Historical Royal Affairs and Mistresses

[ladybelline]

So Marguerite was unfaithful as well?

Definitely, she was unfaithful to Henri during their marriage. He knows it but apparently didn't really care... There is more info about her here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marguerite_de_Valois

 

[Avalon]

Marguerite was unfaithul all right (whole Navarra knew of her lovers) but so was Henry. Gabrielle d'Estrees was definitely not his only mistress, he had a short affair even with her sister, Diane.
Henry was quite famous for his love-life.
After Gabrielle's death it took him only 3 moths to find another mistress (long-time).
Aslo, don't take everything written in Dumas books (esp, Queen Margot) for fact, because, while he is a great writer, he didn't particularly care about the accuracy of his facts.

 

[Furienna]

It says on Wikipedia, that Marguerite was in love with a Henri, duc de Guise, but her mother Catherine di Medici wouldn't let her marry him. I wonder if he was one of her lovers...

 

[adelaide]

First the wedding of Henri the IV th and Marguerite de Valois was only a political alliance and very sooner after they had a separate life. Then as Maguerite de Valois was unable to give Heir to the Crown of Fance, King IV has to annul his wedding and married Marie de Medicis in 1600 whom gave him four children. As far I know Gabielle d'ESTREE has bee a very well loved ( but not the single one) mistress of Henri IV but never he wished to marry her.

 

[Avalon]

It says on Wikipedia, that Marguerite was in love with a Henri, duc de Guise, but her mother Catherine di Medici wouldn't let her marry him. I wonder if he was one of her lovers...

I suppose the editors of Wikipedia took it from "Queen Margot." Henri de Guise certainly didn't take the marriage of Henri and Margot easily but it could be the political reasons, rather then love. Since he wanted the Crown for himself, marrying the sister of the King would be a good step forward.
Plus Margot was amazingly beautiful and well-educated woman. They could be lovers, in the French court of those days it was quite possible.

 

[Lillia]

There is more information about Gabrielle here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gabrielle_d'Estr%C3%A9e

Gabrielle was more of Henry's wife than Marguerite ever was. I feel sad for the wives who had to see their cheating husbands flaunt their mistresses and illegitimate children and the women could say nothing about it.

I agree. It must have been very humiliating to see that going on and to know that everybody else saw all of that too. No shame!

 

[Lillia]

First the wedding of Henri the IV th and Marguerite de Valois was only a political alliance and very sooner after they had a separate life. Then as Maguerite de Valois was unable to give Heir to the Crown of Fance, King IV has to annul his wedding and married Marie de Medicis in 1600 whom gave him four children. As far I know Gabielle d'ESTREE has bee a very well loved ( but not the single one) mistress of Henri IV but never he wished to marry her.

Well, she could not have been that loved, if he did not want to marry her at all. Still, it must have been a real scandal for his wife to witness that, I think.

Maybe he just really liked being in Gabielle's company, sort of like a habit he had acquired maybe?

 

[Vasaborg]

Louis XV

Louis XV of France was married to Maria Katarszyna Leszczynska daughter of King Stanislaw I of Poland.

 

[isabelle 53]

the kings of France always had had mistresses when the marriage was arranged, they were called "favorites", some of them were more famous than the queen herself, here are the most famous :

Charles VII :
Agnès Sorel (née vers 1422-1450)

François Ier :
Anne de Pisseleu, duchesse d'Étampes (1508-1580)

Henri II :
Diane de Poitiers (1499-1566)

Louis XIV :
Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise de Montespan (1640-1707)
Louise Françoise de La Baume Le Blanc, duchesse de La Vallière (1644-1710)
Marie Angélique de Scoraille de Roussille, duchesse de Fontanges (1661-1681)
Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon (1635-1719

Louis XV :
Duchesse de Fontanges (1661-1681)
Duchesse de Châteauroux (1717-1744)
Marquise de Pompadour (1721-1764)
Comtesse du Barry (1743-1793)


and many others...

 

[Attaining Grace]

I liked this book at the time but after Ms. Gregory defamed Anne Boleyn I have no time for her, I'm afraid. Her books are just not historically accurate.

 

[Hereditary Thane]

Lola Montez was the stage name of a genteel Anglo-Irish woman who was wayward from an early age. However she was an accompished dancer. Unfortunately she was, unlike today's courtesans with their managers, publicity agents, and celebrity friends, a somewhat ingenuous woman. She was cast aside by the king's family after he died. This tells us a lot; had she been manipulative she'd have taken their double standards to the court of public opinion. She walked away head held high and no doubt had the last laugh albeit it in her poverty.

 

[michaela6495]

It is said that Frederick VI of Denmark had 4 children by his mistress Frederikke Dannemand and I have also heard that he had a 5th child but I'm not sure with whom is this true?

 

[Artemisia]

It is said that Frederick VI of Denmark had 4 children by his mistress Frederikke Dannemand and I have also heard that he had a 5th child but I'm not sure with whom is this true?

Frederick VI's children with Frederikke Dannemand were:
- Lovisa, Countess of Dannemand
- Karoline, Countess of Dannemand
- Frederik, Count of Dannemand
- Waldemar, Count of Dannemand

I have never heard of a fifth illegitimate child of the King. You are probably referring to Frederikke's child born in 1815; that child was almost certainly not the King's. While Frederick VI was in Vienna, he received news of her unfaithfulness; initially reluctant to believe the rumours, he was nevertheless forced to face the truth when, upon return, he found Frederikke visibly pregnant. Their relationship ended for some time but by 1818's they were back together; the last child of the couple, Waldemar, was born in 1819.

 

[Meraude]

I'm surprised that empress Catherine the Great of Russia haven't been mentioned here. She is known to have had many lovers during her life, both during her marriage and after she ousted her husband, tsar Peter III, from the throne. Her last lover was 40 years younger than her. She also had two illegitime children by one of her lovers, count Grigori Orlov. Catherine the Great - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Meraude]

Caroline Matilda of Great Britain, queen of Denmark, caused a scandal having an affair with her husband's (king Christian VII) doctor, Johann Friedrich Struensee, and have a child by him, princess Louise Auguste of Denmark (king Carl Gustaf of Sweden, king Constantine of Greece and queen Sofia of Spain are her descendants). The affair was discovered and Caroline Matilda was divorced and sent to exile without her children while Struensee was executed. She died in 1775, just 23 years old. Caroline Matilda of Great Britain - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Furienna]

This is an off topic question, but how are Carl Gustaf, Constantine and Sophia her descendants?

 

[Artemisia]

This is an off topic question, but how are Carl Gustaf, Constantine and Sophia her descendants?

Princess Louise Auguste is maternal 4th great-grandmother to all three.

King Carl XVI:
- Princess Louise Auguste
- Christian August II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
- Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein
- Princess Karoline Mathilde of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
- Princess Victoria Adelaide of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg
- Princess Sibylla of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha
- King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden

Former King Constantine II of Greece:
- Princess Louise Auguste
- Christian August II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
- Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein
- Princess Augusta of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
- Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia
- Princess Frederika of Hanover
- King Constantine II

Queen Sofia of Spain:
- Princess Louise Auguste
- Christian August II, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
- Frederick VIII, Duke of Schleswig-Holstein
- Princess Augusta of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Augustenburg
- Princess Viktoria Luise of Prussia
- Princess Frederika of Hanover
- Queen Sofia of Spain

 

[Furienna]

I see. Thank you!

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Thank you Smilla!

My goodness! I can imagine in the 19th century that sort of thing being a scandal, given the strictures.

Can you clarify 'dancer'? You mean a showgirl or an actress? Or something else?

Who was the Bavarian king? Was he married? Were they indiscreet?

The sovereign was Ludwig I of Bavaria (1786-1868). He was King of Bavaria from 1825 until 1848.

 

[princeofitaly]

King Victor Emanuel had 32 illigitimate children from his mistresses?

Were any of his mistresses famous?

Yes, there are many of King Victor Emmanuel II 's popular mistresses:

1) Rosa Teresa Vercellana, nicknamed "La Bella Rosin" (=The Beautiful Rosin). After more difficult they married. The story of Rosa Vercellana and King Victor Emmanuel II is very Cinderella-like. They have children.

2) Virginia Oldoini Verasis, the Countess of Castiglione, popular for being the most beautiful woman of the 1800 century. She was also the mistress of Emperor Napoleon III of France.

3) Laura Bon, an actress. They have one child.

4) the teacher from Frabosa (people didn't know the name of this teacher, in Italy she is know as "maestrina di Frabosa Soprana"). Frabosa is a little town in province of Cuneo, Piedmont.

5) Countess Anna de Cadilhac, nicknamed "La Bella di Roma" (= The Beautiful Woman of Rome). They have one child.



His son King Umberto I's popular mistresses:

1) Countess Cesarini. They have one child.

2) Eugenia Attendolo Bolognini, Duchess Litta Visconti Arese, a beautiful noblewoman nicknamed "La Bella Bolognina".

 

[An Ard Ri]

Before he fell in love with the Duchess d'Étampes,King François Ier was madly in love with Françoise de Foix who was related to the ruling House of Navarre and also with the Ducal House of Brittany.

The king first fell for the Countess de Châteaubriant when he spotted her with her husband at the Baptism of the Dauphin in 1518.The 2 soon became lovers despite the protests of the kings domineering mother Louise de Savoie.
Louise had a long hatred for the house of Foix and detested Françoise de Foix and made her life at court very difficult.

Louise who liked the fan the flames would later introduce another beauty one of her ladies in waiting named Anne de Pisseleu (later Duchess d'Étampes) to her son the king and a great rivalry ensued with Françoise de Foix being displaced and retired to her estates at Chateaubriant where she died in 1537.

Françoise de Foix, Comtesse de Châteaubriant 1498-1537.

 

[CyrilVladisla]

Lady Sybilla Corbet was the daughter of Sir Robert Corbet.
She was a mistress of King Henry I of England. Their daughter Sybil was born about 1100.

 

[An Ard Ri]

Françoise-Louise de la Baume Le Blanc, Dame de la Vallière, Duchess of Vaujours was the mistress of Louis XIV and bore him 5 children.
In 1667 she was ousted by Madame de Montespan and entered the Carmelite Convent at Faubourg Saint-Jacques in Paris where she died in 1710 as Sister Louise!

Louise de La Vallière as Royal Mistress

As a Carmelite Nun ,Sr Louise

 

[An Ard Ri]

​

Catherine de Balzac d'Entragues (born 1579) was the favourite mistress of Henri IV of France
Her mother Marie Touchet was a mistress of Charles IX of France and her sister ,Marie Charlotte de Balzac d'Entragues was also a mistress of Henri IV!

Catherine-Henriette de Balsac d'Entragues, marquise de Verneuil (1560-1603)

Catherine Henriette de Balzac d'Entragues - Wikipedia
Marie-Charlotte de Balzac d'Entragues - Wikipedia

 

[Meraude]

Louis XIV :
Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon (1635-1719

The Marquise de Maintenon was Louis XIV's mistress during the lifetime of his Queen Marie-Thérèse, but Françoise became the morganatic wife of Louis in 1683. While Louis' mistress Madame de Montrspan had been very rude towards Queen Marie-Thérèse, when Françoise became Louis' mistress, the queen openly declared that she had never been so well-treated as during the last years of her marriage.

Françoise was a well-educated woman, she had been married to Paul Scarron, a poet 25 years older than her, who had died in 1660. She became the governess to the children of Louis and Madame de Montespan in 1673. Françoise was a very fascinating woman, I remember havibg read a novel about her a long time ago.

Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de Maintenon - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

 

[An Ard Ri]

Madame de Montespan was thankfully ousted from her position and left the French Court and withdrew to live at Convents ,she however never sought the forgiveness of queen Marie-Thérèse.
Madame ended her days at the Cordeliers convent in Poitiers!

Its believed that Margaret Shelton a cousin of Anne Boleyn was also mistress of Henry VIII.
Margaret also known as Madge was the daughter of Lady Shelton the paternal aunt of Anne Boleyn.
Anne Shelton (courtier) - Wikipedia