Love and Louis XIV: The Women in the Life of the Sun King 
asked by dignified1 on November 10, 2006 9:12 PM
The self-proclaimed Sun King, Louis XIV ruled over the most glorious and extravagant court in seventeenth-century Europe. Now, Antonia Fraser goes behind the well-known tales of Louis’s accomplishments and follies, exploring in riveting detail his intimate relationships with women.
The king’s mother, Anne of Austria, had been in a childless marriage for twenty-two years before she gave birth to Louis XIV. A devout Catholic, she instilled in her son a strong sense of piety and fought successfully for his right to absolute power. In 1660, Louis married his first cousin, Marie-Thérèse, in a political arrangement. While unfailingly kind to the official "Queen of Versailles," Louis sought others to satisfy his romantic and sexual desires. After a flirtation with his sister-in-law, his first important mistress was Louise de La Vallière, who bore him several children before being replaced by the tempestuous and brilliant Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan. Later, when Athénaïs’s reputation was tarnished, the king continued to support her publicly until Athénaïs left court for a life of repentance. Meanwhile her children’s governess, the intelligent and seemingly puritanical Françoise de Maintenon, had already won the king’s affections; in a relationship in complete contrast to his physical obsession with Athénaïs, Louis XIV lived happily with Madame de Maintenon for the rest of his life, very probably marrying her in secret. When his grandson’s child bride, the enchanting Adelaide of Savoy, came to Versaille she lightened the king’s last years—until tragedy struck.
With consummate skill, Antonia Fraser weaves insights into the nature of women’s religious lives—as well as such practical matters as contraception—into her magnificent, sweeping portrait of the king, his court, and his ladies.
The king’s mother, Anne of Austria, had been in a childless marriage for twenty-two years before she gave birth to Louis XIV. A devout Catholic, she instilled in her son a strong sense of piety and fought successfully for his right to absolute power. In 1660, Louis married his first cousin, Marie-Thérèse, in a political arrangement. While unfailingly kind to the official "Queen of Versailles," Louis sought others to satisfy his romantic and sexual desires. After a flirtation with his sister-in-law, his first important mistress was Louise de La Vallière, who bore him several children before being replaced by the tempestuous and brilliant Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan. Later, when Athénaïs’s reputation was tarnished, the king continued to support her publicly until Athénaïs left court for a life of repentance. Meanwhile her children’s governess, the intelligent and seemingly puritanical Françoise de Maintenon, had already won the king’s affections; in a relationship in complete contrast to his physical obsession with Athénaïs, Louis XIV lived happily with Madame de Maintenon for the rest of his life, very probably marrying her in secret. When his grandson’s child bride, the enchanting Adelaide of Savoy, came to Versaille she lightened the king’s last years—until tragedy struck.
With consummate skill, Antonia Fraser weaves insights into the nature of women’s religious lives—as well as such practical matters as contraception—into her magnificent, sweeping portrait of the king, his court, and his ladies.
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Why buy this book?? Two words. ~Antonia Fraser~. She is a renown historical biographer and this book delivers. Her descriptions of the Sun King's court are so vivid...I felt like I stepped back to 17th century France. Highly recommend this book to any royal reader.
reviewed by theriver on November 21, 2006 11:30 AM
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A pretty good biography of King Louis XIV but, sadly, I found the book a little lacking.
Antonia Fraser (her biography of King Charles is one of my favourite royal biographies) makes a decent enough effort in this book, but perhaps 300 pages weren't enough to really focus on the many intriguing individuals (re: ladies) in this King's life. The many ladies (Queen Anne, Louise de la Valliere, Madame de Montespan, Madame de Maintenon, etc) get introduced and written about, in turn, but from reading many more books on the period I know that there is much, much more to be said about these women.
I would have loved to have read more about the tense, love/hate relationship between the two "rivals" Montespan and Maintenon and about what would make the very sensual Louis fall in love with a woman like the outwardly not very sensual Maintenon. His attachment and loyalty to the very beautiful exiled Queen in his care would perhaps have warranted some more mention.
I would have loved to have read more about his relationships with his natural daughters and granddaughters as well.
Plus a few of Ms. Fraser's conclusions didn't sit well with me. Montespan's role in the "Affair of the Poisons" could be debated, but Fraser concludes that Louis must have believed her innocent because he still made a show of having her around the court. Well, Louis WAS about outward show. Though Montespan is hardly the worst character in the world, in the book she goes from saucy, sensuous and greedy vixen to a paragon of virtue, passing out alms to the poor within a heartbeat. This is rather confusing, how did this change come about?
It's interesting that Ms. Fraser gives a very human touch to all her works (which is to be commended, I think she is by and large still a very gifted biographer), and I would still recommend this book for history buffs. Perhaps writing about so many characters in one book is too ambitious a project.
I would give the book 3 1/2 stars. :)
Antonia Fraser (her biography of King Charles is one of my favourite royal biographies) makes a decent enough effort in this book, but perhaps 300 pages weren't enough to really focus on the many intriguing individuals (re: ladies) in this King's life. The many ladies (Queen Anne, Louise de la Valliere, Madame de Montespan, Madame de Maintenon, etc) get introduced and written about, in turn, but from reading many more books on the period I know that there is much, much more to be said about these women.
I would have loved to have read more about the tense, love/hate relationship between the two "rivals" Montespan and Maintenon and about what would make the very sensual Louis fall in love with a woman like the outwardly not very sensual Maintenon. His attachment and loyalty to the very beautiful exiled Queen in his care would perhaps have warranted some more mention.
I would have loved to have read more about his relationships with his natural daughters and granddaughters as well.
Plus a few of Ms. Fraser's conclusions didn't sit well with me. Montespan's role in the "Affair of the Poisons" could be debated, but Fraser concludes that Louis must have believed her innocent because he still made a show of having her around the court. Well, Louis WAS about outward show. Though Montespan is hardly the worst character in the world, in the book she goes from saucy, sensuous and greedy vixen to a paragon of virtue, passing out alms to the poor within a heartbeat. This is rather confusing, how did this change come about?
It's interesting that Ms. Fraser gives a very human touch to all her works (which is to be commended, I think she is by and large still a very gifted biographer), and I would still recommend this book for history buffs. Perhaps writing about so many characters in one book is too ambitious a project.
I would give the book 3 1/2 stars. :)
reviewed by advisor on November 23, 2006 2:53 AM
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Mention the name of Louis XIV, and several things come to mind -- most of all the palace of Versailles, which still awes visitors today, and the image of the Sun-King, forever youthful and virile. Popular literature and film has presented a king who is gloriously dressed, distainful of his long-suffering wife and mother, and chasing after anything in a skirt, along with behavior that would shame a five-year old.
The reality, as with most history, is far more interesting and different than what we thought it would be. Long-time author Antonia Fraser takes on the long life and reign of Louis XIV, and shows an entirely new aspect of Europe's most powerful ruler of the seventeenth century. Using diaries, histories and the artifacts of the period, she crafts a very unique and entertaining way of understanding this monarch.
What she does is take a look at the Sun-King by the various women in his life, from his mother, to his misunderstood wife, sisters-in-law, and all those mistresses. She begins with the earliest of his relationships, that of his mother, Anne of Austria. By the time that she gave birth to Louis, the 'God-Given,' she was in her late thirties, and dispairing of ever having a child, much less a longed-for, prayed for son. Her husband, Louis XIII, supremely indifferent than her, and swaying between jealousy and callousness, was already in weak health by the time he had managed to rouse himself to sire one son, and a second son, Philippe -- always known as 'Monsieur' -- was born. Anne adored her eldest son, and broke with the usual stiff etiquette of the time that favored that royal infants be treated as miniature adults. In return, Louis forged an unusually close relationship with his mother, and for the rest of her life treated her with courtesy and listened carefully to her advice. Nor was being a child-king easy for Louis, having to cope with a revolution that was lead by the nobility -- the Fronde -- and at one point being harried out of Paris.
The next woman who would play a major role in Louis' life was the niece of one of his regents, Cardinal Mazarin. Marie Mancini was rumored to be his mistress, but it was a platonic relationship between the teenage king and the young lady -- her future husband was surprised to find her a virgin on their wedding night. It was a romance, however, that was doomed to failure. Louis needed to marry a fellow royal, and the one that proved to be the most profitable for him was a Spanish Infanta, Maria Teresa, or as her name would be known as, Marie-Therese.
Marie-Therese was short, rather stout, blonde and not that good looking. But she had an inherent sense of dignity and brought a peace treaty with her. She also fell desperately in love with her good-looking, dark husband, and she tolerated his philandering with a stoic good nature. Most portrayals of her have her either as a shrew, a dunce, and Louis treating her with cruelty. The opposite was true, while he would never feel passionate about her, he respected her and treated her with great kindness, never complaining about her gambling debts, her pet dwarves or dogs, and being genuinely heartbroken when she died.
Next to be introduced are the two sisters-in-law, both wives of Monsieur and known simply as "Madame." Henriette was the sister of Charles II of England, witty, charming and delightful -- it would always be rumored that she and Louis carried on a physical relationship -- and after she died suddenly, Elisabeth-Charlotte, a German princess who was also witty, and one of the chief sources for life at Versailles. But she was rather plain, and not at all shy about voicing her opinion.
What the Sun-King was also known for of course, are his assorted mistresses, of whom it would never be really be tallied as to however many there were. Fraser concentrates most of her time on three of them, Louise de La Valliere, Athenais de Montespan, and Francoise Scarron. Each would have a profound influence on the King, and Fraser is able to make the three women very distinct and shows them with flaws and all. Athenais would be the most scandalous of the three, bearing more than a half-dozen of the King's illegitimate children, and become embroiled in the notorious "Affair of the Poisons." Louise would be eventually supplanted by Athenais, and would retire to a convent and take the veil when it was apparent she had lost the king's interest.
But it was Francoise Scarron, later known as Madame de Maintenon, who had what seems to be the most intriguing relationship with Louis. I had thought that she was more or less just another mistress, but Fraser takes the unusual step of revealing how the Catholic faith played a prominent role in Louis' psyche and his relationships with women. Francoise would be the companion of Louis' life, providing a stable, secure relationship that did not require sex as a foundation. For her part, she found herself as an advisor to the king, and managed to curb his instincts to stray. It's something that most historians skip over completely, tending to focus instead on earlier mistresses.
Finally, there is the young Savoyard princess, Adelaide, destined to be Louis' granddaughter-in-law, and the future mother of Louis XV. She would be an enlivening presence, arriving at Versailles as a child-bride, and when she and her husband both died within days of each other in 1712, it would be the final blow for the king, who declined rapidly afterwards.
Fraser shows her talent as a storyteller in this lively narrative. She uses contemporary diaries, letters and extracts of the period, weaving the stories of these many women who orbited around the Sun-King, showing each woman's life in portraits of who they actually were. She doesn't gloss over their bad faults, and doesn't let romanticism cloud the issue either. It's a refreshing and revealing look at history, and while it did help me to know a bit about the time beforehand, it's not inaccessable to the average reader either. She keeps the prose free of foreign terms, confusing quotes, and while she does diverge in spots to show the wider picture of the world at the time, it's what history ought to be -- a cracking good story.
Two inserts of colour photos are included, along with two genealogical charts, an extensive bibiography, notes and index help to give a framework for the story.
Recommended.
The reality, as with most history, is far more interesting and different than what we thought it would be. Long-time author Antonia Fraser takes on the long life and reign of Louis XIV, and shows an entirely new aspect of Europe's most powerful ruler of the seventeenth century. Using diaries, histories and the artifacts of the period, she crafts a very unique and entertaining way of understanding this monarch.
What she does is take a look at the Sun-King by the various women in his life, from his mother, to his misunderstood wife, sisters-in-law, and all those mistresses. She begins with the earliest of his relationships, that of his mother, Anne of Austria. By the time that she gave birth to Louis, the 'God-Given,' she was in her late thirties, and dispairing of ever having a child, much less a longed-for, prayed for son. Her husband, Louis XIII, supremely indifferent than her, and swaying between jealousy and callousness, was already in weak health by the time he had managed to rouse himself to sire one son, and a second son, Philippe -- always known as 'Monsieur' -- was born. Anne adored her eldest son, and broke with the usual stiff etiquette of the time that favored that royal infants be treated as miniature adults. In return, Louis forged an unusually close relationship with his mother, and for the rest of her life treated her with courtesy and listened carefully to her advice. Nor was being a child-king easy for Louis, having to cope with a revolution that was lead by the nobility -- the Fronde -- and at one point being harried out of Paris.
The next woman who would play a major role in Louis' life was the niece of one of his regents, Cardinal Mazarin. Marie Mancini was rumored to be his mistress, but it was a platonic relationship between the teenage king and the young lady -- her future husband was surprised to find her a virgin on their wedding night. It was a romance, however, that was doomed to failure. Louis needed to marry a fellow royal, and the one that proved to be the most profitable for him was a Spanish Infanta, Maria Teresa, or as her name would be known as, Marie-Therese.
Marie-Therese was short, rather stout, blonde and not that good looking. But she had an inherent sense of dignity and brought a peace treaty with her. She also fell desperately in love with her good-looking, dark husband, and she tolerated his philandering with a stoic good nature. Most portrayals of her have her either as a shrew, a dunce, and Louis treating her with cruelty. The opposite was true, while he would never feel passionate about her, he respected her and treated her with great kindness, never complaining about her gambling debts, her pet dwarves or dogs, and being genuinely heartbroken when she died.
Next to be introduced are the two sisters-in-law, both wives of Monsieur and known simply as "Madame." Henriette was the sister of Charles II of England, witty, charming and delightful -- it would always be rumored that she and Louis carried on a physical relationship -- and after she died suddenly, Elisabeth-Charlotte, a German princess who was also witty, and one of the chief sources for life at Versailles. But she was rather plain, and not at all shy about voicing her opinion.
What the Sun-King was also known for of course, are his assorted mistresses, of whom it would never be really be tallied as to however many there were. Fraser concentrates most of her time on three of them, Louise de La Valliere, Athenais de Montespan, and Francoise Scarron. Each would have a profound influence on the King, and Fraser is able to make the three women very distinct and shows them with flaws and all. Athenais would be the most scandalous of the three, bearing more than a half-dozen of the King's illegitimate children, and become embroiled in the notorious "Affair of the Poisons." Louise would be eventually supplanted by Athenais, and would retire to a convent and take the veil when it was apparent she had lost the king's interest.
But it was Francoise Scarron, later known as Madame de Maintenon, who had what seems to be the most intriguing relationship with Louis. I had thought that she was more or less just another mistress, but Fraser takes the unusual step of revealing how the Catholic faith played a prominent role in Louis' psyche and his relationships with women. Francoise would be the companion of Louis' life, providing a stable, secure relationship that did not require sex as a foundation. For her part, she found herself as an advisor to the king, and managed to curb his instincts to stray. It's something that most historians skip over completely, tending to focus instead on earlier mistresses.
Finally, there is the young Savoyard princess, Adelaide, destined to be Louis' granddaughter-in-law, and the future mother of Louis XV. She would be an enlivening presence, arriving at Versailles as a child-bride, and when she and her husband both died within days of each other in 1712, it would be the final blow for the king, who declined rapidly afterwards.
Fraser shows her talent as a storyteller in this lively narrative. She uses contemporary diaries, letters and extracts of the period, weaving the stories of these many women who orbited around the Sun-King, showing each woman's life in portraits of who they actually were. She doesn't gloss over their bad faults, and doesn't let romanticism cloud the issue either. It's a refreshing and revealing look at history, and while it did help me to know a bit about the time beforehand, it's not inaccessable to the average reader either. She keeps the prose free of foreign terms, confusing quotes, and while she does diverge in spots to show the wider picture of the world at the time, it's what history ought to be -- a cracking good story.
Two inserts of colour photos are included, along with two genealogical charts, an extensive bibiography, notes and index help to give a framework for the story.
Recommended.
reviewed by reader99 on November 27, 2006 1:57 PM