😉 Greetings to regular and new readers! In the article “Famous women of the world in history: Madame de Pompadour” – briefly about the life of the favorite of King Louis XV of France, who had an influence on the state affairs of the country for 20 years.
Biography of Madame Pompadour
Most of us will not name the wife of King Louis XV. But the name of his official favorite, the Marquise de Pompadour, is known to many. How and why did this woman become famous?
Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson
Her real name is Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson. Lived: 1721-1764. She was of short origin. The daughter of a bankrupt lackey who speculated on the black market and fled to Germany so as not to be hanged. The girl’s mother quickly found a guardian for the children in the person of the Lenormand de Tournhem syndic.
The stepfather provided the girl with an excellent education. She studied singing, drawing, dancing and manners.
When Jeanette was 9 years old, a fortune teller predicted to her that she would be the king’s favorite mistress. Since then, this prophecy has become a girl’s dream.
At the age of 19, Jeanne-Antoinette married her stepfather’s nephew. The newlyweds moved to her husband’s family castle, not far from Versailles. Several children were born in this marriage, who died in infancy.
Jeanne-Antoinette had an acting talent. A wealthy and loving husband even organized a theater salon for her on the estate, which famous people of France, including Montesquieu and Voltaire, began to visit.
Jeannette soon became famous in Versailles and received an invitation to visit the court. The young beauty did not give up the hope of conquering Louis XV and stubbornly continued to pursue her goal.
Uncrowned Queen of France
Her dream came true in February 1745. She became the king’s mistress after parting with her husband forever. The king bestowed on her the title of marquise, later – duchess. Now their connection did not end until his death. The marquise, possessing tact, managed to win over the queen.
Rococo was the Marquise’s favorite style. Thanks to the painter François Boucher, who was patronized by Pompadour, we have the opportunity to admire the portraits of the court beauty and her luxurious outfits.
Historians have described Louis XV as a lazy and depraved ruler. Instead of a king, the country was actually ruled by a mistress! The energetic marquise was in charge of all court receptions and personally selected young mistresses for the monarch. It was to her that they came for a promotion.
Contemporaries attributed to Madame de Pompadour the decisive role of France’s entry into the unsuccessful Seven Years’ War (1756-1763).
Twenty years of the “reign” of the favorite has cost France incredibly dearly. Endless amusements, real estate, luxurious outfits, expensive jewelry, gourmet cuisine. Gifts to relatives were paid from the treasury.
Because of her extravagance, they began to publicly condemn her, nevertheless, the favorite managed to maintain the loyalty of the king. Pompadour died on April 15, 1764 from a lung disease that developed in her for 10 years. She was 42 years old.
Video
In this video, interesting and more detailed information on the article “Famous women of the world in history: Madame de Pompadour”
Friends, share the information “Famous women of the world in history: Madame de Pompadour” on social networks. 😉 Until next time! There are many stories ahead.