Memoirs and Historical Chronicles of the Courts of Europe

A close observer of life at the court of Louis XV, she is remembered for memoirs that offer a lively, intimate glimpse of Madame de Pompadour’s world. Writing under the name Madame du Hausset, she became linked with one of the most enduring first-hand portraits of 18th-century Versailles.

King of France consort of Henry IV Queen Marguerite

1553–1615

A brilliant and controversial princess of the French Renaissance, she moved through court politics, religious conflict, and scandal with unusual intelligence and nerve. Her life later inspired the legend of "Queen Margot," but the real woman was also a writer whose own memoir remains one of the era's most vivid voices.