Duchesse de Polignac

[polignac]

I think that we would only know if Aglaé was in love with her husband, the duc de Guiche, if we had diaries or letters...

I don't think that there's any diary or letter by Yolande, Madame de Polignac that survived all these years..

And a letter by the Queen that speaks about the duchesse? No?

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[polignac]

Information about Yolande isn't very much..We always see: The duchesse de Polignac was a extremly bad influence at the Queen and stuff like that..

But if we could see letters or diaries of the duchesse, we could understand her better, i think..

[coquelicot]

There are Diane de Polignac's memoirs, that are very nice to Gabrielle. I have never read them, there are in a library somewhere in France. A little bit about Gabrielle is also available in other Diane's diary. You can have it on "Gallica" site.

There are several letters from Marie-Antoinette to Gabrielle, really wonderful and full of tenderness. From these letters, their confidence and friendship are obvious.

There are also letters to Marie-Thérèse, where Marie-Antoinette writes about Madame de Polignac, this lady she "infinitely loves". She also tells her mother that the king appreciates Gabrielle very much too.

Wicked words you can find in Mercy's correspondence to the empress. Much of Antoinette and her friends' bad reputations comes from Mercy's reports !  

[polignac]

But do you know if the letters can be seen in the Internet?

[polignac]

it would be interesting reading some letters...


(i like the new forum, but i think that i prefered the older  )

[polignac]

Yolande in 1793, the year of her death:


Yolande:

[polignac]

Yolande in 1793, the year of her death:


Yolande:

Yolande:

[coquelicot]

It's possible to read letters from Marie-Antoinette on "gallica site". Enter "Marie-Antoinette" as author and search. They are in "Louis XVI, Marie-Antoinette and Elisabeth's correspondence", 6 volumes. But be careful, most of these letters are false ones... One of the most beautiful is dated December 29th 1789.

Thanks for these portraits, Polignac ! The first is a posthume one Madame Vigée-Lebrun made in 1793, but the last one represents Diane de Polignac, actually.

[polignac]

Oh, yes, you are right  

So, Madame Diane de Polignac was the sister of the Duc Jules Polignac. I know that she was very ambitious too, but she was an inteligent woman.

Madame Louise de Polastron was, as Wikipedia says, the Duchesse Yolande Polignac's younger sister, and lover of the Comte de Artois, Charles. I don't know anything about Madame Louise.

I only know these two ladys from the 18th century Polastron-Polignac family, do you know more? Maybe, you can tell something about Madame Yolande's parents, or other brothers (i don't know if she had more brothers then Madame Louise)...

Thanks* * * *

[coquelicot]

No, I don't. Actually, I'm only interested in Gabrielle for she was Antoinette's friend. We can't totally rely on Wikipedia, and, following a specialist, there could be a mistake: maybe Louise wasn't Gabrielle's sister, but Gabrielle's siter-in-law.

Yes, it seems Diane was the ambitious person of the family. On the contrary, Gabrielle was rather indolent and soft... as you can see on her portraits, very different an expression from Diane ! Marie-Antoinette herself spoke of her friend's "candeur" (being candid).

[polignac]

I was searching information about the Duchesse and what have I found: a letter by Marie Antoinette to the Duchesse...But I don't know if it's a real one.

http://www.mrcranky.com/movies/secretofroaninish/10/5.html

[coquelicot]

No, it's not a real one. Antoinette only called Gabrielle "mon cher coeur" and would never sign "Marie-Antoinette de France". This was the evidence the letters used by Madame de Lamotte Valois, for the necklace affair, were false !





This is a letter from Antoinette to Gabrielle.

[polignac]

Thank you for the letters..But can you understand what they are saying?  

Oh, and you are right..I think that i was confused with something, because, in Wikipedia it's says: Gabrielle's beautiful sister-in-law, Louise, became the life-long mistress of Louis XVI's youngest brother, Charles, Comte d'Artois (later Charles X).
 

[coquelicot]

Marie-Antoinette wrote :

August, 23th, 89

They assure me the way this letter will come to you is safe. I can so tell you, my dear heart, that I love you tenderly. My health keeps on, but my soul is overwhelmed with pains, sorrows and worries. Each day we hear about new misfortunes, and the biggest of all for me is that I am parted from all my friends. I see, I meet no eyes, no heart that can hear me... at least could I be happy should I know they are secure !
Hainaut, that was quiet, gets on agitating since two days. I'm worried about it.
I wrote to your cousin. I couldn't let her go with her mother without telling her goodbye. However the journey is long and difficult for this last one, I'm very happy she gets away from a place where everything is afflicting for her.
I don't know how much my letter will take for arriving. I tell you nothing about the children, the person who will take care of this mail will bring you news from them.
Farewell, my dear heart, only death can make me stop loving you.

(a line meaning her signature, she always signs her letters to familiars so)

Speak of me often to your husband, your daughter and Armand. I love them three with all my soul.

Dear Polignac, I hope it will be OK. It's roughly translated... I did my best ! Hainaut is a part of Austrian Netherlands.

[polignac]

Oh thanks coquelicot