Françoise d'Aubigné marquise de Maintenon

La Capitaine de France

Secret wife of Louis XIV

1635-1719

Early Years

One can find many different relations of where Francoise d'Aubigne was born and how she grew up. At the moment I can't judge which one is the correct. What is beyond doubt is that her grandfather was the famous Huguenot general Agrippa d'Aubigné, and that her father Constant landed in prison for opposing Richelieu. It is also certain that she was in the French Caribbean for some time and returned to France without a penny. This led her to marry the well known but by then cripple poet Scarron in 1651 or 1652. Her incredible charm proved an attraction to his house, and so Maintenon started to acquaint herself with the rich and powerful.

Her road to court

When Scarron died in 1660 Maintenon was penniless again. Some friends did however continue to support and employ her as a kind of servant or housefriend. Finally Madame Scarron was introduced to Madame de Montespan, the mistress of King Louis XIV and in 1669 she was charged with the upbringing of Montespan's children. These were at first kept away from court and Madame Scarron oversaw their education in a house at Marais some distance from the court. Montespan came to like her more and more and so she pressed the king to buy the estate of Maintenon for Madame Scarron. Saint Simon relates that the king did not like her at all and at first refused, and later only consented on condition that Montespan would shut up about her.

The king then only heard of Maintenon again by reading the letters she wrote to Montespan about their children. The quarrelsome nature of Montespan did however give Maintenon the opportunity to talk to Louis again now and then, and she used these contacts so well that she little by little gained his confidence. She used this to throw Montespan out of favor, but also to reconcile Louis with the queen, an act that earned her eternal recognition from the queen. After the queen's death on 30 July 1683 Louis considered marrying Maintenon, and he did indeed do so. At the insistence of his ministers Louis however refrained from making this marriage public.

Maintenon in power

Soon after her secret marriage, Maintenon got apartments at Versailles, facing those of the king. Louis went here every day, and they are mentioned time and again by Saint Simon as the place where important things happened. Capefique (Tome II p. 71) says that Louis received his ministers in the presence of Maintenon, worked with them in her presence, and discussed with them with her present, sometimes asking her to join the conversation and asking her advice. Add to this that she succeeded in bringing her favorites (like Chamillart) into government and one has a good idea of the tremendous power she wielded at Versailles.

Her character

The main characteristic of Maintenon was that she knew how to please. With her grace and spirit she would make any conversation agreeable while retaining respect and modesty. She was also very devout and virtuous. This led her to establish Saint Cyr as a house where daughters of impoverished noblemen could get an education. It also made her a kind of overseer to all convents in France, a charge on which she would spend lots of time. Maintenon was however also duped by relying on the guidance of the Jesuits in religious affairs.

Her influence on religious affairs

Various authors, among whom Saint Simon, state that Maintenon was the chief instigator of the revocation of the edict of Nantes and the persecution of the Huguenots. It's also said that the conservative elements in the church used de Maintenon to influence Louis in striking against the Jansenists.

Her influence on the Spanish Succession

According to Saint Simon: The cabinet meetings held after the news that Philipe V had inherited the crown of Spain were held in here apartments. The only people deliberating on the question whether to keep to the partition treaty or to let Philip of Anjou take the Spanish Crown were: The King, the crown-prince, the chancellor, the duke of Brinvilliers, Torcy and Madame de Maintenon. Saint Simon mentions only the opinions of the crown prince and Maintenon specifically, which gives us an impression of how influential Saint Simon thought her.

Her 'creatures'

De Maintenon surely knew how to advance her favorites. Chamillart, the war and finance minister was a favorite of Maintenon. When Catinat had once sent letters to the king Maintenon ordered Chamillart to keep them secret, and he did. Judging from what Saint Simon tells us about Chamillart's plan to reconquer Lille it seems Chamillart took no initiative without first consulting her. When he took the Lille project before the king without consulting her, Maintenon started to work on his dismissal and got it.

Her Enemies

The Duke of Orleans was a bitter enemy of Maintenon. When he was in Spain during the war he sat at a banquet with French and Spanish officers and proposed a toast to the She-captain of France and the She-Lieutenant that ruled Spain for her. Of course this created a scandal, but the term She-Captain of France gives such a good reflection of her power that I reproduced it the header of this chapter. Another bitter enemy of De Maintenon was Saint Simon, and though he had no power whatsoever to hit her at court, he would strike out against her memory.

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