Louis XIV's Illegitimate Children

foreign [Music] illegitimate children Louis XIV King of France from 1638 to 1715 was like all French Kings expected to have many lovers to prove his virility and as could be expected in a time before reliable birth control he also had a large crop of illegitimate children last week we met 13 of Louie's Mistresses today we'll meet the 16 resulting Offspring they were granted Grands titles and Estates and married to high-ranking Royals but they often faced Prejudice from haughty courtiers for being born on the wrong side of the sheets Louis XIV inherited the throne when he was just five at 22 his mother arranged a marriage to his double first cousin Maria Theresa daughter of King Philip IV of Spain the union ended a long war between the great Nations and it was hoped that she would bear the king a brood of children to fill the line of succession but selecting such a close relation as the king's mate did not work out well Maria Theresa was a member of the Habsburg family who were notorious for incest and the host of health problems and high infant mortality that came along with it her younger half-brother King Charles II of Spain was the most tragically inbred Monarch in Europe King Louis was unimpressed with his bride upon their first meeting still he remained faithful to her for the first year of their marriage she gave birth to a healthy son Louis Grand dolphin but in the years that followed the queen had five more children who all died tragically young and Elizabeth and Marie Anne were lost in infancy Marie Therese died from tuberculosis at five Philippe Charles from a chest infection at two and Louis Francois in infancy while the queen suffered the tragic deaths of her children she also had to endure her husband ignoring her in favor of his many Mistresses Maria Theresa couldn't bear to see the madams pregnant at court but she doted on their children eight of whom the king legitimized and awarded Grand titles was the first of King Louie's illegitimate children born to his first serious mistress Luis De La valiere as the king's devout mother disapproved of adultery he tried to keep his love affairs discreet until after her death when Louise began to show she was whisked away from court she gave birth on December 19th in secret and the baby was taken away to be raised by trusted servants Louise returned to court but news of the birth got out at a Christmas Eve midnight mass she was scorned by the court and so humiliated that she ran from the church Louise was soon pregnant again and gave birth to two more Sons Philippe in January of 1665 and Louis in December of the same year tragically all three babies died within a year of each other of unknown illnesses Louise and Louis didn't see their children often but still they mourned their deaths Louise's fourth child Marie Anne De bourbon survived childhood when she was one her father recognized and legitimized her she was able to use the king's surname of War Bon but she was not added to the line of succession at this time her mother was pregnant with her fifth child but the king had grown tired of her he ignored her in favor of his new mistress Madame DE montespan after three years Louise grew tired of the neglect and left court to become a nun she left her two children behind as well they were added to the household of their father's brother the Duke duerleon and raised with his children the King was exceedingly fond of his eldest surviving daughter even Queen Maria Theresa doted on Marie Anne she was also close to her legitimate half-brother Louis Grand Delfin the siblings visited each other often throughout their lives when Marie was 13 her father arranged a grand marriage for her to his own distant cousin 18 year old Louis Armand the first de borbon Prince of Conti as Louis Armand was a prince of the blood and a legitimate descendant of King Louis IX while Marie Anne was illegitimate the union caused Scandal it would not be the first as king Louis married many of his illegitimate children to his Royal relatives the prince fell in love with his bride at First Sight but their wedding night was a disaster for five years they remained childless and Marie Anne shocked the court by openly stating that her husband was terrible at sex Marie Anne and Louis Armand both contracted smallpox she recovered but he died at the age 24 with her marital responsibilities Over The Dowager princess threw herself into the social life at court at 32 she received a marriage proposal from her 15 year old nephew Philippe Duke of Angie a younger son of her own half-brother Louis gandolfin but the union would have been inappropriate Philippe would later become king Philippe V of Spain Marie Anne also rejected a proposal from the Sultan of Morocco as she preferred the freedom of widowhood she did have an affair with an impoverished Knight but her father learned that he was taking advantage of her and banished him Marie Anne ranked high in the rigid pecking order of her father's court but when her younger sisters both married men of even higher rank the siblings became enemies when Marie Anne was 44 4 her mother died leaving her a substantial fortune and her title of Duchess of LA villiere and al-fu Jour she bought herself an hotel in Paris and the Chateau Du schwazi Marie Anne was 49 when her father died as both his eldest son and eldest grandson had pre-deceased him he left the throne to his great-grandson five-year-old King Louis XV he was betrothed to three-year-old infanta Mariana Victoria of Spain who was brought to France to be raised until she was old enough to marry Marie Anne was appointed to oversee the princess's education the engagement was called off four years later Mariana Victoria returned to Spain and later became queen of Portugal Marie Anne retired to the countryside and lived in luxury until the age of 72 when she died of a brain tumor King Louis lavished his illegitimate children with gifts but while Noble titles and millions of Libra are nice what they really wanted was some history tea time merch I'm dropping two new designs today this one honors the eight queens regnant of England Matilda who fought a Civil War for the crown Jane gray the nine days queen bloody mary the first glorious Elizabeth the first Mary the second half of Britain's only co-monarchy her sister Anne Victoria and of course Elizabeth II whose 70-year Reign came to an end this year under each Queen are the dates of her birth Reign and death my other new design honors The Six Wives of Henry VII incorporating the famous rhyme about their terrible Fates if england isn't your thing I have four other designs which include Queens from around the world I hope you will find something perfect for yourself or as a fun holiday gift for the history lover in your life you can order any of these designs printed on t-shirts hoodies tote bags tea cups stickers and more click on the link in the description to get history tea time merch today and help support the channel use promo code history 10 before December 10th to get 10 off and now back to history Louis count of Vermont was legitimized at two created account and appointed Admiral of France though he wasn't really expected to command the Royal Navy before he could talk he was raised in the household of the king's younger brother Philippe the first Duke of Orlean who was famously effeminate and bisexual one of his many lovers Philippe du Lorraine was handsome but described as insinuating brutal and devoid of Scruples the teenage count became involved with the Reigns circle of friends who secretly called themselves the holy Congregation of Glorious pederas they had sex with teenage boys when the king learned of his son's involvement he banished Lorraine and reprimanded his son he wanted to marry him off as soon as possible to cover up the Scandal hoping to mend the relation ship between Father and Son The Duchess of Orlean suggested the younger Louis be sent as a soldier to fight in Flanders while there Louis fell ill and his doctor advised him to return home to recover but he was desperate to win back his father's approval and he remained on the battlefield he had died there a month shy of his 17th birthday his aunt and his sister greatly mourned his death while his father reportedly did not shed a tear his mother was still obsessed with the sins of her Youth and remarked I ought to weep for his birth far more than for his death Louis was buried in Aras Cathedral though it was suggested that he may not have died but may have been the mysterious Man in the Iron Mask King Louie's second significant mistress Francoise attenais Marquis De montespon was already a mother of two when their Affair began her first child by the king Louise Francois de borbon died at the age of two Louis Auguste Duke of men was named after Augustus ancient Rome's first emperor at his birth he was placed in the care of his mother's friend Francois dubignier she raised all of Madame de montespan's children with the king in a house near the Luxembourg palace in Paris they rarely saw their mother who lived in the palace with the King Louis alcoust was particularly close to his governess and considered her his real mother because of a birth injury one of his legs was shorter than the other Francoise took him to doctors in Belgium and a spa in the Pyrenees Mountains in search of a cure when he was three his father legitimized he and his siblings the next year he introduced them at court and made Louis Auguste a colonel General in the Swiss guard he was his father's favorite child and the King lavished him with titles and honors he was made Sovereign Prince of the Dooms he had the best tutors including a famous military strategist though he remained a mediocre student and Soldier his father wanted the best Bride for him as well the king considered the daughter of his own brother but her mother was horrified at the thought of her child marrying a bastard however the prince of Condi a more distant relative but still a prince of the blood was willing to overlook the discrepancy in Social Status Louis Auguste was given a choice between the Duke's three daughters all three were very short he selected at the middle daughter Louise Benedict because she was an inch taller than the others her elder sister was deeply offended at their wedding the guest of honor was King James II who had recently been kicked off The Throne of England Louis agus mother Madame de montespan who had been banished from Court during the affair of the poisons was not invited Louise Benedict walked with a limp just like her husband many at court snickered cruelly at the couple their marriage was not happy she was ashamed at having been forced to Wed an illegitimate son and was often Unfaithful they had three children which are assumed to have been his when his mother died he inherited the bulk of her estate but he mourned her very little as he had barely known her he was always much closer to his former governess Madame de montanon who after the death of Queen Maria Theresa became the king's secret wife in in 1711 King Louie's only surviving legitimate son Louis Grand delfine died of smallpox at 49. a year later his eldest son Louis Duke of burgundy died of measles at 29. his brother Philippe had recently denounced his claim to the throne of France in order to take the Throne of Spain and women and their descendants were barred from the succession entirely this meant there were only two people in line to the throne King Louis XIV infant great-grandson Louis and his grandson shal duked Berry having just fought a war with Spain because their Dynasty had died out the king knew he needed to ensure the future of his own Throne thus he made two of his illegitimate Sons Louis Auguste and his younger brother Louis Alexandra princess of the the blood and added them to the succession as the king's Health deteriorated he sent these Sons to events in his place in his will King Louis named both his legitimate nephew the Duke dorlione and Louis Auguste as Regents for his five-year-old great-grandson now King Louis XV but Orlean had the will annulled by Parliament and took the Regency all for himself urged by his ambitious wife Louis Auguste joined the silamar conspiracy against the Regent the plot was foiled and Louis August was sent to prison for five years his wife was ashamed at having instigated his downfall when he was released they retired to their Estates and lived a peaceful life together she tried to find spouses for their three children but the haughty members of the Court refuse their proposals and all three remained unmarried Louis Auguste died at 66. Louis Cesar count of vixon was named after Julius Caesar as was common for second Sons Cesar was destined for the church and was granted the title Abbott of sandini when he was two years old he was born with a crooked spine one of his shoulders was higher than the other and he walked with a limp doctors tried a number of painful experimental treatments on him but rather than improve his condition they left him bedridden for days Cesar died at the age of 10 and was buried at the Abbey of Sasha men Dupree his mother and father were both distraught Luis Francoise de borbon was born in tourne when her parents were on a military tour she was very close to her younger sister Louise Marie Anne who was given the title Madame de tours and nicknamed tutu Luis Francoise was heartbroken when tutu died at the age of six her mother was saddened but was far too busy to attend the funeral Luis Francoise never bonded with her youngest sister Francois Marie she was a talented dancer and inherited her mother's caustic wit which made her adored by some and disdained by others she was called the prettiest wittiest and naughtiest of the fast set at court and was in constant hot water her comic first often indecent was genuinely amusing except to the victims and the King was not at all amused at a set which she had written on his Auguste South at 11 Louise was wed to 16 year old Louis Duke de bourbon her father's cousin and given a dowry of 1 million Libra at 12 Louise came down with smallpox her husband stayed away but his mother and grandfather the prince du Condi nursed her back to health unfortunately the grandfather died of the disease after Louis Francois mother was banished from court she went to visit her at the convent where she had retired and the pair grew close she was greatly affected by her mother's death but her father forbade her to wear black at court she gave birth to nine children all of whom survived to adulthood it is likely that her fourth daughter Marie Anne was the result of a love affair with the prince of Conti when her husband learned of the infidelity he was Furious and began to sink into madness his father died and he became the prince of Conde but he died a year later The Dowager princess had a portrait painted of herself in widow's Garb but many suspected that her grief was not sincere she frequently attended the court of her legitimate half-brother Louis grundolphine in the hopes of ingratiating herself to the Future King but when he died unexpectedly she was rejected by the new dolphin Marie Adelaide who looked down on women of lower rank all that became moot within a year when the dolphon and dolphin both died of measles Louise had a long-term affair with the Marquis de la say he built the hotel dulase next to her Palace Bourbon and constructed an art gallery connecting the two homes so the lovers could meet King Louis XV asked Louise Francoise to be godmother to his first son she died at 70. Francoise Marie De barbon inherited her mother's Beauty and was a proud girl it was said that she remembered she was the daughter of the king even when on the toilet her former governess Madame de montanon cared deeply for her charges and encouraged the king to grant them important titles and Grand marriages four Francoise Marie she secured the highest match of all to the king's only legitimate nephew Philippe to Orlean the court was scandalized by the match between a prince of the blood and an illegitimate daughter Philippe's mother slapped him when she learned of the betrothal she treated her daughter-in-law with disdain and ignored her grandchildren she complained that Francois Marie believes she has done my son Honor by marrying him and she will not see any difference between legitimate and illegitimate the couple wed when she was 15 and t22 the ceremony took place in the Royal Chapel at the Palace of Versailles a banquet was held in the Hall of Mirrors Francoise Marie was now addressed as Royal Highness the newlyweds traveled and lodged with the King dined with him and were entitled to armchairs in his presence her new position put her above both of her older sisters 26 year old Marie Anne and 19 year old Louise Francoise the Elder sisters were also deeply hurt that their father gave Francoise Marie a dowry of 2 million Libra twice what they had received Francoise Marie flaunted her position above her sisters and all three were openly hostile to each other she also didn't get along with her husband he womanized and nicknamed her at Madame Lucifer she got drunk three to four nights a week despite the Discord the union produced eight children they became Duke and Duchess to orleon in 1701 and they spent lavishly to redecorate their palaces she managed to secure the marriage of one of her daughters Marie Louise to shall Duke to Barry the youngest son of her legitimate half-brother Louis grandofin and another daughter Louise Elizabeth to Louie's grandson King Louis the first of Spain further elevating her family when her father died both her husband and her brother the Duke of Maine were named as Regents to five-year-old King Louis XV the brothers-in-law quarreled over power or Leon won and Maine was imprisoned as the wife of the Regent Francoise Marie was the most important woman in France her husband granted her a massive allowance and she purchased and renovated The Chateau delay he died in 1723 and she enjoyed widowhood for 26 years when Louis XV wed a Polish princess Maria leschinska Francoise Marie's place at court was eclipsed but rather than make an enemy of the new Queen She befriended her helped her to learn the complicated etiquette of the court and through parties in her honor Francoise Marie died in 1749 age 71. she was the last surviving child of Louis XIV her descendants include the last kings of Italy and Portugal and the current Kings of Belgium and Spain Louis Alexandra count of Toulouse was named after Alexander the Great he was legitimized at three and made account and Grand Admiral during the war of Spanish succession 15-year-old Louis Alexandra was given the task of Defending Sicily at 18 he was named Marshall of France and at 26 he commanded the French Fleet at the Battle of Velez maliga he preferred to avoid the drama of court and getting pulled in to his siblings intrigues his father added both he and his elder brother Louis Auguste to the succession but while his brother was kicked out of power during the Regency of Louis XV Louis Alexandra held a position on the Regency Council he remained single until the age of 45 when he fell in love with Maria Victor 35 year old Widow of his maternal half-brother the couple wed in secret and had one Sun together Louis Alexandra died at 59. Armand Gaston maximilia to Raw Cardinal of Strasbourg was born shortly after his mother Ann du Roar had a brief affair with the King he was the seventh of her 11 children her husband the prince of subies claimed Armand as his own but it was noted how much he resembled the king Armand Rose High in both the church and in politics far beyond his siblings who did not enjoy a special Royal patronage he became Cardinal of Strasbourg and his possible father King Louis named him to the Regency Council during the minority of Louis XV Armand constructed the hotel duruan and lived there until the age of 75. Louise to Maison Blanche was the daughter of Claude duvonne de soye Claude was a lady in waiting to the king's official mistress Madame de montespawn Madame asked Claude to sleep with the King to keep other Rivals out of his bed Claude had many lovers and when she gave birth to her only child Louise and claimed it was the Kings he was dubious the baby was officially recorded as the daughter of a Cavalry Captain named Meson blosh Louise grew up to greatly resemble the king but he continued to deny his paternity and treated her and her mother coldly Claude was Furious she was implicated in the affair of the poisons and may have planned to murder the king in Revenge for refusing to legitimize Louise as he had done his children by his two official Mistresses clude was banished court she raised her daughter in Paris but died when Louise was only 11. she was taken in by her mother's friends at 20 she married Bernard de prey Baron de la coup a lieutenant in the Army the king sent his valet to oversee the wedding and Grant a dowry of 40 000 Libra a fraction of the millions her half-sisters had received when they wed princes her husband's position would have allowed Louise to attend her father's court but she never wanted to go the couple had 11 children two of her daughters attended Madame de montanon's boarding school for girls they were called petite fui du Roa granddaughters of the king Louise died of smallpox at the age of 42. want even more tea on History check out the history Tea Time Podcast available on Spotify Apple podcasts and Google podcasts if you enjoyed this video please like subscribe comment your thoughts and check out my other Royal history videos if you really want to help please consider supporting me on patreon a link is in the description thank you for watching

Channel: History Tea Time with Lindsay Holiday

Views: 390,987

Keywords: history, documentary, royal family, royalty, Royal history, Lindsay Holiday, Lindsay Holliday, History tea time, History tea time with Lindsay Holiday, royal mistresses, mistresses of Louis XIV, louis xiv, versailles, palace of versailles, louis xiv mistresses, madame de montespan, madame de maintenon, french history, france history, royal bastards, royal illegitimate children, louis xiv illegitimate children, illegitimate children of louis xiv, king louis xiv of france

Id: AhhPvp-zNAg

Length: 28min 40sec (1720 seconds)

Published: Tue Nov 22 2022