Princess Palatine

THE CORRESPONDENCE OF MADAME PRINCESS PALATINE, MARIE-ADÉLAÏDE DE SAVOIE, AND MADAME DE MAINTENON, translated by Katharine Prescott Wormeley

Especially see also: Life and Letters of Charlotte Elizabeth, and Correspondence of Elizabeth-Charlotte of Bavaria, Princess Palatine, Duchess of Orleans, called "Madame" at the Court of King Louis XIV.

A frank, hideous, healthy, active, honest, forthright, aristocratic, loyal, prejuiced, rollicking, practical, proud old dowager is the Princess Palatine - she is marvellous.


Liselotte in her youth.


Charlotte-Élisabeth in magnificent old age, by Hyacinthe Rigaud

I believe that the histories that will be written about this court after we are gone will be better and more entertaining than any novel, and I am afraid that those who come after us will not be able to believe them and think they are just fairy tales.

Facts about the Princess Palatine:

• Might have been appointed the heir to the English throne if borne male - her father was the older brother to the Electress Sophia, who was the mother to King George I, and she was his oldest child.


• Also nearly married William of Orange, who became a King of England.


• She didn't particularly want to rule England, though. Didn't like the English.


• Named Elisabeth Charlotte by her parents, the Elector Palatine and Princess Charlotte of Hesse Cassel; nicknamed Liselotte.


• Was married to the Sun King Louis XIV's brother, Monsieur - who was very very gay, and possibly murdered his last wife by poison.


• (He was probably innocent. Elisabeth Charlotte thought he couldn't have been behind his wife's death, on the grounds that he would never have been able to hold his tongue.)


• Introduced herself to Louis XIV by announcing that yes, she was ugly and knew it, but she hoped that he would enjoy her honesty. He did.


• Was titled Madame in France, the standard title for the wife of the king's eldest brother.


• Despite the tragic life and death of her husband's first wife - Princess Henrietta, daughter of the Charles I who had a slight dispute with Oliver Cromwell that involved his head and neck parting company - led an extremely happy life herself, befriended Henrietta's children and remained friends with them all her life, and had children of her own.


• Believed strongly in religious freedom.


• Felt she'd have made a very good man, especially with her love for hunting.


• Wrote very frankly that her husband needed rosaries and holy medals of the Virgin Mary to procreate with her (they were wrapped around certain vital parts of his), and that he tended to hog the covers and shove her to the corner of the bed.


• Remained in a very amiable relationship with her husband after they started sleeping in separate rooms.


• Was good friends with Louis XIV all his life long - one of the best friends he had.


• Had a dark side: was supposed to have caused the death of a young girl of dubious ancestry, by holding her and a friend out in rough weather in the park and speaking to them so harshly that the girl was taken ill and died. She didn't like impostors.


• Corresponded with many, writing an exhaustive collection of letters giving advice ranging from state secrets to home recipes - including to the mathematician and philosopher Leibniz.


• Burned all her husband's letters after his death to stop salacious details from being passed around.


• Never remarried after being widowed. Hunted frequently and became fat, square-shaped, red, and happy.


• She really didn't want to remarry: I would rather pass my life in celibacy than become the greatest queen in the world on condition of taking a husband, for marriage has become to me an object of horror.


• Described herself: My waist is monstrous in size; I am as square as a cube; my skin is red, mottled with yellow; my hair is getting gray; my nose is honeycombed with the small-pox, and so are my cheeks; I have a large mouth and bad teeth; and there’s the portrait of my pretty face.


• Was the mother to the Regent after Louis XIV died - Monsieur's son, born the Duke of Chartres, who looked after the kingdom before Louis XV was old enough to rule. He did a fine job and was very close to his mother.


• Died at the age of seventy in 1722 at Saint-Cloud, writing letters only days before her death that announced she was ill.


• One year after her death, her son the Regent died.

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