Anne d'Arpajon, comtesse de Noailles
| Anne d'Arpajon | |
|---|---|
The Lady with the Mask, by Pierre Louis de Surugue (1746)
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| Spouse(s) | Philippe de Noailles, Duke of Mouchy |
| Issue | |
| Father | Louis de Sévérac |
| Mother | Anne Charlotte le bas de Montargis |
| Born |
4 March 1729 Arpajon, France |
| Died | 27 June 1794 (aged 65) Barrière du Trône, Paris, France |
Anne d'Arpajon (Anne Claude Louise d'Arpajon; 4 March 1729 – 27 June 1794) was a French and dame d'honneur to Queens of France, Marie Leszczyńska and Marie Antoinette. She was called "Madame Etiquette" by Marie Antoinette for her insistence that no minutia of court etiquette ever be altered or disregarded.
Her father, Louis de Sévérac, Marquis of Arpajon-sur-Cère (1667–1736), bought the Marquisat of Saint-Germain-lès-Châtres in 1720, and was granted permission by Philippe d'Orléans (régent for Louis XV), to rename it Saint-Germain-lès-Arpajon, and its seat Arpajon. Her mother, Anne Charlotte Le Bas de Montargis, was lady in waiting to the Duchess of Berry, daughter of the regent. Anne Claude married Philippe de Noailles, Duke of Mouchy, Captain of the Hunts at Versailles, on 27 November 1741. Noailles was one of the leading families of France.
In 1763, she was made dame d'honneur to queen Marie Leszczyńska, and in 1770, she was given the same post to the new Dauphine Marie Antoinette, upon her arrival in France. She met Marie Antoinette at the border, where she was a part of the French entourage, and was made responsible for her court and behaviour at Versailles. Marie Antoinette greatly disliked her, as she prevented her from doing things she liked with reference to court etiquette, and she gave her the name Madame Etiquette. In 1774, when Marie Antoinette became a queen, she fired the Countess of Noailles, prompting her to become a part of the noble opposition to the queen with the Kings' aunts, Mesdames, at Bellevue.
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