Adelaide of France (1732-1800)
See also: Adelaide of France
Marie Adelaide of France , known as “Mrs Adélaïde”, fourth girl and the sixth of the children of Louis XV and Marie Leszczyńska, was born the March 23rd 1732 with Versailles and died the February 27th 1800 with Trieste.
She passed her childhood to Versailles, with her sister Mrs Henriette (whereas all her younger sisters were sent to Fontevraud), where she lived in the shade of her brother, the Dauphin. Louis XV who liked it much, had fun to call it “Mrs Torchon” because of his taste for the house works.
Equipped with a sharp nature, it could be essential like a true household head near his sisters. Defending with heat the order of the Jesuit S, it put at back the Parlement. But the princess also tried to assert herself vainly, with her sisters and the dolphin, with the connection of Louis XV and Madam de Pompadour. The death of Mrs Henriette, then later, that of the Dolphin, affected it much, and it found in the music - just like his/her sisters - a true reason to live.
When Marie-Antoinette became dauphine of France (1770), it tried to put it on its side, against Madam of Barry, but the empress Marie-Therese opposed this agreement (though the dauphine one more savagely continued still the fight against the favorite one).
With died of the Dolphin (1765) and wife of this one (1767), Mrs Adélaïde had been agent of her papers, as well as instruction intended for the future king. This document was open on May 12th 1774 in a small board of guardians, in the presence of Louis XVI. It appointed three possible Prime Ministers: Maurepas, of Pivot and Machault.
After October 6th 1789, Mrs Adélaïde had to leave Versailles with Mrs Victoire; the two princesses settled with Bellevue (castle offered by Louis XV) rather than with the Tuileries.
The laws against the Church encouraged them to flee France to join the Italy on February 20th 1791. Their departure caused a certain emotion and they were stopped and retained a few days with Arnay-the-Duke. They arrive at Rome on April 16th 1791. But the rise with the capacity of Napoleon Bonaparte and its conquests forced them to flee even further, initially with Naples (1796), then in Corfou (1799) and finally with Trieste, where Mrs Adélaïde died out in 1800, one year after Mrs Victoire.
A novel of Frederic Lenormand, the wandering Princesses , is based on the exile of Mesdames in Italy between 1791 and their death.
See too
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