Marie Thérèse, Madame Royale Explained

Marie Thérèse
Madame Royale
Birth Date:2 January 1667
Birth Place:Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
Death Place:Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France
Full Name:Marie Thérèse de France
House:Bourbon
Father:Louis XIV of France
Mother:Maria Theresa of Spain
Burial Place:Royal Basilica, Saint Denis, France

Marie Thérèse (2 January 1667  - 1 March 1672) was the fourth child and only legitimate surviving daughter of King Louis XIV of France and his wife; Maria Theresa of Spain. As the daughter of a reigning French Monarch, she was Fille de France and was known at court by the traditional honorific style of Madame Royale. She died at the age of five to tuberculosis.

Early life

Marie Thérèse was born on 2 January 1667 at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. She had two elder sisters, but they both died during infancy. Upon her parents' request, the following year after her birth, they had her baptised promptly alongside her godfather; Henri Jules, Prince of Condé and her paternal aunt; Margaret of Lorraine. This took place at the Palais du Louvre in 1668.

Her parents reputedly adored and loved the young child. Her mother wanted her to become the queen of Spain and it was proposed via Charles II, the heir presumptive to the Spanish Throne.[1] As a Fille de France, Marie Thérèse was entitled by law to the style of Her Royal Highness, but was referred to simply as '"Madame Royale". As governess, Marie Thérèse was appointed and placed under the care of Louise de Prie.[2]

Marie Thérèse was also known by "La Petite Madame" to distinguish her from her aunts, the wives of her uncle Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, who were known as Madame Henrietta of England (1664–1670) and the second Elisabeth Charlotte, Madame Palatine (1652–1722).

Death

On the night of 1 March 1672, around 10 o'clock in the evening, her mother found Marie Thérèse covered in sweat. She watched as Marie Thérèse struggled to utter the words "Maman... peux plus..."[3] Shortly afterwards she succumbed to tuberculosis at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. Marie Thérèse was buried at the Royal Basilica of Saint Denis, outside Paris, France. The music for the funeral ceremony was composed by musician; Marc-Antoine Charpentier (H.409, H.189, H.331).

Ancestry

Patrilineal descent

Patrilineal descent is the principle behind membership in royal houses, as it can be traced back through the generations - which means that if Princess Marie Thérèse were to choose an historically accurate house name it would be Robertian, as all her male-line ancestors have been of that house.

Marie Thérèse is a member of the House of Bourbon, a branch of the Capetian dynasty and of the Robertians.

Marie Thérèse's patriline is the line from which she is descended father to son. It follows the Dukes of Parma as well as the Kings of Spain, France, and Navarre. The line can be traced back more than 1,200 years to the present day and is one of the oldest in Europe.

  1. Robert II of Worms and Rheingau (Robert of Hesbaye), 770 - 807
  2. Robert III of Worms and Rheingau, 808 - 834
  3. Robert IV the Strong, 820 - 866
  4. Robert I of France, 866 - 923
  5. Hugh the Great, 895 - 956
  6. Hugh Capet, 941 - 996
  7. Robert II of France, 972 - 1031
  8. Henry I of France, 1008–1060
  9. Philip I of France, 1053–1108
  10. Louis VI of France, 1081–1137
  11. Louis VII of France, 1120–1180
  12. Philip II of France, 1165–1223
  13. Louis VIII of France, 1187–1226
  14. Louis IX of France, 1215–1270
  15. Robert, Count of Clermont, 1256–1317
  16. Louis I, Duke of Bourbon, 1279–1342
  17. James I, Count of La Marche, 1319–1362
  18. John I, Count of La Marche, 1344–1393
  19. Louis, Count of Vendôme, 1376–1446
  20. Jean VIII, Count of Vendôme, 1428–1478
  21. François, Count of Vendôme, 1470–1495
  22. Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, 1489–1537
  23. Antoine, King of Navarre, Duke of Vendôme, 1518–1562
  24. Henry IV, King of France and of Navarre, 1553–1610
  25. Louis XIII, King of France and Navarre, 1601–1643
  26. Louis XIV, King of France and Navarre, 1638–1715
  27. Marie Thérèse of France, Madame Royale, 1667-1672

Notes and References

  1. Book: Langdon-Davies, John . Carlos: The King Who Would Not Die . John Langdon-Davies . Prentice Hall . 1963 . 88–89. Englewood Cliffs, N.J..
  2. Web site: Marie-Thérèse de France, Madame Royale . partylike1660.com . 11 October 2024 . Louise de Prie, Marquise de Toucy, was appointed as the governess of Madame Royale shortly after her birth and only a couple of months later, the little girl fell ill with smallpox. Mama Marie-Thérèse was in great alarm. She already had lost two girls, Anne-Élisabeth and Marie-Anne, in infancy..
  3. Web site: Marie-Thérèse de France, Madame Royale . partylike1660.com . 11 October 2024 . Marie-Thérèse fell ill again. On the night of March 1 in 1672, around 10 o’clock in the evening, her mother found the little girl covered all over in sweat. She died shortly later. “Maman… peux plus…” were the last words that came from the round lips of the little princesse..