Madame de Ventadour
Encyclopedia
Charlotte de La Motte Houdancourt, Duchess
of Ventadour (Charlotte Eléonore Madeleine; 1654–1744) was the governess
of King Louis XV of France
, great-grandson of King Louis XIV
. She is credited with saving Louis XV from the ministrations of the royal doctors when he was ill as a child. She was the Gouvernante des enfants royaux, Governess of the Children of France
like her mother, granddaughter
, granddaughter in law
and great grand daughter.
Charlotte married Louis Charles de Lévis
, Duke of Ventadour
and governor of the Limousin
(1647–1717), on 14 March 1671 in Paris.
The duke was generally considered "horrific" — very ugly, physically deformed, and sexually debauched — yet the privileges of being a duchess compensated for the unfortunate match, e.g. le tabouret: In a letter to her daughter, Madame de Sévigné
described an incident that took place at St. Germain
during an audience with the Queen.
Charlotte and Louis Charles had one daughter, Anne Geneviève de Lévis, born in February 1673. Anne Geneviève first married in 1691 Louis-Charles de la Tour d'Auvergne, prince de Turenne, the son of Maurice Godefroy de La Tour d'Auvergne, Duke of Bouillon
, and his wife, Marie Anne Mancini
.
After the death of her first husband, Anne Geneviève married secondly in 1694 Hércule Mériadec de Rohan, duc de Rohan-Rohan. Through this second marriage, Anne Geneviève de Lévis
became the grandmother of Charlotte de Rohan (1737–1760), the wife of Louis Joseph, Prince of Condé (1736–1818).
Madame de Ventadour was appointed governess to the royal children in 1704.
In 1712, an outbreak of measles
struck the French royal family, causing a number of significant deaths. First to die was the Dauphine, Marie Adélaïde of Savoy. Within a week of her death, her heartbroken husband, Louis the Dauphin, had also died, leaving his sons Louis, Duke of Bretagne and Louis, Duke of Anjou, orphaned, and the elder child as heir to the throne.
The sickness, however, had not yet run its course: both the Duke of Brittany
and the Duke of Anjou became ill with measles. The Dauphin was ministered to by the royal doctors, who bled him in the belief that it would help him to recover; instead, it merely weakened the young boy, who swiftly died, leaving the Duke of Anjou as Dauphin. Deciding that she would not allow the same treatment to be applied to the Duke of Anjou, Madame de Ventadour locked herself up with three nursery maids, and refused to allow the doctors near the boy. Louis survived his disease, becoming King of France upon the death of his great-grandfather three years later.
Madame de Ventadour continued in her position as royal governess until 1717, when the King was deemed old enough to be raised by men. Her husband died in the same year. She then became Lady-in-waiting
to the Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate
, Dowager
Duchess of Orléans, widow of Philippe de France, Duke of Orléans
, only sibling of Louis XIV.
She died at the Château de Glatigny, her residence in Versailles
. Through her daughter she is an ancrestress of the Princes of Guéméné of the House of Rohan, who presently live in Austria
.
Mademoiselle de Lévis, Princess of Turenne
, Duchess of Rohan-Rohan
, Princess of Maubuisson, Princess of Soubise
(February 1673 – 20 March 1727)
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
of Ventadour (Charlotte Eléonore Madeleine; 1654–1744) was the governess
Governess
A governess is a girl or woman employed to teach and train children in a private household. In contrast to a nanny or a babysitter, she concentrates on teaching children, not on meeting their physical needs...
of King Louis XV of France
Louis XV of France
Louis XV was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1 September 1715 until his death. He succeeded his great-grandfather at the age of five, his first cousin Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, served as Regent of the kingdom until Louis's majority in 1723...
, great-grandson of King Louis XIV
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
. She is credited with saving Louis XV from the ministrations of the royal doctors when he was ill as a child. She was the Gouvernante des enfants royaux, Governess of the Children of France
Governess of the Children of France
In France, the Governess of the Children of France , was charged with the education of the children and grand children of the monarch. The holder of the office was taken from the highest ranking nobility of France...
like her mother, granddaughter
Marie Isabelle de Rohan
Marie Isabelle de Rohan was a French noblewoman and grand daughter of Madame de Ventadour. Marie Isabelle was the governess of the children of Louis XV and his consort Marie Leszczyńska.-Biography:Born in Paris the fourth child of five...
, granddaughter in law
Anne Julie de Melun
Anne Julie de Melun was a French noblewoman and mother of Charles de Rohan, the famous general of Louis XV as well as Madame de Marsan. She died of smallpox in her twenties.-Biography:...
and great grand daughter.
Family
Charlotte was the youngest of the three daughters of Philippe de La Mothe Houdancourt, Duke of Cardona and maréchal de France (d. 1657), and Louise de Prie, Marquise of Toucy, Duchess of La Motte Houdancourt, maréchale, governess to the children of France. Charlotte's sisters were:- Françoise Angélique de La Mothe Houdancourt, Dame of Fayel (b. 1650), who married on 28 November 1669 Louis Marie Victor, duc d'Aumont (9 December 1632–5 April 1711).
- Marie Isabelle Angélique de la Mothe Houdancourt, Duchess of La Ferté Senneterre (d. 1726).
Charlotte married Louis Charles de Lévis
Louis Charles de Lévis
Louis Charles de Lévis was a French nobleman and Duke of Ventadour. His wife was the governess of the infant Louis XV and his only child Anne Geneviève made two prestigious marriages into contemporary nobility.-Biography:...
, Duke of Ventadour
Duke of Ventadour
Duke of Ventadour was a noble title in the peerage of France granted to Gilbert de Lévis de Ventadour by Henry IV of France in 1589. It is named after the Château de Ventadour.-List of Dukes of Ventadour, 1589—1717:...
and governor of the Limousin
Limousin (province)
Limousin is one of the traditional provinces of France around the city of Limoges. Limousin lies in the foothills of the western edge of the Massif Central, with cold weather in the winter...
(1647–1717), on 14 March 1671 in Paris.
The duke was generally considered "horrific" — very ugly, physically deformed, and sexually debauched — yet the privileges of being a duchess compensated for the unfortunate match, e.g. le tabouret: In a letter to her daughter, Madame de Sévigné
Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné
Marie de Rabutin-Chantal, marquise de Sévigné was a French aristocrat, remembered for her letter-writing. Most of her letters, celebrated for their wit and vividness, were addressed to her daughter.-Life:...
described an incident that took place at St. Germain
Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
The Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye is a royal palace in the commune of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, in the département of Yvelines, about 19 km west of Paris, France. Today, it houses the Musée d'Archéologie Nationale ....
during an audience with the Queen.
"… a lot of duchesses came in, including the beautiful and charming Duchess of Ventadour. There was a bit of a delay before they brought her the sacred stool. I turned to the Grand Master and I said, 'Oh, just give it to her. It certainly cost her enough,' and he agreed."
Charlotte and Louis Charles had one daughter, Anne Geneviève de Lévis, born in February 1673. Anne Geneviève first married in 1691 Louis-Charles de la Tour d'Auvergne, prince de Turenne, the son of Maurice Godefroy de La Tour d'Auvergne, Duke of Bouillon
Duke of Bouillon
The Duke of Bouillon is a title of nobility. Until the nineteenth century, the Duke of Bouillon was the ruler of the semi-sovereign Duchy of Bouillon , a small state located between Luxembourg, Champagne, and the Three Bishoprics and centered on Bouillon.- History of the Duchy of Bouillon :The...
, and his wife, Marie Anne Mancini
Marie Anne Mancini
Marie Anne Mancini, duchesse de Bouillon , was the youngest of the five famous Mancini sisters, who along with two of their female Martinozzi cousins, were known at the court of King Louis XIV of France as the Mazarinettes because their uncle was the king's chief minister, Cardinal...
.
After the death of her first husband, Anne Geneviève married secondly in 1694 Hércule Mériadec de Rohan, duc de Rohan-Rohan. Through this second marriage, Anne Geneviève de Lévis
Anne Geneviève de Lévis
Anne Geneviève de Lévis was a French noblewoman. She was Duchess of Rohan-Rohan and Princess of Soubise by marriage. Anne Geneviève was the only child of Madame de Ventadour, governess of the young Louis XV. She married twice and had children with her second husband...
became the grandmother of Charlotte de Rohan (1737–1760), the wife of Louis Joseph, Prince of Condé (1736–1818).
Royal governess
In 1712, an outbreak of measles
Measles
Measles, also known as rubeola or morbilli, is an infection of the respiratory system caused by a virus, specifically a paramyxovirus of the genus Morbillivirus. Morbilliviruses, like other paramyxoviruses, are enveloped, single-stranded, negative-sense RNA viruses...
struck the French royal family, causing a number of significant deaths. First to die was the Dauphine, Marie Adélaïde of Savoy. Within a week of her death, her heartbroken husband, Louis the Dauphin, had also died, leaving his sons Louis, Duke of Bretagne and Louis, Duke of Anjou, orphaned, and the elder child as heir to the throne.
The sickness, however, had not yet run its course: both the Duke of Brittany
Duke of Brittany
The Duchy of Brittany was a medieval tribal and feudal state covering the northwestern peninsula of Europe,bordered by the Alantic Ocean on the west and the English Channel to the north with less definitive borders of the Loire River to the south and Normandy to the east...
and the Duke of Anjou became ill with measles. The Dauphin was ministered to by the royal doctors, who bled him in the belief that it would help him to recover; instead, it merely weakened the young boy, who swiftly died, leaving the Duke of Anjou as Dauphin. Deciding that she would not allow the same treatment to be applied to the Duke of Anjou, Madame de Ventadour locked herself up with three nursery maids, and refused to allow the doctors near the boy. Louis survived his disease, becoming King of France upon the death of his great-grandfather three years later.
Madame de Ventadour continued in her position as royal governess until 1717, when the King was deemed old enough to be raised by men. Her husband died in the same year. She then became Lady-in-waiting
Lady-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting is a female personal assistant at a royal court, attending on a queen, a princess, or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman from a family highly thought of in good society, but was of lower rank than the woman on whom she...
to the Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate
Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate
Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine was a German princess and the wife of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, younger brother of Louis XIV of France. Her vast correspondence provides a detailed account of the personalities and activities at the court of her brother-in-law, Louis XIV...
, Dowager
Dowager
A dowager is a widow who holds a title or property, or dower, derived from her deceased husband. As an adjective, "Dowager" usually appears in association with monarchical and aristocratic titles....
Duchess of Orléans, widow of Philippe de France, Duke of Orléans
Philippe I, Duke of Orléans
Philippe of France was the youngest son of Louis XIII of France and his queen consort Anne of Austria. His older brother was the famous Louis XIV, le roi soleil. Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston, Duke of Orléans...
, only sibling of Louis XIV.
She died at the Château de Glatigny, her residence in Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
. Through her daughter she is an ancrestress of the Princes of Guéméné of the House of Rohan, who presently live in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
Issue
Anne Geneviève de LévisAnne Geneviève de Lévis
Anne Geneviève de Lévis was a French noblewoman. She was Duchess of Rohan-Rohan and Princess of Soubise by marriage. Anne Geneviève was the only child of Madame de Ventadour, governess of the young Louis XV. She married twice and had children with her second husband...
Mademoiselle de Lévis, Princess of Turenne
Princess of Turenne
The title Princess of Turenne was used by the daughter in law's of the Dukes of Bouillon as wives of the Princes of Turenne, heirs to Bouillon and Sedan.- House of La Tour d'Auvergne, 1691-1794 :...
, Duchess of Rohan-Rohan
Duke of Rohan-Rohan
-Duke of Rohan-Rohan:...
, Princess of Maubuisson, Princess of Soubise
Princess of Soubise
- Princess of Soubise :...
(February 1673 – 20 March 1727)
- Married Louis Charles de La Tour d'Auvergne, Prince of Turenne in 1692 (son of Godefroy Maurice de La Tour d'AuvergneGodefroy Maurice de La Tour d'AuvergneGodefroy Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne was a French nobleman and member of the House of La Tour d'Auvergne, one of the most important families in France at the time...
and Marie Anne ManciniMarie Anne ManciniMarie Anne Mancini, duchesse de Bouillon , was the youngest of the five famous Mancini sisters, who along with two of their female Martinozzi cousins, were known at the court of King Louis XIV of France as the Mazarinettes because their uncle was the king's chief minister, Cardinal...
) had no issue; - Married Hercule Mériadec de Rohan, Duke of Rohan-RohanHercule Mériadec, Duke of Rohan-RohanHercule Mériadec de Rohan styled the Duke of Rohan-Rohan was a member of the House of Rohan. He married twice and was the grandfather of the Maréchal de Soubise. His first wife was the daughter of Madame de Ventadour...
in 1694 (son of François de RohanFrançois, Prince of SoubiseFrançois de Rohan was a member of the House of Rohan and founder of the houses Soubise. His wife Anne Julie de Rohan was the one time mistress of Louis XIV and mother of François 's own eleven children...
and Anne de Rohan-ChabotAnne de Rohan-ChabotAnne de Rohan-Chabot was a French noble. A member of the House of Rohan, she was wife of the Prince of Soubise. It was she would bought the lordship of Soubise into the junior line of the Rohans. She was a short term mistress of Louis XIV...
, had issue.