99 Brides of Louis XV

I know this will sound stupid, but where they considerd for looks at all? and, who was considered the mose attractive?

I know this will sound stupid, but where they considerd for looks at all? and, who was considered the mose attractive?

No, looks were not a factor except insofar as the princesses had to be healthy (i.e. could not have any deformation of limbs, etc).    Maria Leszczynska was not actually ugly, but was not considered to come very high on the list for looks.  The discarded Mariana Victoria of Spain was considered quite pretty, and the Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia was considered beautiful as a young woman. 

I think that in that days the beauty wasn't one of the most important things for be choosen the wife
of a royal (but of course that was important) I think that wealth or other kind of things were even more
important for them

I think that wealth or other kind of things were even more
important for them

I think it was the 'other kinds of things', i.e. politics, which were most important in the marriage of Louis XV - Maria Leszczynska was plain, poor and barely royal.

But was healthy...

very healthy..and as a result fertile hahah!

However, she only had two sons, one of whom died in infancy, and as far as fertility goes, her daughters didn't count as they could not inherit the throne.  Indeed, when her daughter-in-law died in childbirth, her son the Dauphin had to be rushed into a second marriage as fast as possible although he was by no means ready, as the royal line was dangerously close to extinction.  Her second daughter-in-law, Maria Josefa of Saxony, was much more satisfactory because she had 4 sons, of whom 3 survived to adulthood.

Yes, wealthy was important, but sometimes fertility didn't help several royal couples

Yes, wealthy was important, but sometimes fertility didn't help several royal couples

this is truee..especially in france, as noted Louis XV and la bonne reine Marie had more daughters then sons, a 'potential' bad situation in France where they used to follow the [i my opinion] unfair Salic Law! :O

this is truee..especially in france, as noted Louis XV and la bonne reine Marie had more daughters then sons, a 'potential' bad situation in France where they used to follow the [i my opinion] unfair Salic Law! :O

Most German and Nordic countries followed the Salic law, and even Maria Theresa became Holy Roman Empress because her husband Franz Stephan was elected Emperor.  And most monarchies before the late 20th century gave precedence to a boy over girls - such as the British monarchy.  Queen Elizabeth was only ever heiress presumptive to the British throne because if her parents had ever had a son, he would have been the heir, not she.  And most English titles are male only - girls can't inherit at all. 

The Habsburgs were in a similar bind when the Emperors Joseph I and Charles VI failed to have daughters - it plunged the Austrians into a great mess as technically Joseph's daughters should have inherited under the will of Leopold I.  Charles VI set this aside, and forced Joseph's daughters to renounce their rights - but Joseph's grandson the Elector of Bavaria contested this and many of the European monarchs reneged on their pledges to uphold Maria Theresa.  Whichever way you look at it, Maria Theresa had very little right to the throne over Joseph's daughters, and as a woman was regarded as fair game for other rulers' land-grabs.  So she very clearly demonstrates the dangers which could occur if a ruler under the Salic law had too few male heirs.  And the French had too many male contenders in the Orleans and Conde branches to give the girls a chance.

So fertility was good, but fertility with just girls was perceived as bad.  As noted above, the mother of the Princess of Hesse-Rheinfels was thought to give birth alternately to hares and daughters (very bizarre idea, and quite untrue as in fact she had 5 boys and 5 girls, and only a couple died in infancy) and presumably the daughters were the drawback to why this otherwise hot contender was scrubbed from the list.  Nancy Mitford presumed that the Duc de Bourbon, who eventually married this princess, would have thought there was room for any number of hares at Chantilly.

I think it was the 'other kinds of things', i.e. politics, which were most important in the marriage of Louis XV - Maria Leszczynska was plain, poor and barely royal.

Wasn't she older than Louis XV by 7 years?  I thought that a bit odd, considering that he had a lot of 'options'. So, she was actually plain?  I've read that Louis XV was enchanted by her portrait. Perhaps the painter just flattered her.....

Wasn't she older than Louis XV by 7 years?  I thought that a bit odd, considering that he had a lot of 'options'. So, she was actually plain?  I've read that Louis XV was enchanted by her portrait. Perhaps the painter just flattered her.....

She wasn't actually ugly, just not very pretty.  No doubt the painter did indeed flatter her.  The fact that she was 7 years older than Louis XV was less important in that she had many child-bearing years before her.  Louis XV was by that stage anxious to be married and had she been more interesting and companionable, he might never have strayed, or at least with no one particularly important.  Unfortunately she  became fed up with constant pregnancies and started to find excuses for not having sex with the King; he found more congenial company and women who were keen to supply her place in every respect and that was it for Maria Leszczynska.  It is interesting that his relationship with Madame de Pompadour continued after their physical relations had ended, as Madame de Pompadour had tremendous charm and fascination with which the Queen could not compete.  Indeed, Madame de Pompadour was not considered an absolute beauty - very pretty, until her final years, but her magnetic personality was her great attraction.

I'm not sure that any royal marriage in that era was determined by looks.  This list of 99 princesses wasn't something from a fairy tale, where the King would be presented by portraits and select the most beautiful.  It was a list of all the eligible princesses, in terms of birth, and the selection was made on the basis of royal blood, health and potential ability to have children, preferably sons, and the potential to represent the interests of the French prime minister and his mistress.  And if Maria  Leszczynska had a different personality, it might have actually been a very successful marriage.

I agree completely with you, French royals weren't the only ones that suffered at not having sons

Thanks, CountessKate!

Well, indeed it seems that their relationship had problems because she was the first to make excuses on not being intimate with her husband.... no wonder Louis XV, who was extremely sensual, lost interest on his wife after some time. Maria Leszczynska was married at age 21 or 22, so even if she was older than her husband, yes, she had a lot of childbearing years left, assuming there wouldn't be any problems.  She wasn't 'interesting' too, was she?  As for being barely royal, I agree. I think Poland's kings at that time were for only for a lifetime, nominated by the other powers and chosen by the magnates.

It was an elective monarchy, and Marie Leszczynska's father had tried to supplant Augustus of Saxony and was later supplanted himself.  I don't know much about his ancestry, except that he was a nobleman, but not of royal blood. 

No, Marie Leszczynska wasn't very interesting.  She was very well educated, spoke several languages, was very keen on music, danced gracefully, and was extremely charitable and religious, but basically she had little in common with the King although he was genuinely fond of her at first.  She made a dreadful faux pas at the beginning of their marriage when she tried to intervene between Louis and his trusted minister the Cardinal Fleury in favour of the Duc de Bourbon (who had arranged her marriage) and the King never subsequently allowed her to have any political say whatsoever - and shortly dismissed and exiled from court the Duc de Bourbon and his mistress Madame de Prie, the Queen's 'sponsors'.  She learned her lesson, was submissive and dutiful, but when she ceased to want to sleep with him he lost interest in her entirely.  His first mistresses were not pleasant to her and Madame de Pompadour was the first to be nice and respectful, and she died before Madame du Barry became Louis' mistress - I'm sure Madame du Barry would not have been at all kind to her.  She had a little coterie of friends who were equally devout but they were all considered by the rest of the court to be pretty dull. 

I read somewhere that she played the harpsichord badly, and acknowledged her mistakes with a merry little laugh.  It must have been ghastly.