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- BIOGRAPHY
Antoinette was born about 1420, the daughter of Jean II de Maignelais, seigneur de Maignelais, and Marie de Jouy. She was the first cousin of Agnès Sorel, mistress of Charles VII, king of France, and the carer of the three daughters Agnès had with Charles. After the death of Agnès in 1450 Antoinette replaced her in Charles VII's affections. In the same year the king arranged her marriage to André, baron de Villequier. The king also had the château de la Guerche built for her. She organised a 'flying squad' of beautiful ladies to amuse and distract the king, which included her sisters in law Marguerite de Monteil and Antoinette de Vauvert, known as 'Toinine'.
After the deaths of both the king and her husband, she became the mistress of François II, duke of Brittany, with whom she had three children: François, Antoine and Antoinette. François, who was bâtard de Bretagne, comte de Vertus et de Goello, baron d'Avaugour, was the only one to have progeny. He married Madeleine de Brosse, dite de Bretagne, great granddaughter of Jean VI, duc de Bretagne, and of Jean I de Brosse, seigneur de Boussac, companion of Jeanne d'Arc and marshal of France.
Antoinette de Maignelais died in 1474.
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