Louise Julie de Mailly

Louise Julie de Mailly-Nesle, comtesse de Mailly (1710–1751) was the eldest of the five famous de Nesle sisters, four of whom would become the mistress of King Louis XV of France.

Louise Julie was born the eldest daughter of Louis de Mailly, marquis de Nesle et de Mailly, Prince d'Orange (1689 - 1767), and his wife, Armande Félice de La Porte Mazarin (1691 - 1729). Her parents had been married in 1709. Her mother was the daughter of Paul Jules de La Porte, duc Mazarin et de La Meilleraye (1666 - 1731), the son of the famous adventuress, Hortense Mancini, the niece of Cardinal Mazarin. Louise Julie had four younger full sisters:

The only one of the de Nesle sisters not to become one of Louis XV's mistresses was the marquise de Flavacourt. Louise Julie was the first sister to attract the king, but it was Marie Anne who was the most successful in manipulating him and becoming politically powerful.

Louise Julie also had a younger half-sister, Henriette de Bourbon (1725 - 1780), Mademoiselle de Verneuil, from her mother's relationship with the duc de Bourbon, the chief minister of Louis XV from 1723 to 1726.

In her youth, Louise Julie was known as Mademoiselle de Mailly. On 31 May 1726, she married her cousin, Louis Alexandre de Mailly, comte de Mailly (born 1694). Her husband died on 30 July 1743.

In 1729, upon the death of her mother, Louise Julie replaced her as dame du palais or lady-in-waiting to the queen.

In 1732, Louise Julie caught the attention of King Louis XV, and was permitted by her husband to become a royal mistress. Although she became the king's mistress in 1732, Madame de Mailly was not officially recognized as his maîtresse en titre until 1738. Madame de Mailly did not use her new position at court to enrich herself or to interfere in politics, unlike her younger sister Marie Anne, who proved to be quite a successful political intriguer. The queen regarded Louise Julie as the most hurtful of all the lovers of her spouse because she was the first one, but she grew accustom to her, and she did not dislike her personally as much as she would her sister Marie Anne.

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