France Archives - Page 12 of 21 - History of Royal Women

The Bonaparte Women – Mathilde Bonaparte (Part one)

Wednesday, 19 December 2018, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 0

I was born in exile – civically dead – at Trieste, on 27 May 1820. When Princess Mathilde Bonaparte was born as the daughter of Napoleon’s brother Jérôme Bonaparte and his second wife, Catharina of Württemberg, Napoleon’s reign was over. Her father Jerome was now the former King of Westphalia and the family was banned from France. Mathilde was [read more]

Marie Louise of Orléans – The first wife of Charles the Bewitched

Friday, 7 December 2018, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 0

After many years of inbreeding, King Charles II of Spain was destined to die childless. He was described as, “short, lame, epileptic, senile and completely bald before 35, always on the verge of death but repeatedly baffling Christendom by continuing to live.” We are dealing with a man who died of poison two hundred years [read more]

Bathilde of Orléans – Citoyenne Vérité

Wednesday, 28 November 2018, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 0

Bathilde of Orléans was born on 9 July 1750 as the daughter of Louis Philippe d’Orléans, Duke of Chartres and Louise Henriette de Bourbon at the Château de Saint-Cloud. She lost her mother when she was just eight years old and was then sent to be raised at a convent. She would remain there until [read more]

Elisabeth of France – Martyr and Servant of God

Wednesday, 21 November 2018, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 0

Elisabeth was born on 3 May 1764 as the daughter of Louis, Dauphin of France and Marie-Josèphe of Saxony in the Palace of Versailles. She was a frail child, and there were fears that she would die in infancy. When her father died the following year, her brother Louis Auguste became the new Dauphin. She [read more]

Adela of Normandy – Daughter of the Conqueror and Mother of the Usurper King

Friday, 19 October 2018, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 0

Adela of Normandy was born in late 1067 or early 1068 as the daughter of William the Conqueror and Matilda of Flanders. Not much is known of her life before her marriage, unfortunately. She was probably well versed in Latin as she was praised for her ability to read and compose it. She was probably entrusted to the nuns [read more]

Anne Marie Louise of Orleans – La Grande Mademoiselle

Wednesday, 17 October 2018, 7:00 Moniek Bloks 0

Anne Marie Louise of Orleans was born on 29 May 1627 at the Louvre as the daughter of Gaston, Duke of Orléans and Marie, Duchess of Montpensier. Her mother was Duchess of Montpensier in her own right, and Anne Marie Louise was only a week old when her mother passed away. She became Duchess of Montpensier and [read more]