Marquise de pompadour years of life. Madame de pompadour - biography, information, personal life

Life story
Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour, the favorite of the French king Louis XV, played an important role in the political and cultural life of not only France, but also Europe. She patronized the sciences and arts.
Antoinette Poisson's father was at one time a footman, then a supplier to the provision department, and inept and dishonest. The syndic Lenormand de Tournham took a great part in the fate of Antoinette. Perhaps he was her real father. Thanks to Lenormand, Jeanne Antoinette received an excellent education. She knew music very well, painted, sang, played on stage, and recited.
Among the boarders of the future Marquise de Pompadour was a certain Madame Le Bon, a fortune teller on cards, who predicted nine-year-old Jeanne that she would be the mistress of Louis XV. Zhanna never forgot these words and, when the prediction came true, she remembered it with gratitude.
The girl was naturally distinguished by her lively mind. And if her most bitter enemy, Arzhanson, said about her that she was blonde with a too pale face, somewhat plump and rather poorly built, although endowed with grace and talents, then her other contemporary, Leroy, Chief Jägermeister of the forests and parks of Versailles , described her with much more sympathy: medium height, slender, with soft, relaxed manners, elegant. The face is an impeccable oval shape. Beautiful hair with a chestnut tint, rather large eyes, beautiful long eyelashes. Straight, perfectly shaped nose, sensual mouth, very beautiful teeth. Charming laughter. Always a beautiful complexion, and eyes of an indeterminate color. “They did not have the sparkling liveliness characteristic of black eyes, or the gentle languor characteristic of blue ones, or the nobility characteristic of gray ones. Their indefinite color seemed to promise you the bliss of passionate temptation and at the same time left the impression of some kind of vague melancholy in the restless soul...”
With cold calculation, 19-year-old Antoinette agreed to marry the nephew of her patron, Lenormand d'Etiol. Her homely husband was five years older than her, however, as the heir of the main tax farmer, he was very rich. With him, she could lead a carefree life, and Jeanne openly declared that no one in the world could lead her astray except the king himself...
She knew how to present herself brilliantly in high society, and soon people started talking about her. The President of Parliament, Hainault, a regular participant in the queen's evening receptions, spoke of her as the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. “She has a great feel for music, sings very expressively and with inspiration, probably knows at least a hundred songs. She also plays in Etiol’s comedies in a beautiful theater, where there is a mechanical stage and changes of scenery.”
However, it was not enough for this young and charming lady to remain in the center of attention of high society, which she primarily associated with the wealth of her husband. Jeanne tried to attract the attention of the king, who at that time was under the influence of the charms of the ambitious Duchess de Chateauroux. She began to constantly catch the eye of Louis in the Senard forest, where he was hunting, in the most flirtatious and elegant clothes: now in a sky-blue dress and a pink phaeton, now in all pink and in a sky-blue carriage - in the end she was lucky enough to be noticed by him, especially since the king had already heard something about “little Etiol” and she aroused his curiosity. However, the favorite quickly put an end to the claims of the nee Jeanne Poisson, simply forbidding her to appear in the king’s hunting grounds. And only when Madame de Chateauroux suddenly died, Madame d’Etiol realized that the path to the king’s heart was clear.
During the grand masquerade ball, which was given on February 28, 1745 at the Paris Town Hall on the occasion of the Dauphin's wedding to the Spanish princess Maria Theresa, Jeanne had the opportunity to get closer to the king. At the ball, Louis became interested in the charming mask, which was clearly teasing him. At his request, the stranger revealed her face. She apparently deliberately dropped her handkerchief, the king immediately rushed to pick it up, returned it to her, and this was the beginning of their love affair, which they maintained through his trusted valet Louis Binet.
At the beginning of April, Madame d'Etiol appeared in Versailles at a performance of Italian comedy in a box located near the stage very close to the king's box, and when Louis ordered dinner to be served to him directly in his office, the entire court had no doubt that his only dining companion would be “little Etiol " Here she gave herself to him, but after this meeting Louis’ interest in her decreased. The king told Binet that he really liked Madame d’Etiol, but it seemed to him that she was largely driven by ambition and selfish interest. The valet began to assure the king that Jeanne was madly in love with him, but she was in despair, as she was torn between her love for the king and her duty to her husband, who was full of suspicion and idolized her.
At the next meeting with Louis, Madame d'Etiol behaved more cautiously and acted in the role of just the charming and virtuous woman that the king wanted to see in her. As if in a well-performed performance, she spoke with horror about her husband’s revenge awaiting her and managed to convince Louis to leave her in Versailles. Thus, she managed to lay the foundations of her influence on the king, who was fed up with love affairs and tried in vain to dispel boredom in the company of his wife. She also managed to remove her husband from Paris without much difficulty: as a companion of her uncle, he was sent by his uncle to the province.
In the same way, she was immediately lucky enough to strengthen the king’s patronage and neutralize intrigues on the part of the heirs. Soon the ruler announced to her that he would make her an official favorite as soon as he returned from the theater of war in Flanders.
While apartments were being prepared at Versailles for de Chateauroux's successor, Jeanne remained in Etiol. The king often wrote her tender letters, usually ending with the words “Loving and devoted,” and she immediately answered in the same spirit, and the Abbé de Bernis gave them a finished look in terms of style and wit. Finally, in one of the letters she read: “Marquise de Pompadour.” So, he issued a decree conferring on her this title, which previously belonged to an extinct family from Limousin.
On September 14, 1745, she was presented at court. Louis looked very embarrassed, turning red and turning pale. The Queen, who had long been accustomed to such humiliations from her husband, perceived the appearance of a new favorite much more friendly than expected. Only the Dauphin muttered something through his teeth.
However, the marquise's position at court was not so stable. Until now, the king chose his favorites from the upper strata of society. Née Poisson broke this rule. Thousands of hostile eyes watched her, and thousands of evil tongues immediately began to move at the slightest forgetfulness, at the most insignificant errors in etiquette, at errors in the court language of this Grisette, as the newly made marquise was contemptuously called behind her back.
First of all, Jeanne, naturally, had to think about how, in this situation fraught with unforeseen dangers, she could achieve the full support of the king in order to strengthen her position. This was the most difficult and extremely important task.
Of all Louis' mistresses, only the Marquise de Pompadour had the ability to dispel his boredom. She tried to be attractive in a new way every time and every time she came up with new entertainment for him. She sang and played especially for him or told new jokes with her peculiar piquancy. And when some minister bothered him with reports, which naturally irritated the king, she tried to quickly send the speaker out. For example, if it was Maurepas: “In your presence, the king turns yellow. Farewell, Mister Maurepas!
She walked with Louis through the luxurious gardens of the summer castles and constantly accompanied him from Versailles to Cressy, and from there to La Celle, and from there to Bellevue, and then to Compiegne and Fontainebleau. During Holy Week, she entertained him with concerts of sacred music and liturgies, in which she herself participated. And when she played on stage at the theater of Etiol or Chantemerle with Madame de Villemur, she managed to captivate Louis with her performing art, and she even created a small theater in Versailles in one of the galleries adjacent to the Medallion Office, called the “Chamber Theater”.
Over time, her position became so strong that she began to host ministers and ambassadors with condescending arrogance. Now she lived in Versailles, in apartments that once belonged to the powerful favorite of Louis XIV, the Marquise de Montespan. In the room of the Marquise de Pompadour, where she received visitors, there was only one chair - everyone had to stand in the presence of the seated favorite.
Madame de Pompadour's box in the theater was adjacent to the king's box, where they were locked from time to time. She listened to Mass in the chapel of Versailles on a platform specially arranged for her on the balcony of the sacristy, where she appeared alone during major holidays. Her life was furnished with unprecedented luxury. A young nobleman from an old family carried her train, at her sign, offered her a chair, and waited for her to emerge in the hallway. She achieved the awarding of her chamberlain Collin with the Order of St. Louis. Her carriage bore the ducal coat of arms. She ordered the ashes of her mother to be transported to the crypt she bought from the Kreki family in the Capuchin monastery on Place Vendôme and then built a luxurious mausoleum there. And, naturally, within the limits of her power, she constantly took care of her family.
However, the Marquise did not forget herself. She owned such huge real estate, which neither before nor after her in France was owned by any royal favorite. She bought the Cressy estate in Dreux for 650 thousand livres, built a luxurious castle here - construction was generally her strong point - and also re-developed a huge park. She bought Montreton, but immediately resold it at a profit, bought Sel a mile from Versailles on the road to Marly (a small castle - as opposed to the pompous Cressy) and here, too, rebuilt everything that she did not like in accordance with her tastes. Not far from the small Versailles park, she built a secluded house with Persian curtains, painted panels, a large garden with rose bushes, in the center of which stood a temple with a white marble statue of Adonis. She built the same house in Fontainebleau and Compiegne, and in Versailles she built a hotel, through a special corridor from which you could go straight to the castle. In Paris, at the Pontstren Hotel, where high-ranking ambassadors usually stayed, she owned luxurious apartments. For 700,000 livres, she bought the Comte d’Evreux hotel located in the Saint-Honoré quarter, where she completely rebuilt the first floor. Each such event itself required a huge amount of money.
How miraculously the beautiful Bellevue Castle grew on the sandstones. On December 2, 1750, the ballet “Cupid the Architect” was shown in a small theater decorated in Chinese style. On the stage you could see Mount Lafontaine floating in the air, the favorite’s castle was descending onto it, and from the street a carriage with a closed box drove onto the stage, which overturned, and pretty women spilled out of it, these were ballerinas...
However, all these palaces were not enough for the Marquise. She rented from the Duke de La Valliere his house in Champs, from the Duke de Gevres his estate in Saint-Ouen, bought Menard, Babiol, the possession of Sèvres and land in Limousin. And in the royal castles she also changed a lot in accordance with her taste. This was the main concern and entertainment of Madame de Pompadour - to constantly and with great imagination engage in reconstruction, so that for the bored king, everything she accomplished was entertainment and was like constant surprises from a box.
In her house and in the royal chambers, the sorceress Jeanne transported Louis into the world of magnificent architecture, fancy palaces, under the arches of the alleys of hundred-year-old trees, where, however, everything was arranged in accordance with common sense, and each house bore the imprint of a fashionable pastoral. The Pompadour Gardens, far from the usual pomp, represented a picturesque world of cozy arbors overgrown with jasmine and myrtle, flower beds with roses, statues of Cupids in the most unexpected places, fields of daffodils, carnations, violets, tuberoses... In these wonderful scenery, the king again began to feel taste for life. The Marquise captivated him again and again with her ability to appear before him each time new and unexpected. Exquisite makeup and costumes, a whole kaleidoscope of costumes, helped her in this! Either she would change into the costume of a sultana from Vanloo’s paintings, or she would appear in the costume of a peasant woman.
Especially for the king, she came up with another unusual costume, it was called “negligee a la Pompadour”: something like a Turkish vest that fit the neck, fastened with buttons on the forearm and fit the back to the hips. In it, the marquise could show everything she wanted, and only hint at everything she wanted to hide.
Jeanne called her life at court a constant struggle against enemies, and she could hardly hope that peace and quiet would ever come to her. And at the same time, she had to always look cheerful and carefree in the presence of the king and courtiers. The favorite was exhausted in the constant struggle to maintain her influence and her power. Fragile health was sacrificed for the sake of ambition. The Marquise used all kinds of means so that in the eyes of Louis her already somewhat faded youth and beauty would still look as attractive. She had to resort to various tricks to continue to excite the king's sensuality.
But in the end, Jeanne came to the reasonable conclusion that she should not stop Louis from having new mistresses. It would be better if she remained just his friend and kept his fleeting hobbies under control. And constantly monitor him. This way, she will be more likely to not miss the appearance of his dangerous attachment to a woman who surpasses her in intelligence and beauty. And she brought the first of these girls herself. It was little Marphy, whose portrait by Boucher is known to everyone.
Having lost power over the heart of the king, the marquise tried to get close to the highest power from the other side. Since the king encouraged the cultural life of the state, she tried to surround herself with poets, scientists and philosophers. Out of competition among them was Voltaire, an old friend of the Marquise and d'Etiol. The Marquise showed him a clear preference and made him an academician, the chief historian of France, and chief chamberlain. In turn, he wrote “The Princess of Navarre”, “Temple of Glory” for court holidays, dedicated “Tancreda” to the Marquise and glorified her in poetry and prose. “Pompadour, you decorate your special courtyard, Parnassus and the island of Heter!” - he exclaimed with admiration and gratitude, and when she died untimely, he wrote to Sideville: “I am deeply shocked by the death of Madame de Pompadour. I owe her a lot, I mourn her. What an irony of fate that an old man who can only dirty paper and is barely able to move is still alive, and a lovely woman dies at the age of 40 in the prime of the most wonderful fame in the world...”
She did a lot for Rousseau, especially when he could not protect his own interests. She staged his “The Siberian Soothsayer” and had great success in the male role of Kolpin. However, Jean-Jacques considered her not attentive enough to him, since he was not introduced to the king and did not receive a pension. But the Marquise arranged a pension for old Crebillon, who had once given her recitation lessons, but who was now poor and abandoned by everyone. The Marquise staged his play "Cateline", contributed to the monumental publication of his tragedies in the royal printing house, and after the death of Crebillon - the construction of a mausoleum for him.
Her friends were Buffon, to whom she bequeathed her animals - a monkey, a dog and a parrot - and Montesquieu, although not to the same extent as Marmontel. The latter achieved the favor of the marquise by composing a poem in honor of her creation of the Military School, and she also made him an academician. The Marquise also helped both encyclopedists - d'Alembert (she obtained a pension for him) and Diderot, whom she repeatedly called on moderation and caution.
Other equally glorious deeds are associated with the name Pompadour. She founded the famous Sevres porcelain factories. Wanting to create serious competition for the famous and expensive Saxon porcelain, Pompadour moved factories from Vincennes to Sèvres, tirelessly experimented, invited skilled craftsmen and talented artists, sculptors, organized exhibitions in Versailles and publicly announced: “If the one who has money does not buys this porcelain, he is a bad citizen of his country.” The beautiful delicate roses, her favorite flower, which she planted wherever she could, were eventually called “Pompadour roses.”
The marquise remained on the throne for almost 20 years, although her position was often in danger. She was not a cheerful person, although she wanted to seem like one. In fact, Pompadour had a cold mind, an ambitious character and, moreover, an iron will, which was surprisingly combined with her weak body, tired from a serious illness... “The older I get,” she wrote in one of her letters to her brother, - the more philosophical direction my thoughts take... With the exception of the happiness of being with the king, which, of course, pleases me most of all, everything else is just an interweaving of malice and baseness, leading to all sorts of misfortunes, which is characteristic of people in general. A wonderful story to think about, especially for someone like me.” And she also wrote: “Wherever you meet people, you will definitely find falsity and any possible vices in them. Living alone would be too boring, so you have to accept them as they are and pretend not to notice it...”
In subsequent years, she no longer had to be deceived by the king’s feelings for her. The Marquise knew that she was now just an indulgent and devoted friend for him, and not a lover. He kept her with him out of habit and out of pity. He knew how impressionable and vulnerable she was, and he feared that if he said goodbye to her, she might commit suicide in despair. “I’m afraid, my dear,” Choiseul once said to his chambermaid, “that melancholy will take possession of her and she will die of sadness.”
On one of her trips to Choiseul, she fainted, but found the strength to recover, contrary to the expectations of others. Then a relapse occurred, and there was no more hope. Louis ordered her to be transported to Versailles, although until now, as Lacretel wrote, only princes were allowed to die in the royal palace. However, the marquise retained her power even with her hands already cold. After her death, only 37 louis were found in her table. The financial situation of the woman, whom the people accused of having transferred large sums abroad, was so difficult that when she fell ill, her manager was forced to borrow 70,000 livres.
The reign of the Marquise de Pompadour for 20 years cost France 36 million francs. Her passion for construction, numerous acquisitions, precious stones, works of art, furniture required significant expenses. However, her maintenance, which initially cost 24,000 livres a month, decreased eightfold by 1760, and already in 1750 she did not receive rich gifts from the king. Sometimes she managed to get by by winning at cards and selling jewelry. Her only heir was her brother. Her many friends and servants were also mentioned in the will. She left her Parisian hotel and her collection of stones to the king.
The Marquise died at the age of 43. However, one can only be surprised that with such a troubled life she lasted so long. In her early youth, she was diagnosed with pulmonary tuberculosis, and she had to adhere to the milk treatment prescribed to her.
The decree strictly prohibited leaving the bodies of the deceased in the royal castle. Nothing should have reminded us of the end of human life. The barely cooled body of the woman, who had recently seen the whole of France at her feet, was carried almost naked through the passages of the castle and the streets of Versailles and left until burial in a house specially chosen for this purpose. The king, as always, controlled himself well and did not show his true feelings, but it was clear that he was deeply grieving.
On the day of the funeral, a terrible storm broke out. At 6 o'clock in the evening the funeral cortege turned onto the high road to Paris. The king, thoughtfully and with a sad expression on his face, watched him from the balcony of his room and, despite the rain and wind, remained there until the funeral procession was out of sight. Then he returned to his room, tears rolling down his cheeks, and, sobbing, he exclaimed: “Ah, this is the only honor I could show her!”
If in anything the influence of the Marquise de Pompadour can often be disputed, then in the field of art, artistic crafts and fashion her superiority was undeniable, and it is rightly said that the grace and taste characteristic of all the works of her time, without exception, are the fruit of her influence and that she can rightfully be considered the godmother and queen of Rococo.

Today we will talk about the fate of such an interesting woman as Madame de Pompadour. Her biography is unique, like Zhanna herself (that was the name of this woman). The story of the birth of Jeanne Antoinette Poisson is shrouded in darkness. The girl was born in 1721, on December 29, into the family of Francois Poisson. This man became the horsemaster of the court of the Duke of Orleans himself from ordinary lackeys. However, François soon became theft and, in order to avoid the gallows, decided to escape. Although he was, apparently, only a nominal father for Jeanne. According to rumors, Jeanne Antoinette's real father was Le Normand de Tournehem (Tournham), a wealthy nobleman. Be that as it may, it was he who took care of the education and upbringing of the girl, and after she grew up, he married Zhanna to his own nephew. However, this was not enough for Madame de Pompadour. Her personal life was not limited to her relationship with her husband. Zhanna wanted much more...

Fortune teller's prediction

From childhood, the future Madame de Pompadour stood out for her extraordinary abilities and beauty. The photos below prove that she was truly beautiful. Zhanna, in addition, sang well, played various musical instruments, knew how and loved to draw, and had undeniable acting qualities. According to legend, a fortune teller predicted an amazing fate for a girl at the age of 9, as well as a long love affair with the king himself. Jeanne, having become the monarch's favorite, found this fortune teller and began paying her a small pension. However, the path to the royal bedroom was not at all easy for the future favorite. Her life is similar in the memories of contemporaries to a fairy tale. It is difficult to determine where is fiction and where is reality. And is it worth doing this? The main thing is that Zhanna herself created the fairy tale.

The plan that matured in Jeanne's head

Having become Madame d'Etiol after her marriage, she stubbornly rushed towards her goal, which the fortune teller planted in her soul. Thanks to her husband's wealth and name, the girl got the opportunity to visit high society. Here she absorbed with great zeal everything concerning the court and the king. Soon Zhanna already knew many details of his intimate life, knew how he behaved with his favorites and mistresses. And then the girl came up with a plan. Zhanna began to implement it with all seriousness.

Implementation of the plan

She did not have the opportunity to meet Louis XV at court ceremonies. The Duchess de Chateauroux, the then favorite, skillfully cut off all possible contenders from him. However, there was a place where the king would certainly pay attention to the charming woman. This is the Senar Forest, where the monarch loved to hunt. But the girl was unlucky: Jeanne caught the eye of the Duchess de Chateauroux, and not the king. The favorite intuitively understood why she was taking forest walks. After that, they had to stop, so as not to get Madame de Pompadour into big trouble.

Her short biography, however, continues with the fact that fate soon smiled on Jeanne. The Duchess de Chateauroux died of pneumonia, and the path to the king's heart was open. At a masked ball held at the Paris Town Hall in 1745, on February 28, the king was intrigued by a girl who interfered with his desire to see her face. After the monarch's curiosity reached its limit, Jeanne took off her mask. The king became convinced that it was not in vain that he showed signs of attention to this mysterious stranger.

It should be noted that Louis XV, who was 35 years old by this time, was considered a sophisticated connoisseur of women. He had long been bored with his insipid family life with Maria Leszczynska, his pious wife, daughter of Stanislav, the Polish king. Therefore, the monarch loved to have fun with his next favorite or simply with a pretty woman. Thus, the new acquaintance came in handy.

Jeanne agreed to have dinner with the king. Louis decided in the morning that he could end the affair there. The woman, to his surprise, resignedly left. She did not let anyone know more about herself, which was not typical for his other former lovers. It turned out that she rejected him too, and this hurt the man’s pride. And Louis XV could not resist.

Zhanna becomes the official favorite

Jeanne, reappearing in the palace, acted out a scene of her sincere love, not only touching the king, but also engendering in him something similar to a mutual feeling. Thus, Louis XV had a new official favorite. A lucrative position was provided to Madame d’Etoile’s husband, and they also offered him tempting prospects for further career growth. The king gave Jeanne, whose origins were not impeccable, the Margraviate of Pompadour and, consequently, the title of Marquise.

Two queens

It was easier to win the king than to gain recognition from high society. For a long time, the newly-minted marquise was just an ordinary grisette for the aristocracy - this nickname was given to Jeanne in high society salons. It is noteworthy that the Marquise de Pompadour established almost friendly relations with the queen herself. The photo below is a portrait of Maria Leszczynska, the king's wife.

At that time, on the streets of Paris one could often hear common people shouting: “The queens are coming!” The two main women of the state not only peacefully shared the royal bed for some time, but also divided official duties: one of them reigned on the throne, the other ruled.

For more than 20 years, Jeanne remained next to the king - an amazing period for an ordinary favorite. In Russia a little later, Grigory Potemkin was the favorite for an equally long time. His fate, by the way, is somewhat similar to the fate of Jeanne de Pompadour. Having ceased to share his bed with the monarch, for another 15 years she remained an adviser and close friend to him.

Salon of Madame de Pompadour

The king cannot be kept for a long time by love pleasures alone. Therefore, the marquise began to delve into the affairs of the state. She turned her salon into a meeting place for the scientific and artistic elite of France. Louis XV greeted this intellectual society, new to him, with curiosity. It not only entertained the king, but, more importantly, it gave food to his mind. The monarch's new social circle was also perceived with great interest in society. The opportunity to communicate with Louis XV in an informal setting was extremely important for the Marquise's guests. This provided significant support and increased their status in society.

What did Jeanne do for France?

In France, with the light hand of Jeanne, significant funds began to be spent on art, literature and science. For example, with the help of this marquise, Denis Diderot's Encyclopedia appeared, as well as the Chamber Theater at the Palace of Versailles, which opened with a production of Moliere's Tartuffe. Jeanne often shone on the stage of this prestigious, albeit small, French theater, amazing with the art of impersonating the king himself.

The range of interests of this woman was extensive. In France, with her assistance, for example, a Military School for war veterans and sons of nobles appeared, which Napoleon Bonaparte himself graduated after some time. Madame de Pompadour established porcelain production in the country, establishing a model factory on her Sèvres estate. The soft pink porcelain from Sèvres was called Rose Pompadour in her memory. It should be noted that the name of this woman was also associated with the appearance of many accessories and little things dear to a woman’s heart: high heels, a reticule handbag, intricate updos, champagne glasses called “tulips,” as well as a special style of diamond cutting called “tulips.” marquise."

Madame de Pompadour boldly intervened in the affairs of the state, often pushing the king to make radical political decisions. France, which had always been in allied relations with Prussia, thanks to her, reoriented itself towards an alliance with Austria. Louis, at the insistence of Jeanne, banned the activities of the Jesuit Order in the state. The Marquise showed in politics, as well as in love, wisdom and feminine intuition, which never failed her.

New entertainment in Europe

Do not assume that this woman’s life was cloudless. She had plenty of enemies. Each new favorite tried to displace Jeanne, but no one managed to shake the position of the Marquise de Pompadour. In Europe, a new entertainment even arose - bets were made on when Madame de Pompadour would lose influence on Louis XV. All such bets were lost.

Death of Jeanne

This woman received the highest honor even in death. She passed away in the presence of the king himself. In the royal chronicle in 1764, on April 15, an entry appeared that the Marquise de Pompadour died at about 7 pm. This happened in the personal chambers of Louis XV. Madame de Pompadour died at the age of 43. The story of her life is of great interest today.

On April 15, 1764, perhaps the most famous mistress in history died. Her name has long become a household name and means synonymous with feminine cunning and coquetry. How the Marquise de Pompadour seduced the king.

Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, whom the world would later know as the Marquise de Pompadour, was born on December 29, 1721 in Paris. Her father, Francois Poisson, was a modest financier. In the early 1720s, the intendants (those entrusted with any branch of management) the Pari brothers drew attention to him. They made Poisson one of the senior clerks.

The king's regent, Philip of Orleans, instructed him to provide grain to Marseille, which had suffered from the plague. By 1725, Poisson had risen through the ranks to the point where he was entrusted with supplying Paris with grain. As historian Henri Castries points out in his book “Marquise de Pompadour”, such operations could not be done without making money on them. As a result, an investigation began, which showed that Poisson had entered into fictitious transactions. He was declared a debtor for the astronomical sum of 232,000 livres (in modern money - about 300 million rubles). Poisson went on the run, leaving behind his wife and three-year-old daughter.

All the property was sealed, there was no money. Poisson's wife was not from a noble family; she could not count on help from relatives.

He left his wife and children in the care of his acquaintance, the syndic (defender in court) Lenormand de Tournhem. And he continued to send letters to his family. In particular, it was on his advice that five-year-old Jeanne Antoinette was sent to be raised in the Ursuline monastery, where her mother’s sister was a nun.

Mother came to the monastery very rarely, and then mainly in order to convey to Jeanne Antoinette the most necessary things.

Fortune teller

Contrary to all the laws in force at that time, nine-year-old Zhanna was taken to a fortune teller. Already in adulthood, the marquise donated money to the monastery because “she was told to be the mistress of Louis XV.”

Historians claim that even the corresponding payment documents have been preserved. However, it is no longer possible to verify whether there was a fortune teller, or whether it was a figment of the imagination of the mysterious marquise.

Soon the girl left the monastery and returned home, where her mother and stepfather (although rumors persisted then that de Tournhem was her biological father. Jeanne Antoinette’s mother had a dubious reputation) took up her education.

The girl was taught music, painting, recitation, stage acting, and dancing. She sang and painted beautifully. She was taught with de Tournegem's money, which she, having already become Louis's mistress, will not forget. In particular, she will get her stepfather the position of head of the royal buildings.

"I will leave you only for the sake of the king"

When Jeanne Antoinette turned 19 years old, they began to look for her husband. Thanks to her stepfather’s connections, the girl was included in the most famous city salons; she was young, charming and talented. But the dubious reputation of Jeanne’s mother and the fame of her own father, a schemer, scared off the suitors.

De Tournham also took this issue upon himself. He married the girl to his own nephew, the son of the treasurer general, Charles-Guillaume Le Normand d'Etiol. The wedding took place on March 9, 1741.

There were rumors that Etiol was more than compensated for the loss of his bachelor status. In particular, de Tournhem allegedly promised to divide his property into two halves and from one half to cover all his nephew’s expenses while he was alive. And to bequeath the second to him.

Jeanne Antoinette became pregnant in the first two weeks after the wedding. She gave birth to a boy at the end of December, but he died a few weeks later. Three years later, in August 1744, a daughter appeared in the family. She was named Alexandrina-Jeanne d'Etiolle.

main" - Marie-Anne de Mailli-Nel. Their relationship with the king lasted about four years. But the girl died of illness at the age of 27. The king was very worried, which the whole of Versailles was aware of.

For Jeanne Antoinette, this grief of Louis meant that the road to his heart was open, the place of the “main favorite” was free.

Ah, masquerade

accidentally collided" with the king. Louis suggested taking off the masks, but she instead ran away, waving a white handkerchief. At some point, the girl dropped it, the king picked it up and returned it. At the French court, this was such a peculiar way to show his caring attitude towards one or another to another person.

Several days passed, and the 23-year-old coquette was taken to Versailles, to the 35-year-old king. And they delivered again and again.

As a result, at the end of March, the king’s new favorite was transported to the palace, and she occupied the chambers of Louis’s former mistress. Jeanne Antoinette, of course, divorced d’Etiol. According to the laws of that time, he was even forced to pay his ex-wife 30,000 livres (in modern money - about 70 million rubles). However, what does she care about money now - she is the favorite of King Louis himself!

Mark-ki-za

Having a marquise as a favorite is much more prestigious than having some girl from the bourgeoisie. Apparently, this was the king’s reasoning when he bought his mistress the title of Marquise de Pompadour in August 1745. She also became the owner of lands that annually brought in an income of 12,000 livres (about 7 million rubles in modern money).

And yet, in order to linger at the king’s bedside, it was necessary to somehow interest him. The Marquise solved the problem this way: to invite really interesting guests to the king who could surprise him. So the sculptor Bouchardon, the enlightenment philosopher Montesquieu, the artists Karl Van Loo and many, many others began to appear in the royal drawing room. She was familiar with them even before marriage, while visiting salons.

In addition, the marquise learned to intelligently find moments in which the king was weak. So, he lost his mother at the age of two, and Pompadour took on the “function” of calming, supporting, and in some cases even protecting him. Verbally, of course, in front of the Versailles gossips. She could have responded sharply to the ministers. There is a story about how the French Minister of Naval Jean-Frédéric Felippo, Comte de Maurepas, tired the ruler with his report. He saw everything, but was in no hurry to stop.

All! Monsieur de Maurepas, you have already turned the king’s face yellow... The reception is over! Goodbye, Monsieur de Maurepas! - Louis XV's favorite interrupted him.

What about the wife?

"seizure of the throne" could there be any talk? Even if we assume that Pompadour would have children from the king, they would not have any right to the crown.

Beginning of the End

So, five years passed in amusement, support, teasing the ministers. Meanwhile, the marquise was stubbornly approaching 30, and it was becoming more and more difficult to compete with the younger and more beautiful people surrounding the king.

In addition, she had very weak lungs since childhood, and by the early 1750s the disease began to progress significantly. In addition, her eye twitched nervously, which was especially noticeable when she was worried. And if at the age of 23 this even gave a certain charm, now it only added problems. The Marquise, citing the demands of the doctors, was able to convince the king that the intimate relationship would have to be stopped. But she will always be glad to see him and happy to continue her friendship with him. After all, it was not only the bed that connected them all this time. As for other women... she was not at all against their presence, knowing full well that the king would no longer be able to communicate as closely with at least one of them. No, he probably just won’t want to.

She moved from her mistress’s apartment to a much larger area - in the same Versailles she asked for a house, calling this place “Deer Park”. The Marquise personally selected girls for love pleasures for the king, and everything happened in one of the five rooms. Later, it was even said about the “Deer Park” that the marquise supposedly set up a whole harem there, where the king came and organized orgies. By the way, if it turned out that one of the girls became pregnant by the king, she received a decent annuity. Most mistresses were quickly married after breaking up.

The fame of the “Deer Park” and the “bonuses” girls receive after leaving it quickly spread throughout France. The girls were ready to beat the thresholds just to get there.

Duchess, still called Marchioness

On October 17, 1752, de Pompadour received the title of Duchess. According to the French hierarchy, this meant that she had finally become an aristocrat. Moreover, according to her pedigree, she took a place “at the next step” behind the king.

She herself tactfully introduced herself as the marquise. But you can’t throw away the title.

The king did not forget his dear duchess and showered her with gifts. So, in 1752 she was given the land of Saint-Rémy, adjacent to Crecy. She brought in 12,000 livres of income per year. The king was sure that this was too little, and added another 300,000 livres to build a palace on these lands.

Death of a daughter

And where was the daughter Alexandrina Le Normand d’Etiol all this time, affectionately nicknamed Fan-Fan at home? De Tournham and Pompadour herself took care of her. They placed her in the best educational institutions of the kingdom, but she could not study in them for a long time due to poor health.

The relatives did not despair: firstly, they were sure that if there was no cure, then there would be a way to maintain her condition. Secondly, they had plans for her coming of age: to marry her illegitimate son, Louis.

On June 14, 1754, the girl began to experience pain in her stomach. The nine-year-old child died before her mother could reach her. As doctors and historians later assumed, Alexandrina had an attack of appendicitis and peritonitis.

Pompadour almost went crazy with grief. The illnesses worsened all at once - she simply could not get out of bed for a long time. And all this time the king was nearby.

Beginning of a political career

The recent laugher and “the main organizer of royal leisure” did not appear in the world for several months. By mid-1755, she drew up a plan for further action - to go into politics and limit the king as much as possible from worries about such hated state affairs. She wanted to become a political and economic adviser with the duties of First Minister.

She turned to her friends with a request to explain what was happening. The friends were, of course, difficult - Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Antoine Rouyer and Abbé de Bernis, ex-ambassador to Venice.

Later, she began to gather government officials at one of her estates and... talk with them about politics. The last step to power was the following: to write a letter to the king about what she thinks about the decisions of almost every minister and why she thinks so.

Queen's Maid of Honor

their own" to diplomatic and military positions.

Disease

In 1764, the marquise became seriously ill and literally fell ill. When the king was informed about this, he didn’t believe it at first - how could it be, if they had met a couple of days ago. As it turned out, the marquise was simply hiding the fact that because of the cough she had not slept for several nights, and her head hurt so much that sometimes disorientation in space sets in.

She had a fever and her cough did not go away. It was impossible to sleep - I woke up coughing. It was impossible to lie down because my throat was starting to feel sore. She ended up just dozing in the chair. Doctors fussed around, but could not do anything.

About a month literally in hell - and it seems a miracle happened. The disease began to recede! The Marquise finally fell asleep in her own bed. The king was informed every day about the state of her health, but there were no particular concerns - well, this was not the first time she had been sick. Everyone catches a cold, what now.

However, after a couple of days everything began with renewed vigor. On April 15, the Marquise asked the priest to come. He sat from early morning until noon, and when he was about to go back to church, Pompadour said the following.

Wait a little longer, Holy Father,” she whispered. - You and I will go together.

The Marquise de Pompadour died at about seven o'clock in the evening at the age of forty-three. In her will, she asked to be buried without ceremony. Her property amounted to more than 13 million livres (in modern money this is billions of rubles). She divided them in different shares among her friends and servants. She bequeathed all her movable and immovable property to her brother Abel.

Here lies the one who was a virgin for twenty years, a whore for ten years, and a pimp for thirteen years - historians write that this very phrase was originally written on her grave.

Marquise de Pompadour

Heart of a King

They said that the country was ruled not by a king, but by the Marquise de Pompadour. She behaved as if she herself were of royal blood: in her chambers, which once belonged to Madame de Montespan, the all-powerful favorite of Louis XIV, she received ministers, ambassadors and royalty. Even Louis' relatives had to ask for an audience with her...

She had neither a brilliant pedigree, nor special talents, was neither an outstanding beauty nor a political genius, but her name had long become a household name, denoting both an entire era and the phenomenon of favoritism. The life of the nee Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson clearly proves that anyone can go down in history - if only they put enough effort into it.

The parents of the future marquise are considered to be François Poisson, a former footman who rose to the rank of intendant, and Louise-Madeleine de la Motte. They are considered because the very free behavior of the beautiful Louise gives historians reason to doubt the paternity of her husband: in their opinion, Jeanne’s father was most likely the financier, former ambassador to Sweden Lenormand de Tournhem. It was he who took care of Louise and her children when Francois Poisson, having stolen, fled the country.

Jeanne Antoinette was born on December 29, 1721 in Paris. The girl grew up surrounded by universal love: she was charming, flexible, smart and very pretty. Thanks to the funds of de Tournham, Jeanne was brought up in the Ursuline monastery in Poissy: they recall that young Jeanne sang wonderfully - later court musicians would admire her beautiful clear voice - and declaimed superbly, showing considerable dramatic talent. Perhaps, had the circumstances been different, Jeanne would have made an excellent actress, but she was destined for a different fate: once the famous fortune teller Madame Le Bon predicted nine-year-old Jeanne that someday she would win the heart of the king himself.

The prediction made an indelible impression on both Jeanne and her mother, who decided at all costs to raise her daughter as a worthy companion to the monarch. She hired the best teachers for the girl, who taught her singing, playing the clavichord, drawing, dancing, etiquette, botany, rhetoric and performing arts, as well as the ability to dress and conduct small talk. De Tournham paid for everything - he had his own plans for the girl.

As soon as Jeanne was nineteen years old, de Tournelle arranged her wedding with his own nephew: Charles-Guillaume Lenormand d'Etiol was five years older than his bride, ugly and shy, but Jeanne agreed to the marriage without hesitation: de Tournelle promised the newlyweds to make a will in their favor, part of which he gave them as a wedding gift.

Family life turned out to be unexpectedly happy: the husband was completely enchanted by his pretty wife, and she enjoyed a quiet life on the Etiol estate, located on the border of the Sénar forest, the favorite royal hunting grounds. Her husband was happy to fulfill her every whim: Jeanne had no shortage of clothes and jewelry, she had wonderful carriages and even a home theater, which her loving husband organized so that his adored wife could have fun playing on stage. Jeanne loved her husband in her own way: they remember that she told him more than once that she would never leave him - except for the sake of the king himself. She bore her husband two children: a son, who died soon after birth, and a daughter, Alexandrina-Zhanna - her family name was Fanfan.

Young Madame d'Etiol was happy, but she was bored in a narrow family circle - and she, following the example of many society ladies, set up a salon in her own place. Soon people began to say in society that Madame d’Etiol was very courteous, witty, very pretty and, moreover, surprisingly smart. Socialites and actors, pundits and politicians began to frequent her salon: among the regular guests are the famous philosopher Charles de Montesquieu, the famous playwright Prosper Crebillon, the famous scientist Bernard de Fontenelle and even Voltaire, who greatly appreciated Madame d'Etiolle for her intelligence, charm and sincerity. The Chairman of the Parliament, Eno, a regular participant in the queen’s evening receptions, said that Jeanne was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen: “She has a great sense of music, sings very expressively and with inspiration, and probably knows at least a hundred songs.”

A lot of evidence has been preserved about her appearance, but it is so contradictory that now it is not easy to figure out exactly what Jeanne looked like. The Marquis d'Argenson wrote: "She was blonde with a too pale face, somewhat plump and rather poorly built, although endowed with grace and talents." And the Chief Jägermeister of Versailles described her as an elegant woman of average height, slender, with soft, relaxed manners, with an impeccable oval-shaped face, beautiful hair with a chestnut tint, rather large eyes, beautiful long eyelashes, a straight, perfectly shaped nose, a sensual mouth, very beautiful teeth. According to him, Jeanne had a charming laugh, always a beautiful complexion, and eyes of an indefinite color: “They did not have the sparkling liveliness characteristic of black eyes, or the gentle languor characteristic of blue ones, or the nobility characteristic of gray ones. Their indefinite color seemed to promise you the bliss of passionate temptation and at the same time left the impression of some kind of vague melancholy in the restless soul ... "

Soon Madame d'Etiolle shone in the Parisian world, which was an incredible achievement for the daughter of a former footman, but Jeanne dreamed of more: she remembered very well that she was destined to win the heart of the king himself. In the hope of meeting him, Jeanne, dressed in her most elegant outfits, often went to the Senard forest, where King Louis XV loved to hunt - they say the young beauty attracted the attention of the king, and he deigned to send her husband a deer carcass. Monsieur d'Etiol was so pleased with the sign of royal attention that he ordered to keep the deer antlers - which his wife considered a good sign: soon her husband would wear antlers from the king himself. However, Jeanne was noticed not only by Louis, but also by his official favorite, the all-powerful Duchess de Chateauroux: she immediately demanded that Madame d’Etiol “relieve the king of her annoying attention.” Jeanne had to retreat.

In December 1744, the Duchess de Chateauroux died unexpectedly: they recall that the king was so grieved that, although he consoled himself with her sister for some time, he was in no hurry to choose a new favorite. The path to the king's heart was clear.

In February 1745, a masquerade ball was held at the Paris Town Hall in honor of the marriage of the Dauphin Louis-Ferdinand and the Spanish princess Maria Theresa: Madame d'Etiol arrived there dressed as Diana and entertained the king all night with witty conversation, refusing to take off her mask. Only before leaving, Jeanne showed her face to the king - and apparently, the king was impressed by her beauty. When Jeanne, like Cinderella, who lost her shoe on the palace stairs, dropped her scarf on the floor of the ballroom, the king picked it up and personally returned it to the lady: etiquette considered such a gesture as too intimate, so the courtiers had no doubt that Louis had chosen a new mistress.

But their next meeting took place only in April: an Italian comedy was presented at Versailles, and either through the efforts of the royal stewards, or through the machinations of the courtiers who supported Jeanne, she ended up in a box next to the royal one. Louis invited Jeanne to dinner - and for dessert, Jeanne served herself to the king.

This almost became her fatal mistake: the next morning the king informed his valet that Madame d’Etiol was very nice, but she was clearly driven by selfish interest and ambition. All this immediately became known to Jeanne, who spared no expense in bribing the royal servants. And she did the smartest thing she could: she disappeared from the royal eyes.

Typically, ladies who received royal attention did not disappear after the first meeting - on the contrary, they did their best to crowd in for the second. The unusual behavior of Jeanne d'Etiol intrigued the king, and he did not stop thinking about her. When she appeared again, she performed a whole performance in front of Louis: she confessed to him her passionate and boundless love, complained about the persecution of her jealous and cruel husband... And the king, touched and enchanted, fell at her feet. He promised Jeanne that he would make her his official favorite as soon as he returned from his campaign in Flanders.

King Louis XV was thirty-five years old at the time. Having received the throne in early childhood, the king spent his entire youth in a variety of pleasures, preferring the fine arts, hunting and women to state affairs. He was married to Maria Leszczynska, an ugly woman and also seven years older than him, who, after the birth of ten children (of whom seven survived), refused to share his bed, condescendingly observing the succession of royal mistresses. By the age of thirty-five, the king had everything he could only want, and at the same time, having experienced everything and tried everything, he no longer wanted anything: satiety caused unbearable boredom, which the king no longer hoped to dispel.

However, Jeanne, well aware of Louis's problems, took upon herself the responsibility of entertaining him in every possible way. At first she wrote him elegant, witty letters (which she was helped to edit by the Abbé de Bernis, who also taught Jeanne court manners), then she did everything so that the king would not be bored for a minute in her company. Perhaps this is how Jeanne d’Etiol won the heart of the king, and this is how she remained his mistress until her death.

Already in May, Jeanne divorced her husband, and in June Louis granted his beloved the title of Marquise de Pompadour, which included an estate and a coat of arms, and already in September the newly-minted marquise was officially presented to the court as the royal favorite. Oddly enough, the queen reacted very favorably to Jeanne, noting her sincere affection for Louis, her intelligence and the respect with which the marquise invariably treated her majesty. It is known that she said more than once: “If the king really needs a mistress, then it would be better for Madame Pompadour than anyone else.” But the courtiers, offended by both Jeanne’s low origins and her still frequent violations of whimsical etiquette, nicknamed her Grisette - hinting with this unflattering nickname that for well-born aristocrats the marquise is essentially just a high-ranking courtesan.

However, Jeanne did not despair: she understood perfectly well that the cat who owns the king’s heart can also own his subjects, and she firmly took possession of Louis. The king, fascinated by Jeanne's beauty, her witty conversations and refined love pleasures, was truly in love. However, Zhanna understood that she couldn’t keep the king like that: there were a lot of beauties around, and Zhanna also had a cold temperament by nature, and sophisticated bed games were difficult for her. Madame de Pompadour constantly took various aphrodisiacs to inflame her passion - chocolate, celery soups, truffles, Spanish fly powder, oysters, red wine with spices, and so on, but even these eventually ceased to have the desired effect. But Jeanne did not rely on sex: she, like no one else, could entertain the king and dispel his boredom. Every day in her salon he was met by the best minds of his time - Voltaire, Boucher, Montesquieu, Fragonard, Buffon, Crebillon talked with His Majesty, and everyone invariably spoke with admiration about the Marquise. She showed extraordinary ingenuity in outfits and hairstyles, never appearing before the king twice in the same image, and spared no effort and expense in organizing numerous holidays, balls, parties, masquerades and concerts, which invariably amaze with the originality of the idea, the thoroughness of the organization, and the luxury and sophistication. She often organized theatrical performances for the king - the latest novelties by the best European playwrights were performed in front of the royal family, and the charming marquise always played the leading role, brilliantly performing both comedic and dramatic roles. Over time, Jeanne even created her own theater in Versailles, in one of the galleries adjacent to the Medallion Office, called the “Chamber” Theatre.

Over time, Jeanne gained unlimited influence not only on the king himself, but also on state affairs: they said that the country was ruled not by the king, but by the Marquise de Pompadour. She behaved as if she herself were of royal blood: in her chambers, which once belonged to Madame de Montespan, the all-powerful favorite of Louis XIV, she received ministers, ambassadors and royalty. Even Louis's relatives had to ask for an audience with her. The receptions took place in a luxurious hall, where there was only one chair - for the marquise. Everyone else had to stand. She was so confident in her abilities that she even wanted to marry her daughter Alexandrina to the king’s son from Countess de Ventimille, but the king, perhaps for the only time, decisively refused Jeanne: instead, Alexandrina was married to the Duke de Piquigny. However, at the age of thirteen, the girl suddenly died - they said that she was poisoned by the ill-wishers of the marquise, who became more and more numerous as her power increased.

The Marquise de Pompadour could indeed be considered omnipotent. All her relatives received titles, positions and monetary gifts, all her friends made careers. She brought the Duke of Choiseul to power, changed ministers and commanders-in-chief at will, and even conducted foreign policy at her own discretion: it was on the initiative of the Marquise that France concluded an agreement in 1756 with its traditional enemy Austria, directed against Prussia, which historically had always been a French ally. According to a historical anecdote, Jeanne was inflamed with hatred towards the Prussian king Frederick II after she was informed that he had given his dog the name Pompadour. Although Voltaire welcomed this treaty, noting that it “united the two countries after two hundred years of bitter enmity,” it ultimately backfired on France: the outbreak of the Seven Years’ War could have ended in the defeat of Prussia, but in the end France was among the losers: having come to power in the distant Of Russia, Peter III abandoned all conquests, literally giving victory to Frederick. And if Empress Elizabeth had lived at least a month longer, everything would have been different, and Madame de Pompadour would have gone down in history as one of the most successful politicians of our time.

Jeanne's interests were not limited to political intrigue: she spent a lot of effort and money on supporting the arts, reviving the custom of royal patronage. She patronized philosophers and scientists, procured pensions for Jean d'Alembert and Crebillon, ensured the publication of the first volume of the famous Encyclopedia, paid for the education of talented students and published literary works, many of which were dedicated to her by grateful authors. In Paris, she created a military school for the sons of war veterans and impoverished nobles - the famous Saint-Cyr, the money for the construction of which the Marquise donated from her own pocket. In Sevres, she organized a porcelain production, where she invited the best chemists, sculptors and artists. Over time, Sèvres porcelain began to compete with the famous Saxon, and a special pink color was named “rose Pompadour” in honor of the Marquise. The marquise exhibited her first products in Versailles and personally sold them to the courtiers, proclaiming: “If someone who has money does not buy this porcelain, he is a bad citizen of his country.”

Thanks to the mercy and generosity of the king, Jeanne disposed of enormous sums: historians have calculated that her outfits cost 1 million 300 thousand livres, cosmetics - three and a half million, the theater cost four, horses and carriages - three, jewelry cost 2 million, and servant - one and a half. Four million were spent on entertainment, and eight on patronage. The real estate that Zhanna bought all over the country was worth a huge amount of money, each time rebuilding the purchase to her own taste, remodeling parks and furnishing new houses with elegant furniture and works of art. The style that the marquise created is still called by her name - just like clothing styles, hairstyles, and shades of lipstick. It is said that the cone-shaped champagne glasses were designed by her and are shaped like her breasts, and that it was she who invented the small drawstring handbag still known today as the pompadour. The Marquise introduced high hairstyles and heels into fashion because she was short herself, and the marquise cut diamond is shaped like her lips.

By 1750, the marquise realized that her power over the king was weakening: it was becoming more and more difficult for her to arouse his desire, more and more often Louis was looking at young beauties, of whom there were always many at court. And the marquise made the only right decision: she herself refused the royal bed, preferring to become his closest friend. And so that some grasping girl would not take her place, she took the selection of royal mistresses into her own hands. In the Parisian quarter of Parc aux Cerfs, the piquantly famous Deer Park, she equipped a real dating house for Louis: young girls lived there, who, after undergoing the necessary training, ended up in bed with the monarch, and then were married off, receiving a considerable dowry “for their service.” . The Marquise vigilantly ensured that the mistresses changed faster than they could tire of Louis, and before he could become attached to any of them - the Marquise still wanted to remain the only mistress of the royal heart. Meanwhile, Jeanne herself felt tired of the constant battle for the king, for her position at court, for influence. She had been ill for a long time - tuberculosis was literally devouring her from the inside - although she did not show it, and sad thoughts visited her more and more often. “The older I get,” she wrote in one of her letters to her brother, “the more philosophical direction my thoughts take... With the exception of the happiness of being with the king, which, of course, pleases me most of all, everything else is just an interweaving of malice and baseness, leading to all sorts of misfortunes, which is common to people in general. A wonderful story to think about, especially for someone like me.”

The years passed, and the marquise realized with sadness that her beauty had faded and her youth had passed. The king was still next to her, but he was no longer held by love, but by habit: they said that he did not leave her out of pity, fearing that the sensitive marquise would commit suicide. However, he cut Jeanne’s allowance, so that she had to sell off her jewelry and houses in order to be able to continue to host His Majesty luxuriously.

In the spring of 1764, Jeanne, who still accompanied the king on all his trips, began to feel ill. At the Chateau de Choiseul she fainted and it became clear that her end was near. The king ordered to bring her to Versailles - and although etiquette strictly forbids everyone except the king from getting sick and dying within the walls of the royal residence, the Marquise de Pompadour breathed her last in the personal royal chambers. This happened on the evening of April 15, 1764. She was 43 years old.

Voltaire, her old and faithful friend, was one of the few who sincerely experienced her death: “I am deeply shocked by the death of Madame de Pompadour,” he wrote. “I owe her a lot, I mourn her.” What an irony of fate that an old man who can barely walk is still alive, and a lovely woman dies at the age of 40 in the prime of the most wonderful fame in the world.”

The Marquise's funeral took place on an unusually rainy and windy day. “What disgusting weather you chose for your last walk, madam!” - noted Louis, who was watching the funeral procession from the balcony of his palace. According to etiquette, he himself could not attend the funeral. The marquise was buried next to her mother and daughter in the tomb of the Capuchin monastery. According to legend, on her grave it was written: “Here lies the one who was a virgin for twenty years, a whore for ten years, and a pimp for thirteen years.” Half a century later, the monastery was destroyed, and the tomb of the marquise was lost forever.

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Anything is possible if you have a goal and a great desire to achieve it! The story of the uncrowned queen of France who lived during the time of Louis XV tells us about an unconditional female victory! No obstacles could stop this legendary marquise on the path to her success. But even her origin did not contribute to this at all.

Fateful prediction

Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson was born into a family whose status did not allow her to be included in the lists of high society in France. Her official father, a former footman who rose to the status of intendant, soon stole and fled from France, leaving his wife and children. The mother's reputation was even worse.

Before her marriage, Madame Poisson was supported by men, and even after she got married, her life was not distinguished by piety. Jeanne's mother continued to meet with her long-time lover Le Normand de Tournham. Who really was Jeanne's father remains unknown.

When the girl was nine years old, her mother decided to take her to a fortune teller known at that time, Madame Le Bon. It was imperative to find out whether Zhanna could get married. After all, it was a successful marriage that could ensure a comfortable life. Just looking at the angular girl, the fortuneteller exclaimed: “It can’t be...! Before me is the king’s future favorite!”

Indeed, the prediction was absolutely absurd. Little Jeanne could not become the king's favorite. And it wasn't about her appearance or age. The king by that time was already a grown man and had a wife and children. The most important condition that could allow one to claim such an honorable role had to be given to the lady from birth.

Only aristocratic women could become favorites. Jeanne Antoinette's family was far from aristocratic society. Of course, the king could afford to have an affair with a woman of non-aristocratic blood, but the etiquette of the French court would not allow her to be given the status of a favorite. In addition, King Louis XV loved his wife and was faithful to her. In general, there was so much to say - “It’s impossible because...”.

Faith gives birth to an idea. Idea gives rise to action.

Another woman would not have paid attention to such an incredible prediction. But Madame Poisson believed the fortune teller and instilled this belief in her daughter. And what about little Zhanna? How did she react to this prophecy?

Will the king love me? - Zhanna asked. This question worried her most.

“What nonsense is contained in the thoughts of my girl,” thought Madame Poisson, “Is love the most important thing?!” Become the king's favorite! This is an honor and an opportunity that many people dream of.” She did not answer her daughter, but decided to act.

At that time, Jeanne studied at the monastery of the Ursulines. Such an education would allow her to become an exemplary wife. But the future favorite of the king requires completely different knowledge. Madame Poisson wondered where to get the money for a more worthy education? To be able to charm the king, a girl must be comprehensively developed.

Be able to dance, play music, maintain small talk and much more. How to be? Madame Poisson really wanted the fortune teller's prediction to come true. And then she decided to convince her lover that he was Jeanne’s father. Le Normann, who had no children before, was very pleased with the sudden appearance of his daughter and allocated the necessary funds for the education of his favorite.

And Zhanna in her youth, like probably any of us, dreamed... She dreamed of a KING! I dreamed of meeting HIM, about love! She confidently mastered all the wisdom of learning. She tried so hard!!! After all, this is what will lead her to her dream - to become the king's beloved!

What naivety! Aristocrats received such education at that time, but she was not one!

Zhanna grew up and gradually turned from an ugly duckling into a pretty girl. But far from beautiful. She was not tall, slightly plump, and only her large eyes of an incomprehensible color distinguished her from others. These eyes could not be called blue, gray or green.

There seemed to be some kind of secret hidden in them. Jeanne Antoinette carried this secret throughout her life. The secret of how to charm the king and not just charm, but be able to achieve such influence at court that allowed her to take part in the political affairs of France, become a trendsetter, and the most influential favorite.

But this is all in the future. In the meantime, Jeanne was 19 years old, and she was very far not only from the king, but even from Parisian society. In the salons of Paris in those days, representatives of the bourgeoisie and the petty aristocracy met. Only those lucky ones who were allowed access to the walls of Versailles could classify themselves as members of the highest society. In order to get there you had to be born into seven aristocrats.

What a woman wants, God wants! What if two women passionately pursue the same goal? What should God do?!

Madame Poisson and her lover decide to marry Jeanne to Le Norman's nephew. This marriage allowed the young girl to have wealth and acquire a more worthy name - Madame D'Etiol. Jeanne began to appear in Paris salons. With her charm, sense of humor and tact, she managed to charm many.

Zhanna had a beautiful, although not deep, voice, she knew how to passionately recite poetry, and she was also an interesting conversationalist. Soon the gentlemen began to actively court Zhanna, offering her their love. What about the husband? Then betrayal, both on the part of the husband and on the part of the wife, was a common occurrence. And male attention in this matter only confirmed women’s worth. O times! O morals! But Jeanne confidently declared to all her admirers: “I will only cheat on my husband with the king!” Her phrase was perceived by everyone as a successful trick or a joke allowing her to remain faithful to her husband.

What was the king doing at that time? He was no longer so pious and managed to acquire more than one official favorite. Queen Maria Leszczynska miscalculated, refusing intimacy to the king more than once. Louis XV was a very temperamental man and could not do without carnal pleasures for long.

Oh, these men! All the de Mailly-Nel sisters managed to visit his bed. The fourth, Countess de Chateauroux, was the most thoughtful. Having seen enough of the sisters’ mistakes, she took the king’s turn abruptly, not allowing a single beauty to get close to his majesty.

Jeanne learned about the details of the king’s personal life from secular gossips. And she continued to hope and believe that someday she would become his lover. She had a lucky chance. The king with his retinue, and his companion Madame de Chateauroux, who always accompanied him everywhere, went to rest at the Choiseul castle, which was located not far from the Etiol estate.

The Sinar forest, where the king hunted, became the stage for Madame d'Etiol. Every day, when going hunting, the king invariably met a beautiful nymph on his way. The stranger was dressed in dresses in delicate shades of lilac or pink and, sitting in an open carriage, was carried away from the king's motorcade.

The king was intrigued. But Madame de Chateauroux noticed the king’s interest in time, and immediately sent a message forbidding her insolent rival to appear in front of the king.

It was impossible to disobey the king's favorite. Jeanne suffered, because now her dream was not just a fantasy, she saw the KING with her own eyes. He was tall and very handsome! No wonder they called him Louis the Beautiful! Madame D'Etiol fell in love and began to dream about the king even more. I dreamed, suffered and hoped!

Who among us has not experienced such feelings? Seeing her beloved and another woman next to him... Jealousy, the greatness of the king and the understanding of how unattainable her dream was - all this only intensified her feelings.

Some time passed, and the king’s heart became free again - his favorite Madame de Chateauroux died.

An actress or a woman in love with self-esteem?

Madame d'Etiol understood - we need to act! While the king is grieving, he is surrounded by many beautiful ladies, each of whom only dreams of taking the vacant place of favorite. And they are not idle! But how can she attract the attention of her lover? After all, Jeanne did not even have the opportunity to see the king!

Many sources report that the first meeting of the King and Madame d'Etiol took place at a masquerade ball in the Paris City Hall, where Jeanne appeared in the costume of Diana the huntress and managed to attract the attention of Louis. In Natalia Pavlishcheva's fiction book, the events of the first meeting of the king and Madame d'Etiol are described in a slightly different interpretation.

Who knows, maybe fiction is closer to real events... In any case, their meeting could not have happened without the participation of influential people. Intrigues, intrigues of the Parisian court, I think, could not have happened without them! Someone made a bet on Madame d'Etiol.

But meeting the king and even sleeping with him is only the first step. In this step, perhaps someone helped Zhanna. But the rest of the performance was performed by her herself! Played so masterfully that the king simply had no chance of falling madly in love with this woman!

Having surrendered to the king, Jeanne disappears from his sight. Louis is perplexed - how is it possible - is HE really so beautiful and majestic, who has won more than one beauty’s heart, not liked by this madam? He thought that having enjoyed the affair, he himself would stop this fleeting hobby.

Before this, all the women around Louis, only having entered into a love affair with him, sought to protect the king from the attention of other women. Jeanne's unexpected behavior intrigued the king. What was Madame d'Etiol's explanation?

Ah, Sire - you have won my heart! I wasn't running from you! I was running away from myself! Smart girl Zhanna!!! Now the king was forced to catch up. He felt like a hunter, not a prey. Was it a virtuoso game or a sincere impulse of a woman in love? Who knows... Perhaps both.

This game allowed Zhana to keep Louis’s interest, but did not bring her closer to the status of a favorite. To obtain this status, an official presentation to the court was required. Even the king in love could not imagine a woman of non-aristocratic blood as his favorite. Madame d'Etiol understood that the king would sooner or later catch up with her, but what next? Then the woman takes the next step:

Having bribed the courtiers, Jeanne sneaks into the king's chambers. Already intriguing! And she informs Louis that her husband, having learned about his wife’s vicious affair, is threatening violence! He will expel Jeanne and deprive her of communication with her daughter. The only man who can save Madame d'Etiol from her husband's reprisal is the King!

Now Louis was offered the noble mission of a knight saving his beautiful lady of his heart! How could he resist??! Louis commits an unheard of act that goes against all the rules of etiquette of that time. Jeanne is given the title "Marquise de Pompadour" and left to live in Versailles. And that is not all! The king intends, despite all the opponents of the “arrogant, rootless girl,” to present her to the court as his favorite.

Zhanna tries not to let her beloved down - she teaches the rules of etiquette. What to say, how to walk, who to smile and who not to smile. This is a whole science that the marquise masters brilliantly.

Marquise de Pompadour was the king's mistress for 5 years. But her temperament did not meet Louis's needs. What did Zhanna do to be more sexy? Special menu with aphrodisiacs, various potions. But nature took its toll. Soon Jeanne did not accept the king as a mistress. Louis began to glance at other women. And not just look.

What follows the decline of the King's interest as a man? Usually the favorite is removed from the court, sent to hell. But the legendary marquise was able to emerge victorious even in this situation. She played the game so well that not only was she not expelled, but she also received a new title - duchess.


For another 15 years, De Pompadour was next to the king as his friend, mentor and adviser. The king could not do without the smart, always cheerful Pompadour. To prevent the king from getting bored, she organized a chamber theater, which only those close to the royal person could attend.

She herself played various roles in this theater. Pompadour even went so far as to pick up girls for the king's amusement. State affairs were carried out on her advice, and more than one castle was built. She was engaged in the manufacture of porcelain and patronized the poets and philosophers of that time. Marquise De Pompadour was the only favorite who managed to win over the queen - her rival!

The uncrowned queen was what De Pampadour was called. At that time, everyone understood who ruled the roost in France! Even the last journey of the legendary marquise resembled a scene from a well-thought-out and staged performance by her.

Only kings and members of their families were allowed to die at Versailles. Louis made an exception for the Pompadour. She died in the royal chambers. And when her body was taken out, it was pouring rain. It seemed even nature was mourning the loss of this mysterious and influential woman.

The Marquise's Riddle

The influence and honors that the Marquise de Pompadour was awarded is an unconditional victory for women! To always remain cheerful and interesting for a man is titanic work. She managed to achieve such great heights without having the exceptionally beautiful appearance, the required background, or the passionate temperament that is so valued by men.

In addition, Zhanna was in very poor health. She suffered from consumption and died at the age of 43, leaving an indelible mark on the history of France. And if you imagine the fact that when communicating with Louis, in addition to feminine charms, she also needed to combine respectful communication with the king.

There could not even be any talk of any equality of rights between women and men!

Was Pompadour a virtuoso actress or a loving woman willing to do anything to be able to communicate with her Louis?

Who knows... She took this riddle with her.

The story of the Marquise De Pompadour tells us that for a woman there are no limits - everything is possible! What do you need for this?

Love and faith, or maybe acting talent?

Or maybe a gypsy played the main role in this story?