Sister Louise
(1644-1710)
Louise De La Valliere was a woman of
French nobility that is celebrated for her intimate relations
with Louis XIV. She was born in Tours in August, 1644 and died
in Paris, June 6, 1710.
Her mother and father were of the French
aristocracy. After the death of her father, a French nobleman
and superior officer, her mother married the Baron de St. Remy,
who was attached to the household of the Duchess of Orleans, a
very prominent woman in French society. Because of this relation,
Louise was introduced at court and appointed maid of honor to
Henrietta of England, sister-in-law of Louis XIV. Because of her
personal loveliness and fine character Louise soon won the heart
of several distinguished men. However, Louise discouraged their
devotion because she had fallen in love with the king.
All who became aquatinted with the young
Louise were impressed by her modesty, gentleness, and truthfulness,
as well as with her personal charms and varied accomplishments;
and the most eminent French writers, as Racine, La Fontaine, and
Madame de Sevigne, bestowed the highest praises upon her virtues
and graces.
Her love for Louis XIV was as enthusiastic
as it was disinterested. Deep down she knew that becoming the
king's mistress went against her conscience. But, after having
for some time resisted his advances, she became his mistress in
1661. Louise was never comfortable with this arrangement and on
several occasions felt impelled by conscientious scruples to desert
her lover. When she left the king, she took refuge in a convent,
but the king succeeded in bringing her back from that very convent
two times. In 1674, however, she left him definitely, and took
the veil in the Carmelite convent of the Faubourg St. Jacques
under the name of Sister Louise. She received the visits of the
queen, the Duchess of Orleans, and other warm admirers, and, engaged
in works of piety and charity, spent the rest of her life in the
seclusion of that convent.
She bore four children to the king,
two of whom were legitimatised, Mlle. de Blois, who married the
Prince of Conti, and the Count of Vermandois. Louise wrote a book
entitled "Reflections on the Mercy of God, by a Penitent Woman"
in 1680. A collection of her letters was also published in 1767.
Here life has been a very suggestive literary theme.
This article may be re-published as long
as the following resource box is included:
Patricia Chadwick is a freelance writer and
has been a stay-at-home mom for 15 years. She is currently
a columnist in several online publications as well as editor
of two newsletters. Parents & Teens is a twice-monthly
newsletter geared to help parents connect with their teens.
Subscribe at www.parentsandteens.com.
History's Women is weekly online magazine highlighting the
extraordinary achievements of women. Subscribe at www.historyswomen.com/subscribe.html. |