Madame de Montespan

Born Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart in 1641, she came from one of France’s old noble families and married the Marquis de Montespan. At court she became known for her wit, beauty, and strong personality, qualities that helped her stand out in the glittering world around Louis XIV.

She became the king’s longtime mistress in the 1660s and remained a central figure at Versailles for many years. During that time she had several children with Louis XIV, and her influence reached beyond romance into court life, fashion, and patronage.

Her later years were shadowed by the Affair of the Poisons, a major scandal in which her name was drawn into accusations that were never proved. After falling from favor, she turned increasingly toward religion and charity, and she died in 1707, leaving behind one of the most striking and complicated stories of the French royal court.