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| Armand de Gramont Comte de Guiche |
Son of: Antoine III de Gramont & Francoise-Marguerite du Plessis de Chivre.
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| Marguerite de Béthune |
Physical appearance & personal qualities.
"Fortune had been particularly kind to him. He possessed everything necessary to make him a general favourite: birth, wealth, good looks, winning manners. The consciousness, however, of these great advantages, says Madame de La Fayette, 'gave him a certain scornful air that tarnished his merit not a little, yet one must own me at Court so much of it as he.' The temperament of this hero was no less romantic than his appearance. His brain teemed with the most chivalrous and stored ideas; he longed for a grande passion, but it must not be one of your commonplace, vulgar sort. He wanted a Guinevere to play Launcelot to a Francesca to whom he might be the Paolo. And they married him when little more than a boy, much against his will, to an honest, prosaic girl. The marriage was, of course, unhappy---for the Comtesse de Guiche. She would have given half of her life to have been loved by him, but marriage had only served to make him long more than ever for the realisation of his extravagant, impossible idea. Now and then he fancied for a moment he had found what he sought; one of these brief illusions was a girl who afterwards became the famous Princesse des Ursins." (Court Beauties of Old Whitehall: 145)
An original character, just like the Gramont family.
"Like all of the Gramonts, Armand de Guiche was an original character. His family, with the exception of the famous Chevalier, who, afterwards returned to favour, stood high at Court. His father, the Marechal---Marechal Lampon they called him in Paris, from the number of lampoons his doings had inspired---was held in great esteem by Louis, who forgave him his private life for the sake of his public worth. His sister, the flighty Princess of Monaco, of whom there are many curious stories in the memoirs of the period, was loved by Monsieur as much as he could ever love any one, and an intimate friend of Madame as well; as was also his aunt, the Marquise de Saint-Chaumont, who was afterwards governess to her children. He himself had passed all his life at court, where till the infamous Chevalier de Lorraine came on the scene he was the bosom-friend of Monsieur." (Court Beauties of Old Whitehall)
The handsomest and most attractive man at court.
The handsomest and most attractive man at court.
". . . (A) soldier and man of considerable charm who enjoyed amorous intrigues with both men and women. . . He was part of the entourage of Philippe d'Orleans, whose favourite he was. 'He was the handsomest and most attractive man at court, utterly charming, gallant, bold, courageous, who radiated an air of natural nobility and grandeur. The vanity which resulted from possession of so many good qualities, together with the contemptuous manner which accompanied everything he did, detracted somewhat from his merit, yet it must be admitted that no other courtier possessed as much of that commodity as he. Monsieur had been extremely fond of him since boyhood and had always maintained regular relations with him which were as close as any that can exist between young men' (Mme de La Fayette, Histoire de Madame Henrietta, p. 449)." (Louise de La Valliere)
Caused more than one major scandal.
". . . The Count, Armand de Gramont, son of the Marshal and a famously handsome and wild young man whose indiscreet conduct at court was to arouse the King's displeasure on numerous occasions and to cause more than one major scandal. . . . " (Harvest of the Cold Months: The Social History of Ice and Ices:1665)
". . . The Count, Armand de Gramont, son of the Marshal and a famously handsome and wild young man whose indiscreet conduct at court was to arouse the King's displeasure on numerous occasions and to cause more than one major scandal. . . . " (Harvest of the Cold Months: The Social History of Ice and Ices:1665)
Lover of both the Duke of Orleans and his wife.
"My scandalous brother, Armand de Gramont, the celebrated Count of Guiche, was not only known for his haughty egotism and enchanting handsomeness, but also for his love affair with Philippe of France, Duke of Orléans and his wife, Henrietta of England. I shall leave you to make your own conclusions as I have made mine. He was brash, highly sexual, and charming, equally attracting both men and women to him." (History and Women: Women of Passion and Intrigue)
Irresistible attraction to women.
". . . At the other end of the spectrum, de Guiche was famous for being irresistibly attractive to women, and seldom capable of satisfying the desires he stirred in them. He was in Saint-Evremond's words. . . 'a young, a likable boy, to whom Venus was rarely propitious. . . ' (Saint-Evremond and His Friends: 134)
" . . . Armand, Comte de Guiche, the bravest and handsomest man at Court, dared to lift his eyes as high as Madame (that is, Henrietta, Duchess of Orleans), and professed himself her devoted servant. Madame de La Fayette speaks of him as a very fine and manly gentleman, infinitely superior to the idle gallants of the Court. Already he had proved his process on more than (Madame: A Life of Henrietta, Daughter of Charles I and Duchess of Orleans: 105)
"My scandalous brother, Armand de Gramont, the celebrated Count of Guiche, was not only known for his haughty egotism and enchanting handsomeness, but also for his love affair with Philippe of France, Duke of Orléans and his wife, Henrietta of England. I shall leave you to make your own conclusions as I have made mine. He was brash, highly sexual, and charming, equally attracting both men and women to him." (History and Women: Women of Passion and Intrigue)
Irresistible attraction to women.
". . . At the other end of the spectrum, de Guiche was famous for being irresistibly attractive to women, and seldom capable of satisfying the desires he stirred in them. He was in Saint-Evremond's words. . . 'a young, a likable boy, to whom Venus was rarely propitious. . . ' (Saint-Evremond and His Friends: 134)
" . . . Armand, Comte de Guiche, the bravest and handsomest man at Court, dared to lift his eyes as high as Madame (that is, Henrietta, Duchess of Orleans), and professed himself her devoted servant. Madame de La Fayette speaks of him as a very fine and manly gentleman, infinitely superior to the idle gallants of the Court. Already he had proved his process on more than (Madame: A Life of Henrietta, Daughter of Charles I and Duchess of Orleans: 105)
His lovers were:
1) Philippe I d'Orleans (1640-1701)
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| Anne-Marie de La Tremoille Princesse d'Ursins |
1) Anne-Marie de La Tremouille (1642-1722)
Princesse de Chalais
Princesse de Chalais
Also known as:
Madame de Chalais
Marie-Anne de la Tremouille
Princesse des Ursins
Princesse d'Ursins.
Daughter of: Louis de La Tremouille, Duc de Noirmoutiers & Renee-Julie Aubri.
Wife of:
1. Adrien Blaise de Talleyrand, Prince de Chalais (1638-1670), mar 1659
2. Flavio Orsini, Duca di Bracciano, mar 1675.
"Some court functions created a special position within the entourage of princes from which it was possible to get influence and power. Princess Orsini was a preeminent figure at the court of Philip V of Spain as camarera mayor to the queen, and she served as a vital link between courts of France and Spain. Maria-Anne de la Tremoille, born in 1642, who came from a great family in her own right, was the widow of a member of the Talleyrand-Perigord family. She took refuge in Rome, was admired by the Cardinals and married Flavio Orsini, Duke of Bracciano. When the surname was transformed into a French term, she became the Princesse de Ursins. She knew how to be helpful to French interests in Rome that brought her close to Madame Maitenon. As a result she was appointed to train and advise the new queen of Spain: she took with her knowledge of European courts and the international networks of modern Europe, her regular contact with princes and cardinals and complete mastery of the rules of ritual with a view -- and mission -- to give more flexibility to a Spanish court that was considered too formal and stuffy. She also had long experience of life, excellent writing skills and real political intelligence. She maintained essential correspondence with Madame de Maitenon, and especially with Torcy. Until her downfall in 1714, she imposed not her political views (this was not part of her duties), but a form of relationship between two princes: a dynamic solidarity that recognises the differences and disputes between the two countries and sought to blur them. . . The role of the princess depended on the court, and she gained influence by following the example of the Marquise de Maitenon who knew hot to further her plans in a round about manner. The path was discreet, informal, and mysterious, quite the contrary of all that was official and public. Yet the monarchy needed this element of secrecy and its state secrets, and the fact that women were in charge of it is quite revealing in itself." (Monarchy Transformed: Princes and their Elites in Early Modern Western Europe: 174)
" . . . Now and then he fancied for a moment he had found what he sought; one of these brief illusions was a girl who afterwards became the famous Princesse des Ursins." (: n.p.)
Physical appearance & personal qualities.
" . . . On account of her marriage Saint Simon says about her looks and character that: The new bride was young and beautiful and knew it. In all her manners she was grace itself, noble and polite with a measure and distinction that charmed beforehand. She talked in a peculiar but natural and charming way with a natural eloquence. Talking she never showed her feelings and could very well appear to others in proportions they could handle. At her place it was all perfumes and flowers, everyone was naturally attracted to her that had even more grace in mind than in looks. Her great charm was a continual resource for her which she used frequently. This did not mean she didn't suffer setbacks: she was accused of not always being sincere, of always using artifices. She had an unlimited ambition for which nothing was sacred. She lived and died sustained by great courage in all stages and reverses of her life, but also by great abilities; a cruel enemy to some, but also a good, steady and loyal friend to others." (The Spanish Succession)
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| Henrietta of England Duchess of Orleans @Wikipedia |
2) Henrietta of England.
Also known as Henriette-Anne, Duchesse d'Orleans.
Also known as Henriette-Anne, Duchesse d'Orleans.
"Armand was bisexual. He was part of the entourage of the homosexual Philippe de France, where many reckoned him the handsomest man at court. He was known for being vain, overbearing, and somewhat contemptuous, but many lovers of both genders often overlooked these flaws. It is generally accepted that he became the lover of Henrietta d'Orleans, but for a time he also paid court to Louise de La Vallière. Guiche was, however, not sufficiently enamored with Louise to challenge King Louis XIV's affections for her. He was exiled in 1662 for conspiring with the jealous
Henrietta d'Orleans to drive a wedge between Louis XIV and Louise." (Wikipedia)
". . . Guiche was notoriously neglecting his wife, Seguier's granddaughter, and openly paying court to Madame Henriette, the recently married bride of Monsieur. Madame, gossips said, reciprocated Guiche's infatuation. Since the King himself had also been indulging in a quite serious flirtation with his sister-in-law, Audigier's involvement with Guiche was becoming increasingly inauspicious. . . . " (Harvest of the Cold Months: The Social History of Ice and Ices:1666)
". . . Guiche was notoriously neglecting his wife, Seguier's granddaughter, and openly paying court to Madame Henriette, the recently married bride of Monsieur. Madame, gossips said, reciprocated Guiche's infatuation. Since the King himself had also been indulging in a quite serious flirtation with his sister-in-law, Audigier's involvement with Guiche was becoming increasingly inauspicious. . . . " (Harvest of the Cold Months: The Social History of Ice and Ices:1666)
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| Louise de La Valliere 1667 |
3) Louise de La Valliere (1644-1710)
Lover in 1665
Duchesse de La Valliere
Duchesse de Vaujours.
Daughter of: Laurent de La Baume La Blanc & Francoise Le Provost.That apparently wasn’t enough for Guiche, because in 1665 he also tried to romance Louise de La Valliere, who was Louis’ chief mistress at the time. Louis exiled him in 1662 for plotting with Henrietta to break up Louis and Louise." (An Historian Goes to the Movies)
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| Ninon de l'Enclos |
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| Charlotte de Sauve @Wikipedia |
French aristocrat, beauty, courtier & royal mistress.
Maid of honour to Catherine de' Medici
Maid of honour to Marguerite de Valois.
Daughter of: Jacques II de Beaune-Semblencay, Vicomte de Tours & Gabrielle de Sade.
Wife of:
1. Simon de Fizes , Baron de Sauve, Secretary to Charles IX & Henri III of France (d.1579), mar 1569
2. François de La Trémoille, Marquis de Noirmoutiers, mar 1584
Lover to both the queen's husband and brother.
"Charlotte de Sauve was in her early twenties, very pretty, and a valued member of Catherine's Flying Squadron. Married to a nondescript medieval functionary, Charlotte sought advancement by securing the intimate friendship of gentlemen of high rank and then reporting on them to the king and queen mother. Her great value was that she seemed to require no physical attraction at all in order to have sex, which meant that she was willing to sleep with both Marguerite's brother Francois and her husband, Henry. . . ." (The Rival Queens)
The string of lovers she had.
Charlotte became the mistress of Catherine’s son Francois, Duc d’Alencon and then of her son-in-law Henry of Navarre. Charlotte was also the mistress of Henri de Lorraine, Duc de Guise and was with him the night before his assassination at Blois (Dec 23, 1588). During the reign of Henry IV (1588–1617) Madame de Noirmoutiers attended the Bourbon court but though she was received there by the royal family, she never lived down her previous scandalous reputation. With the death of her husband (Feb, 1608), she became the Dowager Marquise de Noirmoutiers. Madame de Noirmoutiers died (Sept 30, 1617) aged sixty-six. Charlotte appears as a character in the historical novel entitled Evergreen Gallant (1965) by British novelist Jean Plaidy." (Women of History)
Personal & family background.
Personal & family background.
Beautiful, intelligent and immoral, Charlotte became a member of the special squadron of beauties kept by the queen mother to entrap various nobles into line with her plans. She proved extremely successful as a sexual adventuress. She was married firstly to Simon de Pizes, and secondly to Francois de La Trémoille, Marquis de Noirmoutiers and became the Marquise de Noirmoutiers, being the mother of his son Louis I de La Tremoille (1586–1613) who succeeded his father as Marquis de Noirmoutiers (1608–1613) and left issue Louis II de La Tremoille (died 1660) who was created Duc de Noirmoutier.
"Sauve, Charlotte de (1551–1617), French Valois beauty and courtier Charlotte de Beaune-Semblançay, Baronne de Sauve was the daughter of Jacques II de Beaune-Semblançay, Vicomte de Tours and his wife Gabrielle de Sade. Her paternal great-grandfather Jacques I de Beaune had been executed at the behest of Louise d’Angouleme, the mother of King Francois I (1515 – 1547) whilst her mother was of the family of Petrarch’s beauty Laure de Sade and of the notorious lecher Alphonse Donatien, Marquis de Sade. Charlotte inherited the fief of Semblancay in the vicomte of Touraine (Indre et Loire) and was sent to court to be educated in the household of the Queen Mother Catherine de Medici, the mother of King Charles IX (1560 – 1574).
"Charlotte de Sauve has been credited as a source of the information that led to the execution of Marguerite de Valois's lover Joseph Boniface de La Môle and Annibal de Coconnas for engaging in a conspiracy to overthrow the gravely ill Charles IX and the Queen Mother in 1574 with the assistance of Huguenot troops. In 1575, Catherine de' Medici, abetted by her son Henry III, instructed Charlotte to seduce the king's brother, her youngest son, François, Duke of Alençon, with the aim of provoking hostility between the two young men, so that they would not conspire together in the future. Charlotte subsequently became the duke's mistress, creating a rift between the former close friends, as Navarre and Alençon became rivals over Charlotte. According to Marguerite's memoirs: 'Charlotte de Sauve treated both of them [Navarre and Alençon] in such a way that they became extremely jealous of each other, to such a point that they forgot their ambitions, their duties and their plans and thought of nothing but chasing after this woman'. Henry of Navarre wrote to a friend: 'The court is the strangest I have ever known. We are nearly always ready to cut each other's throat ... All the band you know wants my death on account of my love for Monsieur [Alençon] and they have forbidden for the third time my mistress [Charlotte de Sauve] to speak to me. They have such a hold on her that she does not dare look at me. I am waiting for a minor battle, for they say they will kill me, and I want to be one jump ahead of them". On one occasion, Henry III had Alençon's papers searched for evidence of political plotting but turned up only a declaration of love from Madame de Sauve." (Wikipedia)
" . . . Catherine de' Medici also asked Charlotte to seduce her youngest son, Francois, Duke of Alencon to cause friction with Henry of Navarre so the two would never team together against Catherine and her beloved son, King Henry III of France. . . ." (The Examiner)
2) Francois II de La Tremoille, Marquis de Noirmoutier
3) Gilles de Souvre, Marquis de Courtanvaux.
" . . . Catherine de' Medici also asked Charlotte to seduce her youngest son, Francois, Duke of Alencon to cause friction with Henry of Navarre so the two would never team together against Catherine and her beloved son, King Henry III of France. . . ." (The Examiner)
2) Francois II de La Tremoille, Marquis de Noirmoutier
3) Gilles de Souvre, Marquis de Courtanvaux.
"Charlotte de Sauve later became the mistress of Navarre's greatest adversary, Henry I, Duke of Guise, with whom she spent the night at Blois on 22 December 1588, before his assassination by 'the Forty-five', Henry III's bodyguards, the following morning. She had other lovers, including the Duc d'Épernon and the Seigneur d'Avrilly.'" (Wikipedia)
5) Henri IV de France
5) Henri IV de France
"Henry [III] next accused his sister of being too friendly with Thorigny, one of her ladies, and persuaded Navarre to expel the lady from his household. At the same time the king drove a wedge between Navarre and Alencon by exposing them to the charms of Charlotte de Sauve, the wife of a secretary of state. As both fell madly fell in love with her, they longed to be rid of each other. 'The court is the strangest I have ever known,' wrote Navarre to a friend. 'We are nearly always ready to cut each other's throat. We carry daggers, wear coats of mail and often a cuirass beneath a cape . . . The king is as vulnerable as I am ... All the band you know wants my death on account of my love for Monsieur and they have forbidden for the third time my mistress (Charlotte de Sauve) to speak to me. They have usch a hold on her that she does not date to look at me. I am waiting for a minor battle, for they say they will kill me, and I want to be one jump ahead of them.'" (Catherine de' Medici: 180)
" . . . Madame de Sauve's favors had evidently been thrown in as a reward for Henry's acceptance of the king's Faustian bargain, for, to her lover's acute joy (and Francois's abject wretchedness), Charlotte suddenly began to spend much more time with the king of Navarre. The price of her affections was his complete estrangement from his wife, a condition that no doubt originated with Henri---or, as Margot was convinced, with Guast acting for Henri. . . ." (The Rival Queens)
6) Jean-Louis de Nogaret de la Valette, 1st Duc d'Epernon. (1554-1632).
7) Louis-Berenger, Seigneur du Guast.
7) Louis-Berenger, Seigneur du Guast.
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| Louis de Bussy Lord of Bussy d'Amboise |
8) Louis de Bussy d'Amboise (1549-1579)
French medieval general
Seigneur de Bussy d'Amboise.
9) Seigneur d'Avrilly.
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Francois III de Bassompierre Marquis d'Haroue |
Marquis d'Haroue
Marshal de Bassompierre
French courtier, diplomat,
marshal & royal favourite.
Son of: Christophe de Bassompierre & Louise Picart.
Husband of: Louise-Marguerite de Lorraine, daughter of Henri I de Lorraine, Duc de Guise, widow of Francois de Bourbon, Prince de Conti, mar b/w 1615-1630.
"Marshal de Bassompierre was a finished specimen of the French rake of the time of Henry IV; and if his intrigues procured him some agreeable enjoyments, he was also indebted to them for many misfortunes. His amours with Marie de Balsac, sister to Henriette de Balsac, marchioness of Verneuil, are notorious. These ladies were daughters of Francois de Balsac, seigneur of Entragues and of Marie Touchet." (Illustrations of the Passions of Love: 187)
Affair with Charlotte-Marguerite de Montmorency.
"Francois de Bassompierre had other advantages besides his father's military fame; he was one of the high nobility of France, and a favourite of Henry's, and considered a fitting match for the daughter of the Great Constable Montmorenci: he wooed the young beauty, and won her, for she chose him out of a host of suitors. Her choice was approved by her father, and the king's consent obtained, but Henry had not then seen nota then seen Charlotte Marguerite: she went to court---was acknowledged to be the handsomest woman there; and captivating the fancy of the king, then in his fifty-seventh year, he declared himself madly and desperately in love, did not sleep for several nights, out of jealousy, and one morning, after a wakeful night, sent for the betrothed noble. . . ." (The Lady's Magazine and Museum, Vol 9: 354)
" . . . Bassompierre was the handsomest and most admired of all the peers of France. He stood very high in the favour of his sovereign; and so generally irresistible was he considered by the ladies, that his choice of Mademoiselle de Montmorenci had entitled her to the envy of half the females of the court, who had vainly endeavoured to fix his roving heart. Charlotte, in accepting him, had driven a hundred lovers to despair; for the beautiful and wealthy daughter of the most illustrious peer of France, from the moment she quitted her convent, had been surrounded by suitors. The provoking dark eyes, whose impertinent observations had annoyed and offended her in the royal salon de danse, did not belong to any of these luckless gallants. It would have been difficult, perhaps, for any lady, however fair, to reject the addresses of a man with such a pair of eyes, if their owner had rendered them as eloquent and impassioned pleading as they were in reproof. . . ." (The Court magazine and belle assemblée, Vol 12: 96)
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Francois III de Bassompierre |
Three mistresses all at once.
"The marshal de Bassompierre had, in 1608, three mistresses at once, and was as proud as a hero can possibly be of the most glorious victory, that, at an entertainment at court, he paid so much attention to them all, that none of them was jealous of the others.
His lovers were:
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| Louise-Marguerite de Guise Princesse of Conti @Wikipedia |
1) Louise-Marguerite de Guise (1588-1631)
Princesse de Conti.
Daughter of Henri I de Lorraine & Catharina von Kleve.
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| François de Bourbon Prince of Conti @Wikipedia |
Husband of:
1. François de Bourbon, Prince de Conti (1558-1614), mar 1605
"The enmity of the count de Soissons against M. de Bassompierre, which occasioned his prosecution by his mistress's family, seems to have arisen from the marshal's being beloved by Louis-Marguerite de Lorraine, daughter of Henry I, duke of Guise, called le Balafre. She had married Francis, prince de Conti, brother of the count de Soissons. It is certain that, after the prince of Conti's death, his widow united herself, by a marriage de conscience, to the marshal, her lover, and had by him a son, known by the name of la Tour, who is mentioned in the journal of his life. M. de Bassompierre was arrested on account of this marriage, and put in the Bastille in 1631. Having some reason to expect such an event, he informs us, with great naivete, that he threw into the fire no less than 6,000 love letters received from various ladies. The princess, his wife, who a few days before had been banished to Eu, died of grief two months after. The marshal remained in the Bastille, and was not liberated until the death of cardinal Richelieu in 1643, a period of twelve years, and that without charge or examination. Such is despotism!"" (Illustrations of the Passions of Love: 193)
2. François de Bassompierre
2) Marie-Charlotte de Balzac d'Entragues(1588-1664)
Lover in 1604.
Daughter of: Francois de Balzac d'Entragues (1541-1613), Seigneur d'Entragues, & Marie de Touchet, Dame de Belleville
Natural offspring:
a. Louis de Bassompierre, Bishop of Saintes.
Notorious amours.
Notorious amours.
"Marshal de Bassompierre was a finished specimen of the French rake of the time of Henry IV; and if his intrigues procured him some agreeable enjoyments, he was also indebted to them for many misfortunes. His amours with Marie de Balsac, sister to Henriette de Balsac, marchioness of Verneuil, are notorious. These ladies were daughters of Francois de Balsac, seigneur of Entragues, and of Marie Touche." (Illustrations of the Passions of Love: 187)
"The Marechal de Bassompierre left two sons, one by Marie d'Entragues, the other by the Princesse de Conti. The first, who was called Louis de Bassompierre, took Holy Orders, and, after being provided, doubtless through his father's influence, with two rich abbeys, was consecrated Bishop of Oloron, a see which he subsequently exchanged for the more important one of Saintes. He was, in later years, appointed almoner to Monsieur, the brother of Louis XIV; but this post he resigned, in order that he might reside continuously in his diocese, in which respect he set an example which other bishops would have done well to follow." (A Gallant of Lorraine, Vol 2: 247)
1) Madeleine de Montmorency-Laval-Bois-Dauphin
"Besides giving the Le Tellier prestige and some long-term social security, court offices crucially kept the avenues of communication to the king open to Louvois at all times through his kin. Mistresses fulfilled the same role: Madeleine de Laval, marechale de Rochefort, was dame du palais de la Reine from 1674, and, after she became Louvois's mistress, lady-in-waiting to the new Dauphine in 1680. Another of Louvois's mistresses, the wife of Elie du Fresnoy, one of his chief clerks, had been installed in 1673 as a bedchamber attendant to the queen." (The Dynastic State and the Army Under Louis XIV: 45)
"Despite the close work with the ministers of Darbon, one should say that the two most important commis were Elie du Fresnoy and Gilbert Colbert de Saint-Pouange. Du Fresnoy became a commis in 1641 under the Secretary of War Sublet de Noyers, he accompanied Louvois to northern Italy in 1670, his wife became Louvois's mistress, he was nominated to a lucrative position in the administration of the Swiss forces in French service, and he eventually died in post aged eithry-three in 1698. . . ." (The Dynastic State and the Army Under Louis XIV: 75)
2) Marie Collot (d.1714)
Marie was the wife Elie du Fresnoy (1614-1698), Seigneur de Fleury and one of the Marquis de Louvois's chief clerks. " . . . Despite the close work with the ministers of Darbon, one should say that the two most important commis were Elie du Fresnot and Gilbert Colbert de Saint-Pouange. Du Fresno became a commis in 1641 under the Secretary of War Sublet de Boyers, he accompanied Louvois to northern Italy in 1670, his wife became Louvois's mistress, he was nominated to a lucrative position in the administration of the Swiss forces in French service, and he eventually died in post aged eighty-three in 1698. . . . " (The Dynastic State and the Army under Louis XIV: Royal Service and Private Interest 1661-1701:75-76)
3) Marie-Sidonie de Lenoncourt
3) Marie-Sidonie de Lenoncourt
Mistresses as Avenues to Royal Power: "Besides giving Le Tellier prestige and some long-term social security, court offices crucially kept the avenues of communication to the king open to Louvois at all times through his kin. Mistresses fulfilled the same role: Madeleine de Laval, marechale de Rochfort, was dame du palais de la Reine from 1674, and, after she became Louvois's mistress, lady-in-waiting to the new Dauphine in 1680. Another of Louvois's mistresses, the wife of Elie du Fresnoy, one of his chief clerks, had been installed in 1673 as a bedchamber attendant to the queen." (The Dynastic State and the Army under Louis XIV: Royal Service and Private Interest 1661-1701:45)
References:
A Gallant of Lorraine: Francois, Seigneur de Bassompierre, Marquis d'Harouel, Marshal of France, 1579-1646 @Google Books.
A Gallant of Lorraine, Vol. 1 of 2 @Project Gutenberg.
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