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Louise de La Vallière
Mistress of Louis XIV (1644–1710) / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Françoise-Louise de La Baume Le Blanc, Duchess of La Vallière and Vaujours (6 August 1644 – 6 June 1710) was a French noblewoman and a mistress of King Louis XIV of France from 1661 to 1667.
Louise de La Vallière Duchess de La Vallière Duchess of Vaujours | |
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![]() Portrait by Pierre Mignard I | |
Born | Françoise-Louise de La Blaume Le Blanc (1644-08-06)6 August 1644 |
Died | 6 June 1710(1710-06-06) (aged 65) Paris, Kingdom of France |
Burial place | Cemetery of the Carmelite convent in Notre-Dame-des-Champs, Paris |
Other names | Mademoiselle de La Vallière Sœur Louise de la Miséricorde |
Known for | Mistress of Louis XIV |
Title | Duchess de La Vallière, Duchess of Vaujours |
Successor | Marie Anne de Bourbon |
Children | 5, including Marie Anne de Bourbon Louis, Count of Vermandois |
Parent(s) | Laurent de la Blaume Le Blanc de La Vallière Marie-Françoise Le Provost de la Coutelaye |
La Vallière joined the royal court in 1661 as maid-of-honour to Henrietta of England and soon became King Louis XIV's mistress. She was an important participant in the court's intellectual life, interested in the arts, literature, and philosophy. In 1666, she was replaced by Madame de Montespan but was created a suo jure duchess and invested with lands. Two of her five children by the King, Marie-Anne, Mademoiselle de Blois (Princess of Conti by marriage) and Louis, Count of Vermandois, survived infancy and were legitimised.
After an illness in 1670, La Vallière turned to religion, and wrote a popular devotional book. In 1674, she entered a Carmelite convent in Paris where she died in 1710.