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- BIOGRAPHY
In 1666 when recovering from childbirth, Louise de La Vallière introduced the witty Françoise, nicknamed Athenaïs, de Montespan to the king. Athenaïs was twenty-six, beautiful, married and the mother of two children. She was also a lady-in-waiting to the pious Queen, to whom she ingratiated herself by pretending to abhor the king's affair with Louise de La Vallière. While her husband was away she had a number of suitors. However, in the king's presense she would joke about them and then flirt with the king.
Sophisticated, witty, voluptuous and sure of herself, she was also patient. Early in 1667 Louis XIV created Louise de La Vallière a duchess. However, she was not impressed as she believed she was losing both her looks and the king's affection.
It took until the summer of 1668 before Louis XIV overcame his scruples and became the lover of a married woman, Athenaïs. Had his affaire with Louise been idyllic, his affaire with Athenaïs was very much sensual. The placid Louise tried to object but for a while Louis XIV had the two mistresses. However, one who did more than just object was Athenaïs's husband, Louis, Marquis de Montespan, who was arrested and banished to his estates. The official reason was: having disapproved His Majesty's choice of Monsieur de Montausier as governor of the Dauphin. When he arrived at his castle, he insisted upon passing through the great doorway 'because my horns are too high to pass through the small one'. When Athenaïs gave birth to the king's child in March 1669, he announced to his friends 'the death of his wife from coquetry and ambition' and invited them to a sham funeral. Had Louise de La Vallière loved the king for himself, Athenaïs loved him also for the power and wealth that came to her with the king. She not only had her debts paid but also bought a house near the Louvre, saw her father named governor of Paris and her sister Abbess of Fontevrault. Yet to everyone's surprise Athenaïs retained the friendship of Louise de La Vallière.
When the king went to Flanders, he went in a coach accompanied by his 'three queens', a situation that was to last for six years. However, in 1670 Louise became seriously ill and, after recovering retired into a convent. Following the departure of Louise de La Vallière, Athenaïs became even more avaricious, declining small presents as, she said, she preferred large ones. The offer of a country house near Saint-Germain was dismissed with 'good enough for a chorus girl'. Instead, she received the Château of Clagny.
The queen had always liked Louise de La Vallière but, unable to cope with the vicious wit of Athenaïs, was often heard to complain 'that slut will kill me yet'. The seven children Athenaïs produced for Louis XIV were cared for by Madame Scarron. From 1675 this widow became known as Madame de Maintenon.
However, Louis XIV not only still kept sleeping with both the Queen and Athenaïs, but also had affaires with Mademoiselle des Oeillets, Anne de Rohan (Princesse de Soubise), Mademoiselle de Ludres and Marie Angelique de Fontanges. The latter drove Athenaïs into a frenzy and in her fury she accused Madame de Maintenon of planning her downfall.
Marie Angelique de Fontanges gave birth to a still-born child while she herself was seriously ill. Shortly afterwards the police arrested a number of people accused of poisoning. The inquiry that followed took a long time and suddenly ordered the arrest of six ladies from the Court. Two of them disappeared to the Netherlands which created an impression of guilt. The main suspect was known as Madame La Voisin, who told fortunes and provided love-potions. Madame La Voisin was found guilty and executed, after which her daughter gave evidence and implicated Athenaïs de Montespan.
Her accusations were very serious as apparently black masses, love potions and spells involved the king and were repeated several times. It also appeared that Athenaïs had supplied the king with aphrodisiacs without his knowledge and had tried to poison Mademoiselle de Fontanges.
While these investigations took place, the king received verbatim reports which, after reading, he burned. Even though La Voisin's daughter had never actually seen Athenaïs, she was believed. Louis XIV, as a God-fearing man, was shocked and their affaire was over. As he was not vindictive he did not want to have the mother of his legitimised children appear in court and allowed her to remain at court. The one thing that changed was the sexual habits of Louis XIV. Françoise d'Aubigné, Madame de Maintenon, who was three years older than the king, had intrigued the king already for a long time, and after a while, he married her secretly. Athenaïs lived for many more years and in old age her hair became a beautiful snow-white. The thought of death frightened her so much that she paid several women to sit in her room at night with candles lit and the curtains drawn so that, if she woke up, she would be reassured by seeing them playing cards or eating.
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