List of French royal mistresses

This article contains a listing of notable French royal mistresses.

Chlothar I

• Waldrada, Princess of the Lombards
• Arnegundis

Charibert I

• Merofleda
• Clothilde
• Marcovefa
• Theogilda

Chilperic I

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

Dagobert I

• Regintrude of Austrasia
• Berthilde

Charlemagne

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

Louis the Pious

• Theodelinde of Sens

Louis the Stammerer

• Luitgrade of Saxony
• Adelheid of Paris

Charles the Simple

• Edgiva of Kent
• Frederuna von Ringleheim

Philip I

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

Louis VI

• Marie de Breuillet

Louis X

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

Philip VI

• Béatrice de la Berruère (1294–1348)

Charles V

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

Charles VI

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

Charles VII

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

Louis XI

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

Francis I

Official mistresses (maîtresse-en-titre)

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

Unofficial mistresses (petite maîtresse)

• Marie Gaudin (1490 or 1495–1580), dame de La Bourdaisière, she was the ancestor of Gabrielle d'Estrées^[9]
• Mary Boleyn (1499–1543) (disputed), eldest sister of Anne Boleyn and of George Boleyn, later mistress of Henry VIII of England
• La Belle Ferronnière
• Claude de Rohan-Gyé (1519–1579), countess of Tonnerre and of Thoury
• La Châtelaine de Montfrault

Henry II

Official mistresses (maîtresse-en-titre)

• Diane de Poitiers (1499–1566)

Unofficial mistresses (petite maîtresse)

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

Charles IX

Unofficial mistresses (petite maîtresse)

• Marie Touchet (c. 1553 – 1638)

Henry III

Unofficial mistresses (petite maîtresse)

• Louise de La Béraudière du Rouhet^[10]
• Renée de Rieux de Châteauneuf^[10]
• Veronica Franco (1546–1591)
• Marie of Cleves, Princess of Condé^[10]
• Jeanne de Laval, dame de Senneterre (1549–1586)^[10]
• Françoise Babou de La Bourdaisière, mother of Gabrielle d'Estrées

Henry IV

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

This list includes historically recognised and popularly attributed mistresses:^[11]

Official mistresses (maîtresse-en-titre)

• 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)

• Fleurette de Nérac,^[12] vers 1571–1572, fille d’un jardinier de Nérac
• Charlotte de Sauve (c. 1551–1617), mistress in 1572.^[13]
• 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)^[14]
• 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.^[15]
• Anne de Cambefort, mistress in 1579. She committed suicide by jumping out of a window after Henry left her^[15]
• 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^[16]
• 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

Official mistresses (maîtresse-en-titre)

• 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)

• 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

Official mistresses (maîtresse-en-titre)

• 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)

After 1755, unofficial lovers of the king who did not belong to the nobility were often kept at the Parc-aux-Cerfs.^[17]

• 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

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

Louis XVIII

Official mistresses (maîtresse-en-titre)

• Zoé Victoire Talon, comtesse du Cayla

Unofficial mistresses (petite maîtresse)

• 1780–1791: Anne Jacobée Nompar

Charles X

• Rosalie Duthé; equally mistress of Philippe Égalité
• Louise d'Esparbès de Lussan
• Aglaé de Polignac

Napoleon III

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

See also

• Maîtresse-en-titre

Notes

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

1. 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. Wellman 2013, p. 327.
10. Knecht 2016, p. 137.
11. secrets, Histoire et. . Archived from the original on 2010-12-08. Retrieved 2016-05-14.
12. Yves Cazaux, Henri IV: Les horizons du règne, Paris : A. Michel, 1986. ISBN 9782226026101, p. 189.
13. Anne Danclos, La vie tragique de la reine Margot, Fernand Lanore, 1996. ISBN 9782851570475, p. 102.
14. Histoire de Mésanger de Gilbert Chéron - Tome II, pp. 223–224
15. Source : André Castelot, Henri IV le passionné
16. "L'Artiste". Aux bureaux de L'Artiste. 1 January 1814 – via Google Books.
17. Patrick Wald Lasowski, L'Amour au temps des libertins, Editions First-Gründ, 2011

Sources

• 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