Mesdames

The title of the Girls of France

Contrary to the other nonmarried girls of the nobility who were born young ladies, the princesses girls of kings de France were born directly with the row and the title from lady.

A girl of France had thus as an address " Madame" , follow-up of its first name or its title if it were apanagée. The treatment was identical to the only exception that as for elder girls of the king it was not necessary to add the first name and the simple evocation of " Madame" was to be enough to nominate the person.

The sister-in-law of the king carrying the same treatment, when this one had one of them (it was the case of Louis XIV and Louis XVI but not of Louis XV which was only survivor of its phratry) one allotted to the first Girls of France the title of " Mrs Royale ".

A particular group

This name of " Mesdames" remained in the history because of the circumstances genealogical, political and strategic particular which made remain at the court of France several of the eight girls that Louis XV had had Marie Leszczynska, namely:

Louise-Elisabeth de France (1727 - 1759), Madam

AsHenriette of France (1727 - 1752), its binocular, titrated Mrs Second, then Madam with the marriage of her twin sister

Marie-Louise de France (1728 - 1733), Mrs Third then Mrs Louise

Marie-Adelaide of France (1732 - 1800), Mrs Fourth, then Mrs Third, then Mrs Adélaïde and finally Madam with died Mrs Henriette

Victoire de France (1733 - 1799), Mrs Fourth then Mrs Victoire

Sophie de France (1734 - 1782), Mrs Fifth then Mrs Sophie

Therese-Happiness of France (1736 - 1744), Mrs Sixth then Mrs Therese

Louise de France (1737 - 1787), Mrs Seventh or Last, then Mrs Louise

A particular destiny

To make the saving in their maintenance at the court and not to certainly as leave too much influence to the queen as a broad descent at its side could have consolidated, the four last of these princesses were high far from the court, in the poitevine abbey of Fontevraud of 1738 to 1750 when they spent their youths before returning to Versailles. Mrs Therese will not re-examine Versailles and Mrs Louise will return very marked by the life monachiale which it will find later with the Carmel of Saint-Denis.

The king preserved at his side the elder ones to which it had stuck and whose distance had been too painful. Mrs Adélaïde had her maintenance in Versailles only with her will and the success which its request near the king met that it could touch. Mesdames supported at the sides of the Dolphin a long combat against the successive mistresses of their father, in particular Madam de Pompadour which they called between them " Mom putain". Their support for the cause of the Excessively pious people was permanent and the reason throughout their presence at the court of their difficult relation with the king who only agree very tardily to see them occupying the apartments of the ground floor of the principal body in Versailles, apartments which bear their name today.

Among them, Mrs Adélaïde was that which claimed more to exert one political role at the court, carrying out the company of his/her sisters after the death of Mrs Henriette in 1752, and intrigant unceasingly in favor of his/her brother and the re-establishment of a certain moral order at the court. On arrival on the throne of its nephew, she cherishes the hope to exert an influence on him but must quickly realize that it will not grant the role to him which she hopes for. Increasingly isolated from the capacity and representing the old court near the new generation it is withdrawn more and more with her sisters with Bellevue, the castle built for Madam de Pompadour whom they end up obtaining and where they will spend most clearly the last decade of the old mode.

After the days of October 1789, Adelaide and Victoire withdraw themselves in Bellevue from where they flee towards Italy after many adventures, they will finish their days there.

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