biography
| name: |
Maintenon, Françoise d'Aubigné, Marquise de (Marchioness of)
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pronunciation:
[mĩtenõ]
| sex:
| female
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| lived:
| (1635–1719)
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| biography:
| Second wife of Louis XIV of France, born in Niort, W France. Orphaned, she married her guardian, the crippled poet Paul Scarron in 1652, and on his death was reduced to poverty. In 1669 she discreetly took charge of the king's two sons by her friend Mme de Montespan, and became the king's mistress. By 1674 the king had enabled her to purchase the estate of Maintenon, near Paris, which was converted to a marquisate. After the queen's death (1683), Louis married her secretly. She was accused of having great influence over him, especially over the persecution of Protestants. On his death in 1715 she retired to the educational institution for poor noblewomen which she had founded at St Cyr (1686). |
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