Stanislas Leczinski became Duc de Lorraine as part of a deal between Louis XV and the Austrians. Franz Stephan of Lorraine had to give up his dukedom to France as the price for becoming the husband of Maria Theresa and thus eventually Holy Roman Emperor - he was extremely upset by this, but gave in and that is when the family became that of Habsburg-Lorraine. The duchy of Lorraine was absorbed at the death of Stanislas into the kingdom of France.
Stanislas established his own little court at Nancy and enjoyed himself very much, with his mistresses to keep things jolly and distinguished visitors such as Voltaire to add a bit of class. He wasn't very pious and although he had a comforting correspondence with his daughter, he maintained she was the only person he knew who was duller than his wife. He was over the moon when it was proposed that his daughter would be Queen of France and rushed in to her with such a look of joy that she cried "What has happened? Are you going, as King, to Poland?" to which he replied, "No, no, you are going, as Queen, to France!"
