Charlotte Aglaé of Orléans

Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans
Charlotte Aglaé as Hebe, by Pierre Gobert
Duchess of Modena
Consort	26 October 1737 – 19 January 1761
Born	(1700-10-20)20 October 1700 Palais-Royal, Paris, France
Died	19 January 1761(1761-01-19) (aged 60) Petit-Luxembourg, Paris, France
Burial	Val-de-Grâce, Paris, France
Spouse	Francesco III, Duke of Modena
Issue Detail	Maria Teresa, Duchess of Penthièvre Ercole Rinaldo, Duke of Modena Maria Fortunata, Princess of Conti
Full name Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans
Father	Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
Mother	Françoise Marie de Bourbon
Religion	Roman Catholicism
Signature

Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans, (20 October 1700 – 19 January 1761) was the Duchess of Modena and Reggio by marriage. She was the third daughter of Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, and of his wife, Françoise-Marie de Bourbon. She was born a princesse du sang. When a married woman, she had ten children.

Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans was born at the Palais-Royal, her parents' residence in Paris. As a young child, Charlotte Aglaé was known at court as Mademoiselle de Valois. Her second name comes from the youngest of the three Greek Charites; Aglaea.

At a young age, she and Louise Adélaïde were placed in the Abbey of Chelles, which her sister would years later 'rule' as abbess. Charlotte Aglaé was one of eight children. In 1714, she was sent by her parents to Val-de-Grâce Abbey.

At that time, her marriage became the preoccupation of her family. Her older sister, the Duchess of Berry suggested that she marry the young Louis Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti, the son of François Louis, Prince of Conti and of his wife Marie Thérèse de Bourbon, but Louis XIV would not give his consent to the union.

In 1715, Charlotte Aglaé moved into the Palais-Royal with her family. The following year, her mother suggested her marriage to her first cousin, Louis Auguste de Bourbon, prince de Dombes, son of her uncle, Louis Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine, but Charlotte Aglaé refused. Shortly thereafter, Charlotte Aglaé went to live at the Château de Saint-Cloud with her paternal grandmother, Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, the Dowager Duchess of Orléans who was known as Madame at court. Her grandmother made a pen portrait of her granddaughter at this time: