The 'Scandalous' Mistress of King Louis XV | The REAL Jeanne du Barry

Madame du Barry better known as the scandalous Mistress of Louis XV ended her life like many others in 18th century revolutionary France Under the Blade of the guillotine but how did she end up there and where did Madame do Barry come from she was born Jean beku on the 19th of August 1743 in vukola a commune in northeastern France her mother was Anne Baku a 30 year old seamstress who was unmarried making Xian illegitimate while her father is unknown there were rumors that he was a friar known as Jean-Jacques Gomez a shocking fact if it was true not much is known about Madame dubari's childhood but when she was around three years old her mother made the acquaintance of a more Sue billiard de Musso a financier and supplier to the Royal Army of France who lived in Paris and beku and her young daughter moved to Paris and both were placed in the household of his mistress with Anne working as a cook there were further rumors that Monsieur billiarde musu was a brief lover of ants and was father to xian's half-brother Claude demonso's mistress Francesca apparently adored little Jan spoiling her and lavishing attention and fine clothes on her this would be the first chance she was given to understand she had the power to capture people's attention Francesca would show her off to visitors dancing and entertaining them her mother was shut away in the kitchen however and demonso's visits became less and less as Francesca kept a sharp eye on him until at last and listened to an older sister who suggested marriage the possible future husband was Nicholas Ransom 10 years her Junior and pockmarked but earning a good income he was made more attractive when demoso appointed him as a store keeper to the Army and the two were married when Jian was about six years old it was decided she should be given an education and Francesca suggested a convent school for Wayward Girls run by the nuns of Santo this was not a fashionable Convent for the wealthy as the girls here were taught mainly domestic subjects and religious instruction however both music and drawing were also taught and Jan developed a love of drawing which would last with her into adult life when she later became a patron of the Arts she remained at the convent until she was 15 years old now she needed to find a form of income to support herself and her mother as her stepfather was away in Corsica however gian's family were all too aware of the dangers awaiting a pretty face in Paris and a job was soon found to keep her busy again her Aunt Helen the coup came to the rescue with employment as a Young hairdresser's Apprentice by the end of 1758 Jian not only had a job she was perfect for but lamettes the young hairdresser had fallen head over heels in love with her while there was no mention of marriage he was happy to welcome Jan into his luxurious apartment and shower her with money and gifts at least until his mother found out and declared an end to the whole Affair Madame lamett was Furious that her son had squandered his income on a working-class slip of a girl and an end was put to the affair her next work was as a ladies made to an elderly lady a madame de la God but it wasn't long before the old lady was just as Charmed with her pretty new maid as everyone else was and Jan became her companion Society people who hadn't visited much in recent years suddenly came more often a madame de la guard's two sons visits also became more frequent it wasn't long before the two men unhappy in their marriages found themselves equally infatuated with their mother's new companion Xian was happy to receive their gifts and attentions were once again the elderly lady was unhappy to find this situation and the future Madame duberry was once more without work but Jan had made the acquaintance of many wealthy and admiring men and it wasn't long before she was once more employed in their midst this time as a Millionaire's assistant in Allah toilette one of the most exclusive fashion houses in Paris it was run by Monsieur labu father to the artist Adelaide label gyad who became good friends with Jean Baku she thrived in the shop as the center of attention gaining gifts from Rich Bankers merchants and minor nobility alike who fell for her slanting violet blue eyes and golden ringlets of hair she was never happy to accept the offers of becoming mistress to one man however always searching for luxury in higher quarters but it was in 1763 that the definitive moment that was just set the path from Madame du Bari came Jian was now going by the surname Vernier a nod to the rumors of her possible monk father she and Adelaide labu were invited to view the unveiling of a new equestrian statue of King Louis XV the statue was viewed somewhat mockingly as the once beloved King was becoming despised by his subjects thanks to the loss of Canada to Britain and constant Wars on behalf of Empress Maria Teresa and the Austrian Alliance nevertheless it was a grand spectacle to celebrate the unveiling with fireworks mock battles on the sen and meat handed out to the poor it was there she caught the eye of Jean-Baptiste Dubarry a minor Noble from Toulouse he was from an impoverished military family but had come to Paris after leaving his wife and baby son behind at his country Chateau and was now so renowned as a card shop and Seducer of women that he earned the nickname Le Roux The Rake he had made some lucrative deals with army contracts but his real income came from his ability to find and procure pretty young women ranging from shop girls to little-known actresses in short Dubarry worked as a pimp for the wealthy and well-to-do of Paris quickly making the acquaintance of Zhang it wasn't long before she was installed in his household in the first few months Jean-Baptiste dubari was so infatuated with his new Young mistress that John entered the world of the courtesan showered with jewels and fine clothes her mother now dressed in silks and had her own servants and her stepfather was given a lucrative promotion but the spell was broken when du Barry's 14 year old son arrived in Paris he was quieter than his father but instantly liked by Jean who welcomed him with open arms do Barry wanted to gain a place at Versailles for his shy son and he managed it through his friendship with the 70 year old Duke duration who was disliked by many but loved by the king in exchange for his son's position Zhang was sold to the Duke being given 1200 liver for her compliance around twenty thousand pounds today the old man protected her from her first day at court and for her part Jam remained loyal to him his whole life however Mademoiselle varbernier as she was now officially called also remained at dewberry's side appearing at his dinners and encouraging her admirers to lose their money in his gambling rooms in 1768 Zhang visited Versailles sent to see the most powerful man in France at that time the held a contract to supply arms to Corsica and he had handed the revenues from this to Zhang but only because the Duke de chosu aware of the abuses of these contracts was putting them to an end in hopes of keeping it Jean had to plead it was her only income Dubarry hoping Choi Sul would be bowled over by a pretty face he wasn't and Jan was sent away but as she was leaving and passing through the state Apartments Providence would step in the queen of France was dying and mass was being said for her every day to which king Louis XV attended as he passed through the gallery of mirrors on his way he happened to look up from his Melancholy grief and met the gays of Jean's blue eyes and she dared to smile at him it wasn't long before the king obtained her identity with the help of Dominique guillem lebel who was his personal valet but also his procurer there is a story that upon Zhang's first meeting with the King she performed the expected three curtsies then walked up and kissed him full on the lips this story is likely not true but it is an example of how besotted the king became with her no one told him of her true Origins she was instead passed off as a married woman who had a few Liaisons at court this was fine for a passing fling but it became a worry for the king's Valley as Louis became more enamored on the 24th of June 1768 Queen Maria passed away it was none but Jun who was able to lift the king from his grief Louis XV had grown closer to his Queen in his later years after Madame Pompadour his most famous mistress became only his friend and without her by his son died having also lost several of his children to death over the last decade Louis was a man searching for something to make him feel happy once more libel had no choice but to tell the king the truth the King was furious with his valet and ordered him to at once arrange a marriage for his new lover that would Supply her with the necessary title for a mistress of the king official Mistress of the king Jean needed to be both married and a member of the nobility jean-baptist du Bari would have married her himself had he not already been married to a long-suffering wife and so he suggested his brother guillon DeBerry Guillaume was short fat and like drinking but had been invalided out of the army and was unlikely to have other marriage prospects he was persuaded to become the husband of a woman whose bed he would never share by a large sum of money from his brother and the contrivance of the Richelieu on the 1st of September that year the wedding took place with the aid of a false birth certificate stating Jean was of noble descent she was installed above the king's Chambers but now led a lonely life due to the protocol of the French Court Louis was unable to be seen in public with her as she had not yet been presented at court despite attempts to button down her past the court was full of whispers about the girl who had been plucked from the streets and installed as the king's mistress a non of the noble women dared to put themselves forward as her Patron revolted that a commoner should dare to converse with them and aspire to their position the king demanded a patron be found and again with the Duke de richelieu's help Madame de Ben was put forward she was encouraged to take the position by having her huge gambling debts paid off it took three attempts before the presentation was successful however the first time Madame de Ben grew nervous and feigned a sprained ankle on the second occasion Louis was hurt by falling from a horse and breaking his arm but at last on the 22nd of April 1769 Jean was presented at the court at Versailles as Madame dubari she wore a silver white gown threaded with gold be decked with jewels sent the night before from the King and her koifu was so spectacular it was the cause of her being late she now also had a companion her sister-in-law Claire Francois Jean-Baptiste had arranged for his sister to join Jian as his sister was not renowned for her looks or Dowry but was witty and clever and the two women aided one another in the protocols and rituals of the new world Madame dubari found herself in Madame dubari soon settled into her new life finally enjoying the endless luxury she had always craved Louis XV gave her a young Bengali slave named zamor Jean took a liking to zamor and provided him with elegant clothes and an education she was brought hot chocolate in bed every morning dressed in fine gowns and jewelry and had her hair done by professional hairdressers she would then receive visitors artists and Jewelers who hoped that she would buy something of their new stuff Jan had always loved art since her days drawing in the convent and now she used her new riches to become Patron to many artists she even made some new friends at court with the aid of the king inviting Noble ladies who were old friends to an intimate dinner one night and Jean soon became close to Madame de flavico and the maracel DI mirapua but despite her Hedonism Jean had a kind heart her sponsor Madame de Beren was friends with the elderly Compton contest to Lucerne who had been evicted from their home by gambling debts the contest had shot dead a police officer in a bailiff while resisting and so now they were both condemned to be beheaded Jean knelt before the king and pleaded Mercy on their behalf stating that she would not rise until they were pardoned Louis was overwhelmed and agreed to Pardon them stating Madame I am delighted that the first favor you should ask of me should be an act of Mercy Jean was also visited by a Monsieur Mandeville who asked for her helping pardoning a young girl who had been charged with infanticide for giving birth to a stillborn baby but not telling the authorities wrote to the chancellor of France and was again successful in her request but in her new position at court John soon also made enemies The Duchess de gramo sister to the Duke had wanted the position of the king's mistress for herself until Madame Dubarry turned up both she and her brother went so far as to anonymously Finance gutter pamphlets slandering both Jean and Louis XV but Madame dubarry's power at court grew as Choice waned against the king's wishes decided to side with Spain against Britain for possession of the Falkland Islands when the dewberries found out Jean brought this plot to Louie's attention and shoizu was dismissed from his position on Christmas Eve 17 71 it was proof that a young girl of common blood with no head for politics could still be a dangerous adversary if she had the king's ear however despite her kindly nature and patronage of the Arts she was unpopular with the people due to her extravagant spending even though the king gave her a huge monthly income she was still often in debt and there were still those at court who ignored her most notably Marie Antoinette after complaining of this to the king the king that advised the Austrian Ambassador who in turn spoke with Marie Antoinette and asked her to speak with Madame Dubarry eventually on New Year's Day 1772 the dolphin stood near Madame du Barry and casually said there are many people at Versailles today giving her the option to respond or not it was enough to please young most of the ways in which she was treated and the later portrayal of her character were based either on snobbery from above or jealousy From Below she had put herself in a place few would feel comfortable in a common girl in the position of a noble woman in 18th century France but although Madame du Barry had some happy years by the king's side they were not to last in 1774 Louis XV grew ill and took to his sick bed his three daughters stayed by his side in the daytime and Jean by Night Time Louis grew weaker and when efforts to revive him did not work the doctors had to admit to their King that he had contracted smallpox Jean bravely decided to stay by his side this was no small matter for a woman whose entire livelihood depended on the beauty of her face risking a disease which if she survived could scar her permanently but on the 4th of of May Louis suggested to Madame Dubai that she had to leave a sigh both to keep herself safe and to allow him to prepare for the last rites she was relieved of her duties and placed under the protection of the Duke to aguyong who offered to take her to his castle at Rio Zhang left the room calmly but fainted once outside and had to be carried to her Apartments where she spent the night in tears in the morning she left in a hired Carriage so as not to arouse the crowds outside the king later asked for her and upon hearing she had already left stated what already and tears fell down his face whatever the courtiers of Versailles may have thought there was a deep affection between the pair King Louis XV died on the 10th of May his successor his grandson Louis XVI was persuaded to banish Madame dubari to the Abe duponto Dam a Convent At first she was intensely disliked by the nuns who knew in their midst was a mistress of the king who had little regard for their religious way of life but it wasn't long before zhan's charm and good nature warmed them to her and she soon settled in as she had at all new turns of her life after year of living at the convent she was granted allowance to visit the surrounding Countryside but to be back by evening just a month later she was allowed to go further but not to travel more than 10 miles towards Versailles finally after two years she was permitted to return to her beloved Chateau de Lucian a chateau that had been given to her by Louis XV and was close to Versailles she lived there for many years having a few Liaisons with new lovers such as the Duke de brusack who later would have his head thrown through her window during the French Revolution Madame dubari's connection with the French Revolution came first with her slave zamor in 1792 she discovered he had joined the Jacobin Club an important political club for the revolutionaries Zhang was horrified and immediately demanded he hand in his notice and leave her service it was a bad move zamor did as she asked and then went and denounced his mistress to the Committee of Public Safety based on his testimony Madame Dubarry was suspected of funding Emma Grace who were fleeing the revolution but she wasn't arrested immediately she continued to live at her Chateau much as she had before taking perfumed baths and having her hair done every morning less and less of her friends were around some in Exile others in hiding are nobles who had once rejected her were now glad to be invited to her dinner parties but things took a darker turn in 1793 when the Revolutionary tribunal of Paris accused her of treason and she was condemned to death in an attempt to save her life Madame dubari gave details of jewels she had hidden in England a few years before when the terror started she had been robbed and The Jewels were found in England along with the thieves rather than bring them back to France with her Madame Dubarry traveled to London to identify her gems but left them behind on her return unfortunately it was these travels between England and France that left doubt on her statement that she was not working with English spies the confession did nothing to change her fate but her Jewels would later be taken and sold after her death after being kept in prison for more than two months on the 8th of December 1793 Madame du Barry was led to the guillotine at the place de la Revolution throughout her life madame Barry had kept an easy composure whenever things got tough but this now abandoned her frightened by her fate she collapsed in the car taking her to the plastille revolution crying out you are going to hurt me why she screamed and begged for mercy from the watching crowd but none came forward to help her the final moments of a woman who had been a hedonist but a Kind and Generous one a woman who set out only to better herself in the only way she was able from her station in 18th century France were once held in Terror upon arriving at the guillotine she is said to have uttered to the Executioner one more moment Mr executioner I beg you it did no good and her head was separated from her body her remains like so many victims of the terror were buried in the Madeline Cemetery Madame du Barry was and still often is popularly seen as a scandalous Harlot a woman who was little more than a prostitute working her way up to the most Royal of beds but in the context of her time zhiyan can actually be seen as a girl making the most of what she was able to use at a time where few women were allowed to own a business alone be an artist or hold a position of power she found that her easy charms and Beauty were a key to providing herself and her family with a life of luxury barred to those who were not nobility while she was accused of being a spy for England helping French Nobles Escape it's unlikely she was actually guilty of the charges against her but her decadent spending and lavish lifestyle drew the attention of a populus rightly frustrated and angry with a monarchy that appeared not to care as they starved in the streets and her connection to Louis XV made her part of that world Madame dubari may be remembered as many things but it is worth remembering that the scandalous Harlot of Versailles was also a kind woman a faithful daughter who supported her mother and stepfather to the end and a woman who brought joy to an aging man her only crime was to want a better life for herself if you enjoyed this video don't forget to like And subscribe so you don't miss any new documentaries [Music]

Channel: History's Forgotten People

Views: 283,721

Keywords: french history, french revolution, madame du barry, louis XV, louis XVI, marie antoinette, royal mistress, history of versailles

Id: spnljF7ebtI

Length: 27min 30sec (1650 seconds)

Published: Fri Jan 13 2023