author
Madame de Montespan
1641–1707
A dazzling and controversial figure at the court of Louis XIV, Madame de Montespan rose from provincial nobility to become the Sun King’s most celebrated royal mistress. Her wit, ambition, and extraordinary influence placed her at the heart of seventeenth-century French court life.
8 Audiobooks
Memoirs of Madame la Marquise de Montespan — Volume 5
by Madame de Montespan
Memoirs of Madame la Marquise de Montespan — Volume 1
by Madame de Montespan
Memoirs of Madame la Marquise de Montespan — Volume 4
by Madame de Montespan
Memoirs of Madame la Marquise de Montespan — Volume 2
by Madame de Montespan
Memoirs of Madame la Marquise de Montespan — Volume 6
by Madame de Montespan
Memoirs of Madame la Marquise de Montespan — Volume 7
by Madame de Montespan
Memoirs of Madame la Marquise de Montespan — Volume 3
by Madame de Montespan
Memoirs of Madame la Marquise de Montespan — Complete
by Madame de Montespan
About the author
Born Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Madame de Montespan came from one of France’s oldest noble families. She married the Marquis of Montespan in 1663 and later entered the household of Queen Maria Theresa, where she attracted the attention of Louis XIV.
By the late 1660s, she had become the king’s official mistress and a powerful presence at Versailles. Their relationship produced several children, many of whom were later legitimized and given prominent positions. Her sharp conversation, beauty, and ambition made her one of the most influential women in France.
When her favor at court declined, she withdrew from royal life in 1691. She spent her later years in religious retirement and at Château d’Oiron, dying at Bourbon-l’Archambault in 1707.