### Unofficial mistresses (petite maîtresse)

[edit]

* Jane Fleming (or Jane Stewart) (c. 1508 – c. 1553)
* Filippa Duci (c. 1520 –?)
* Nicole de Savigny (1535–1590), baroness of Fontette

## Charles IX

[edit]

### Unofficial mistresses (petite maîtresse)

[edit]

* Marie Touchet (c. 1553 – 1638)

## Henry III

[edit]

### Unofficial mistresses (petite maîtresse)

[edit]

* Louise de La Béraudière du Rouhet (1530-1611)[9]
* Renée de Rieux de Châteauneuf[9]
* Veronica Franco (1546–1591)
* Marie of Cleves, Princess of Condé (1553-1574)[9]
* Jeanne de Laval, dame de Senneterre (1549–1586)[9]
* Françoise Babou de La Bourdaisière (1542-1592), mother of Gabrielle d'Estrées

## Henry IV

[edit]

Main article: Henry IV of France's wives and mistresses

This list includes historically recognised and popularly attributed mistresses:[10]

### Official mistresses (maîtresse-en-titre)

[edit]

* Gabrielle d'Estrées (c. 1571–1599), mistress 1591–1599
* Catherine Henriette de Balzac d'Entragues (1579–1633), marquise of Verneuil, mistress 1599–1609

### Unofficial mistresses (petite maîtresse)

[edit]

* Fleurette de Nérac,[11] vers 1571–1572, fille d’un jardinier de Nérac
* Charlotte de Sauve (c. 1551–1617), mistress in 1572.[12]
* Bretine de Duras, mistress 1573–1574
* Louise de la Béraudière, called « La belle Rouet », mistress in 1575, maid of honour of Queen Margaret
* Louise Borré, mistress 1575–1576, daughter of a royal notary. She gave him a son, Hervé (1576–1643)[13]
* Jeanne de Tignonville, mistress 1577–1578
* Victoire de Ayala, mistress in 1578, maid of honour of Catherine de' Medici
* Mlle Rebours, mistress in 1579, maid of honour of Queen Margaret
* Mlle de Montagu, mistress in 1579
* Mme d’Allous, mistress in 1579
* Aimée Le Grand, mistress in 1579
* Arnaudine, mistress in 1579
* La garce de Goliath », mistress in 1579
* Catherine de Luc, mistress in 1579. She died of hunger when Henry abandoned her, leaving behind their child.[14]
* Anne de Cambefort, mistress in 1579. She committed suicide by jumping out of a window after Henry left her[14]
* Françoise de Montmorency (1566–6 December 1641), mistress 1579–1581, maid of honour of Queen Margaret. She had one stillborn daughter with the king in 1581.
* Diane d'Andouins, called « la belle Corisande » (c. 1554 – c. 1584)
* Esther Imbert (or Ysambert), mistress 1587–1588. She had two sons with Henry.
* Martine, rochelaise, en 1587. She had one child with Henry.
* Antoinette de Pons (1570–1632), marquess of Guercheville
* Catherine de Verdun[15]
* Mme Quelin, mistress in 1598
* Isabelle Potier, mistress 1598–1599
* Mlle Clein, mistress in 1599
* La Glandée, mistress in 1599
* Marie-Françoise de La Bourdaisière, sister of Gabrielle d’Estrées, mistress in 1599
* Jacqueline de Bueil (c. 1580–1651)
* Charlotte des Essarts (c. 1580–1651), mistress 1607–1609
* Angélique Paulet, mistress in 1610

## Louis XIV

[edit]

### Official mistresses (maîtresse-en-titre)

[edit]

* 1661–1667: Louise de La Vallière (1644–1710), duchess of Vaujours
* 1667–1681: Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1640–1707), marquise of Montespan
* 1678–1681: Marie Angélique de Scoraille de Roussille (1661–1681), duchess of Fontanges
* 1683–1715: Françoise d'Aubigné (1635–1719), marquise of Maintenon. Not really a mistress but a secret morganatic wife

### Unofficial mistresses (petite maîtresse)

[edit]

* Catherine Bellier (1614–1689) baroness of Beauvais, between 1652–1654
* Olympe Mancini (1638–1708) in 1654–1657 and 1660-1661
* Anne-Madeleine de Conty d'Argencourt in 1658
* Marie Mancini (1639–1715) in 1658–1659; not a mistress but a platonic love
* Name unknown: a gardener's daughter who gave birth to a daughter in 1660
* Henrietta Anne of England (1644–1670) his sister-in-law, probably platonic, in 1660–1661
* Bonne de Pons d'Heudicourt (1641–1709) in 1665
* Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont (1639–1678) princess of Monaco in 1665
* Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart (1633–1693), marquise of Thianges; sister of madame de Montespan
* Anne de Rohan-Chabot (1648–1709), princess of Soubise, on-and-off in 1669–1675
* Claude de Vin des Œillets (c. 1637 – 1687) in 1670–1676
* Diane-Gabrielle de Damas de Thianges (1656-1715) in 1670–1673; daughter of madame de Thianges and niece of madame de Montespan
* Lydie de Rochefort-Théobon (1638-1708) in 1673–1677
* Isabelle de Ludres (1647–1722) in 1675–1678
* Marie-Charlotte de Castelnau, comtesse de Louvigny et duchesse de Gramont (c. 1648 – 1694) in 1676–1677
* Marie-Madeleine Agnès de Gontaut Biron, marquise de Nogaret (1653–1724) in 1680–1683
* Louise-Elisabeth Rouxel dite Mme de Grancey (1653–1711) in 1681
* Jeanne de Rouvroy, marquise de Chevrières (1650–1689) in 1681
* Françoise Thérèse de Voyer de Dorée, Mlle d’Oré, in 1681
* Marie-Antoinette de Rouvroy, comtesse d’Oisy (1660–1721) in 1681
* Marie-Rosalie de Piennes, future marquise de Châtillon (1665–1735) in 1681
* Mme de Saint-Martin in 1682
* Marie-Louise de Montmorency-Laval, duchesse de Roquelaure (1657–1735) in 1683
* Julie de Guenami, dite Mlle de Châteaubriant (1668–1710) in 1683 (possibly only a rumour)

## Louis XV

[edit]

### Official mistresses (maîtresse-en-titre)

[edit]

* 1732–1742: Louise Julie, Comtesse de Mailly
* 1739–1741: Pauline-Félicité de Mailly
* 1742–1745: Diane-Adélaïde de Mailly
* 1742–1744: Marie Anne de Mailly-Nesle
* 1745–1764: Madame de Pompadour
* 1769–1774: Madame du Barry

### Unofficial mistresses (petite maîtresse)

[edit]

After 1755, unofficial lovers of the king who did not belong to the nobility were often kept at the Parc-aux-Cerfs.[16]

* 1738: NN, a butcher's daughter in Versailles
* 1738: Thérèse-Eulalie de Beaupoil de Saint-Aulaire (1705–1739), marquise de Beuvron
* 1738: Marie-Anne de Vougny (1716–1783) Madame Amelot
* 1748: Anne-Marie de Montmorency-Luxembourg (1729–1760), princesse de Robecq.
* 1748: Marie-Anne-Françoise de Noailles, comtesse de La Marck (1719–1793).
* 1749: Elisabeth-Charlotte Huguet de Sémonville (1715–1784), comtesse d'Estrades.
* 1749: Marie-Françoise de Carbonnel de Canisy (1725–1796), marquise d’Antin puis comtesse de Forcalquier.
* 1750: Alexandrine Sublet d'Heudicourt, (1721–1800) marquise de Belsunce.
* 1750: Françoise de Chalus, duchesse de Narbonne-Lara, première femme de chambre de la duchesse de Parme (1734–1821).
* 1750–1750: Irène du Buisson de Longpré (d. 1767)
* 1750–1751: Marie Geneviève Radix de Sainte-Foy (1729–1809)
* 1752: Mlle Trusson, femme de chambre de la dauphine Marie-Josèphe de Saxe.
* 1752: Jeanne-Marguerite de Niquet (fl. 1732–1795) dite Mlle de Niquet.
* 1752: Mlle de Saint-André
* 1752–1755: Thérèse Guerbois
* 1752–1752: Charlotte Rosalie de Choiseul-Beaupré (1733–1753)
* 1752–1754: Marie-Louise O'Murphy (1737–1815)
* 1755–1755: Françoise de Chalus (1734–1821), duchess of Narbonne-Lara
* 1755–1757: Brigitte O'Murphy (1729–1793)
* 1755: Mlle Fouquet, daughter of a hairdresser
* 1755: Mlle Robert
* 1755–1759: Mlle David
* 1755–1759: Mlle Armory, « Mimi», daughter of a ballet dancer
* 1756: Gabrielle-Charlotte Françoise d‘Hénin-Liétard (1729–1809), vicomtesse de Cambis, née princesse de Chimay
* 1756: Dorothée, daughter of a water carrier in Strasbourg.
* 1756: Mlle Selin
* 1757–1757: Marie Anne de Coislin (1732–1817)
* 1758: Marie-Louise de Marny (fl. 1737 – fl. 1793), Madame de Giambone
* 1759: Marie-Madeleine Couppier de Romans, Madame Varnier
* 1759–1762: Marguerite-Catherine Haynault (1736–1823), marquise of Montmelas
* 1760–1763: Lucie Madeleine d'Estaing (1743–1826)
* 1760–1765: Anne Couppier de Romans (1737–1808), baroness of Meilly-Coulonge
* 1762–1765: Louise-Jeanne Tiercelin de La Colleterie (1746–1779), called Madame de Bonneval
* 1763–1765: Anne Thoinard de Jouy (1739–1825)
* 1763: Marie-Françoise-Marguerite de Talleyrand-Périgord (1727–1775), comtesse de Périgord
* 1764: Béatrix de Choiseul-Stainville, duchesse de Gramont (1730–1794)
* 1764: Louise Jeanne Marie de Courtarvel de Pezé (1733–1789), marquise de Dreux-Brézé
* 1763–1765: Anne Thoynard de Jouy, comtesse d’Esparbès de Lussan (1739–1825)
* 1765: Marie-Adélaïde de Bullioud (1743–1793), comtesse de Séran
* 1768–1768: Catherine Éléonore Bénard (1740–1769)
* 1768–1768: Marie Thérèse Françoise Boisselet (1731–1800)
* 1768: Jeanne-Marguerite Salvetat (1748–1838), actress
* 1771: "demoiselle de Smith"
* 1771: Madame Bèche, wife of a musician of the royal chapel
* 1771: Françoise-Marie-Antoinette de Saucerotte (1756–1815), Mademoiselle Raucourt, actress
* 1772: Madame d’Amerval
* 1773: Rose-Marie-Hélène de Tournon (1757–1782), vicomtesse du Barry
* 1774–1774: Albertine-Elisabeth Pater (1742–1817)
* Date unknown: Marthe-Antoinette Aubry de Vatan (1720 – after 1777)
* Date unknown: Mme de Grandis, Mme de Martinville, Mlle de Ville, courtesan
* Date unknown: Mme de Beaunier, Mlle de Malignan, Mme de Salis

## Napoleon I

[edit]

* 1806–1808: Eléonore Denuelle
* 1809–1810: Marie Walewska

## Louis XVIII

[edit]

### Official mistresses (maîtresse-en-titre)

[edit]

* Zoé Victoire Talon, comtesse du Cayla (1785-1852)

### Unofficial mistresses (petite maîtresse)

[edit]

* 1780–1791: Anne Jacobée Nompar

## Charles X

[edit]

* Rosalie Duthé (1748-1830); equally mistress of Philippe Égalité
* Louise d'Esparbès de Lussan (1764-1804)
* Aglaé de Polignac (1768-1803)

## Napoleon III

[edit]

* 1856–1857: Virginia Oldoini, Countess of Castiglione
* 1857–1861: Marie-Anne Walewska
* 1863–1870: Marguerite Bellanger

## See also

[edit]

* Maîtresse-en-titre

## Notes

[edit]

1. ^ "Although Biette Cassinel has been attached occasionally to Charles V, no concrete evidence for a relationship exists."[2]
2. ^ "..concerning the relations which may have existed between Charles V and the mother[Biette Cassinel] of Jean de Montaigu, are not justified by any proof by any reference.."[3]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ a b Gaude-Ferragu 2016, p. 34.
2. ^ Adams & Adams 2020, p. 27.
3. ^ Delachenal 1909, p. 111.
4. ^ Nicolle 2004, p. 18.
5. ^ Chronique normande de Pierre Cochon, bailli de Rouen.
6. ^ Wellman 2013, p. 25.
7. ^ Wellman 2013, p. 61.
8. ^ Kendall 1971, p. 71.
9. ^ a b c d Knecht 2016, p. 137.
10. ^ secrets, Histoire et. "Histoire et Secrets - découvrir l'histoire de France et du monde - Liste des maîtresses d'Henri IV le Vert-Galant". Archived from the original on 2010-12-08. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
11. ^ Yves Cazaux, Henri IV: Les horizons du règne, Paris : A. Michel, 1986. ISBN 9782226026101, p. 189.
12. ^ Anne Danclos, La vie tragique de la reine Margot, Fernand Lanore, 1996. ISBN 9782851570475, p. 102.
13. ^ Histoire de Mésanger de Gilbert Chéron \- Tome II, pp. 223–224
14. ^ a b Source : André Castelot, Henri IV le passionné
15. ^ "L'Artiste". Aux bureaux de L'Artiste. 1 January 1814 – via Google Books.
16. ^ Patrick Wald Lasowski, L'Amour au temps des libertins, Editions First-Gründ, 2011

## Sources

[edit]

* Adams, Tracy; Adams, Christine (2020). The Creation of the French Royal Mistress: From Agnès Sorel to Madame Du Barry. The Pennsylvania State University Press.
* Delachenal, Roland (1909). Histoire de Charles V. Vol. I. Picard.
* Gaude-Ferragu, Murielle (2016). Queenship in Medieval France, 1300-1500. Translated by Krieger, Angela. Palgrave Macmillan.
* Kendall, Paul Murray (1971). Louis XI: The Universal Spider. Compton Printing Ltd.
* Knecht, Robert J. (2016). Hero or Tyrant? Henry III, King of France, 1574-89. Routledge.
* Nicolle, David (2004). Poitiers 1356:The Capture of a King. Osprey.
* Wellman, Kathleen (2013). Queens and Mistresses of Renaissance France. Yale University Press.

## External links

[edit]

* Liste des maîtresses du Roi-Soleil (French)

*[c.]: circa