Madame de Pompadour: A queen without a crown

Madame de Pompadour was arguably the most famous, high-powered mistress of King Louis XV of France. She rose from humble beginnings to become a major patron of the arts and the king’s favoured political advisor. Sue Aran and Janine Marsh explore the life of a queen without a crown.

The future Madame de Pompadour, Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson was born on 29 December, 1721 in Paris to François and Madeleine La Motte Poisson. Her father was exiled for fraud, leaving her mother to raise her and her brother, Abel-François. Fortunately for the family, the local férmier général (tax collector), Charles François Paul Le Normant de Tournehem, became Jeanne-Antoinette and Abel-François’s legal guardian, raising suspicion that he was their biological father.

A “Little Queen” in waiting

Jeanne-Antoinette was a precocious and uncommonly pretty child, and a fortune teller told her mother that the little girl would one day win the heart of the king, causing her to be nicknamed Reinette, “little Queen.” From then on Madame Poisson was determined that her daughter would be prepared for the heady heights of a role as a royal mistress, though it was well known that fortune tellers, of which there were many in 18^th century Paris, frequently predicted such “good fortune” to their clients.

Madame Poisson took personal charge of her daughter’s education, grooming her for success and hiring tutors who taught the young girl to memorize entire plays by heart, dance, sing, paint, engrave and play the clavichord. Aged 19, Jean-Antoinette was an enchantingly beautiful, astute woman, and entered into a marriage of convenience with de Tournehem’s nephew, Charles-Guillaume Le Normant d’Étiolles.

Madame d’Étiolles made the most of her talents for befriending important people including philosophers and writers, and swiftly rose through the ranks of Parisian elite. It didn’t take long for her to come to the attention of King Louis XV who was known for his enthusiastic appetite for mistresses, allegedly he had more than 100 during his lifetime, though only one at time was his “official mistress” – the favourite, a position of considerable power and influence.

A Queen in all but title

In 1745, the fortune teller’s prophecy came true. The 35-year-old King who had ruled France since he was five years old, fell for the 24-year-old Jean-Antoinette. He had by then been married for 20 years to Queen Marie Leszczyńska, daughter of the deposed King Stanislaw of Poland. Within three months of meeting the King, Jeanne-Antoinette officially separated from Charles-Guillaume and was installed at the palace in an apartment directly above the King’s, connected by a secret staircase.

Madeleine Poisson did not live to see her daughter become Louis’s undisputed favourite; she died in the spring before Louis elevated Jeanne-Antoinette from commoner to titled Marquise when he purchased the Dordogne Valley-based Marquisate of Pompadour in July. She was formally introduced to his court in September 1745.

Her modest start in life was a drawback at the court of Versailles where image was all. But Madame de Pompadour’s charm and wit won her far more friends than enemies. She threw grand dinner parties and had plays written and performed with her as female lead to appeal to the King’s tastes and flatter him. She commissioned portraits of herself to remind him of her beauty. It’s said that the champagne coupe was modelled on her breasts and the marquise cut diamond style was named for her after the king commissioned a jeweller to create a jewel in the shape of her mouth which he considered to be “perfect.”

Ever mindful of the King’s needs, after suffering several miscarriages, the canny Madame de Pompadour organised mistresses while she was rested. Left with fragile health, she retired from her mistress duties at just 29, but Louis remained devoted to her, and she became his most valued confidante. He relied on her advice on everything from art to foreign policy. She became the unofficial minister of culture and his trusted political advisor; she could control who had access to an audience with the king and even made statements on his behalf.

For 20 years, she was the most powerful woman in France. An uncrowned queen.

Pompadour Pink

During Madame de Pompadour’s “reign,” her influence was felt across France. She was wealthy enough to purchase the Hôtel d’Évreux in Paris, now the Élysée Palace, official home of French presidents. She encouraged the creation of the Sèvres porcelain factory, which became one of the most famous porcelain manufacturers in Europe, she even had a deep shade of pink created by Sevres named after her by the king, ‘Pompadour Pink’ is still popular! She promoted the development of the Place Louis XV, now Place de la Concorde, and convinced the king to build the Petit Trianon. And in 1751 she encouraged the publication of the first two volumes of the Encyclopédie by Diderot and d’Alembert, even though the Church sought to have them suppressed. But she was also blamed for influencing the 7 Years War between the UK and France. France lost, leaving ordinary people to pay off the huge debt the war accrued, which ultimately contributed to the French Revolution.

Madame de Pompadour died of tuberculosis at the Palace of Versailles in 1764 aged 43. Looking at the rain during the removal of his mistress’ coffin, the devastated King reportedly said: “La marquise n’aura pas de beau temps pour son voyage” (The marquise won’t have good weather for her journey.)

Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Madame de Pompadour, was laid to rest at the Couvent des Capucines in Paris, near Place Vendôme, and there she allegedly remains though the Convent was demolished in 1806. It’s said she lies beneath a jewellers shop at No. 3 rue de la Paix.

By Sue Aran and Janine Marsh.Sue Aran is a writer, photographer, and tour guide living in the Gers department of southwest France. She is the owner of French Country Adventures, which provides personally-guided, small-group, slow travel tours into Gascony, the Pays Basque, Provence and beyond.

Janine Marsh is the author of several internationally best-selling books about France. Find all books on her website janinemarsh.com