Duchesse de Polignac

[coquelicot]

Yes, I think it was. Queen and countess immediately became very close. But Gabrielle was a simple person, and she soon said to Antoinette that she did not want to go on in the court, and that she prefered to leave her before she felt to attached to her. Then, Marie-Antoinette burst into tears, and begged Gabrielle to stay with her. So, countess de Polignac accepted, by affection for the queen.

Maybe, for her tranquillity, it would have been better to refuse... But she loved Marie-Antoinette too much to hurt her.

Some people hating madame de Polignac gave a detestable explanation of this scene. They say that Vaudreuil and other ambitious courtiers sent madame de Polignac as a pilote fish to catch Marie-Antoinette, and that this was nothing but comedy. Well... in this case, how could this comedy last for years ? For their friendship lasted from 1775 to 1789... and even later, till 1793, since Gabrielle died thinking of her beloved friend.

[polignac]

I know that Gabrielle had a chateau near the Chateau de La Muette, in Paris. Do you know any chateau or other mansion owned by the Polignacs?

[coquelicot]

I just made a little research yesterday (not complete, just the beginning !). You can find some answers here :
http://www.parislemarais.com/lemarais/hotel_marle.php
http://www.worldtempus.com/wt/1/1153/

Some sentences concern Polignacs' houses.

[polignac]

The Hotel de Marle, owned by the Duchesse Gabrielle:

[polignac]

I was searching around, and I found this:
http://www.heraldique-europeenne.org/Regions/France/Polignac.htm

It's not any property of the Polignac, but in that website we can observe that Gabrielle and her husband were Vicomte de Polignac, Marquis de Chalençon, Marquis de Mancini, Pair de France, puis Duc de Polignac et Pair de France... I didn't knew that they were Marquis de Mancini...I searched, and I found that Jules Armand mother was daughter to the duc de Nevers, from the family of the cardinal Mazarino.

But speaking about the Polignac propertys...There's actualy a château named Château de Lavoûte-Polignac, but I don't know if it was a Polignac property..
http://images.google.pt/imgres?imgurl=http://www.jedecouvrelafrance.com/img/photos/2184_1-chateau-de-lavo-te-polignac.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.jedecouvrelafrance.com/f-2184.haute-loire-chateau-polignac.html&h=335&w=250&sz=19&tbnid=HYVvlWXGMswmGM:&tbnh=115&tbnw=85&hl=pt-PT&start=4&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dchateau%2Bpolignac%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Dpt-PT%26lr%3D

I'm going to continue my research for more Gabrielle's propertys

[timfromengland]

Marie Antoinette  met  Gabrielle  in  1775, 
a year after becoming  Queen of  France.
Marie was age 20  and  Gabrielle  age 26.
The young Queen was fascinated by the stylish and sophisticated Gabrielle
and  intent on having her new friend come to live at Versailles.
go here
 http://celebheaven.freepowerboards.com/viewtopic.php?f=79&t=294&p=630#p630



.

[prinzheinelgirl]

So, has anyone read that Louis XVI was infatuated with the Duchess de Polignac.....? The book Marie Therese: Child of Terror states so.

Page 29 of the book Marie Therese: Child of Terror:

That summer, Marie Antoinette became pregnant again but suffered a miscarriage in the early stages of the pregnancy.She and the King wept together, but Louis then sought solace in the company of another woman: Gabrielle Yolande de Polignac was Marie Antoinette's closest friend at court. Louis started visiting Madame de Polignac without his wife, a development that disturbed Mercy and the Empress. When Madame de Polignac became pregnant in the second half of 1779 after not having a child after a good many years, Marie Antoinette feared her worst suspicions confirmed, but she said nothing to the King hoping that his 'infatuation' would subside."

Page 30:

"In April, the Queen wrote to her mother that she was longing to give her daughter a sibling. She also admitted that although she was painfully aware that the King was enamoured of her best friend (Polignac), she would not ask him to give up his special friendship even though it was widely discussed that the King visited Mme. de Polignac at her townhouse and that hers was the only private home in Paris he visited since he had become King. Mercy reported to the Empress that Madame de Polignac was gaining more and more prestige and favor and was to be given a great deal of money and the title Duchesse after the birth of her baby. The practical reason for the King bestowing this title on the Queen's friend was so that de Polignac could remain in the inner circle at Versailles as protocol demanded that she be of a certain rank. Count Mercy (Austrian ambassador)  assured the Empress that her daughter as bearing the situation with a dignity that Maria Theresa would be proud of."

I've read at another site that some people have written the author of the book,  Dr. Susan Nagel, regarding some information on the book and that she gave her sources concerning some matters of the book to Ms. Elena Maria Vidal (who I believe is also a member of this forum).

So, what do you think?    

[Grandduchess Valeria]

The Duchess:



She died in Austria in December 1793, shortly after hearing of the execution of Marie-Antoinette.

[timfromengland]

Interesting, I never  knew that there was a close relationship between
Gabrielle and the King..... Marie Antoinette could have said... like Lady Di.... " there are three people
in this marriage ....."

I may be wrong but Ive always suspected that  the two people most responsible
for leading the young Marie Antoinette astray... during her wild , extravagent period...
are  Gabrielle  and the  Count of Artois  ( the King's libertine brother)

Marie was  married but the marriage was unconsumated, she was frustrated  and began to
lead a  hedonistic, spendthrift  life of  banquets balls and gambling........
no doubt  Gabrelle and  the Count were at her side, joining in the fun.

(Things probably changed  after Marie had her first child )

[prinzheinelgirl]

It seems that the author of the book, Dr. Susan Nagel, furnished her sources regarding the relationship between Louis XVI and the Duchesse de Polignac to Ms. Elena Maria Vidal.  There are people who refuse to the author's statements, though....they think Louis XVI was too moral to have an affair, also having spoken against having mistresses more than once.... but he wasn't a saint, was he?    I think the claims are plausible..... I mean, if Count Mercy did say that Marie Antoinette was bearing the situation with a dignity even her (critical) mother would be proud of, then the relationship must've existed.

Yes, Gabrielle was one of those "fun" friends MA had....although I think she did much worse by "asking" for lucrative posts for her family than leading MA astray with partying, etc.  

[susana]

My copy of the newer book on Madame Royale states that LXVI tried out his virility on Gabrielle Polignac and also a maidservant which resulted in the births of a son and daughter respectively. Never has anything like this been suggested in anything I've ever read. My copy of this book is a pre publication copy without a bibliography so I can't check anything out. What do ya'll say?

[prinzheinelgirl]

Yes, the supposed daughter of Louis XVI with a maid was mentioned in a few books and discussed in other forums as well .  It doesn't seem impossible although perhaps it needs further verification/research.   The supposed son with Gabrielle Polignac was born in 1779 or 1780, I think. So Louis XVI was already into a consummated marriage with Marie Antoinette.... One of the valauble things this forum has taught me is to take everything I read with a pinch of salt, at least at first..... and that assertations need to be checked,  checked and cross-checked

[timfromengland]

Yes... Gabrielle  was   a very stylish and sophisticated lady .... who  became I believe... Marie Antoinettes  "soul mate "
her dearest friend....
  (Poor Maria Lamballe  had to take second place in the Queen's affections !)



Gabrielle  de Polignac





  A lovely ... riske...  portrait of the Princess de Lamballe

[Tony de Gandarillas]

Reply to post # 121

According to 1921's Almanach de Gotha, troisieme partie

These are some of the homes lived in by the Polignac family:  Please note that many may have been destroyed by WWII, or may no longer be owned by Polignac family members.  I don't know which are patrimony of the Polignac family or which may have been brought into the family through marriage.

château de Canappeville, Eure
château de St-Jean-du-Cardonnay, Seine- Inférieure
château de Polignac, Haute-Loire
château de La Jumelliere, Maine et Loire
château de Navailles près Pau
château Le Plessis
château de Limésy, Seine-Inférieure
château de Kerbastic, Morbihan
château de La Voulte-Polignac, par La Voulte, Seine et Loire
château de Kerscamp, Marbihan
château de Bournville, Aisne

[REMI]

Reply to post # 121

According to 1921's Almanach de Gotha, troisieme partie

These are some of the homes lived in by the Polignac family:  Please note that many may have been destroyed by WWII, or may no longer be owned by Polignac family members.  I don't know which are patrimony of the Polignac family or which may have been brought into the family through marriage.

château de Canappeville, Eure
château de St-Jean-du-Cardonnay, Seine- Inférieure
château de Polignac, Haute-Loire
château de La Jumelliere, Maine et Loire
château de Navailles près Pau
château Le Plessis
château de Limésy, Seine-Inférieure
château de Kerbastic, Morbihan
château de La Voulte-Polignac, par La Voulte, Seine et Loire
château de Kerscamp, Marbihan
château de Bournville, Aisne