Princess Louise of France (1737–1787)
| Ven. Louise of France | |||||
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_by_Jean-Marc_Nattier.jpg)
Portrait by Jean-Marc Nattier, 1748.
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| Born |
15 July 1737 Versailles |
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| Died | 23 December 1787 (aged 50) Convent of Saint-Denis |
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| House | Bourbon | ||||
| Father | Louis XV of France | ||||
| Mother | Maria Leszczyńska | ||||
| Religion | Roman Catholicism | ||||
| Signature |  |
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| Full name | |
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| Louise Marie de France |
Venerable Louise of France (15 July 1737 – 23 December 1787), was the youngest of the ten children of Louis XV and his wife, Maria Leszczyńska. As a daughter of the king, she held the rank of a fille de France. From 1740 she was known as Madame Louise. She entered the Carmelites in 1770 under the name of Thérèse of Saint Augustine, and there was in charge of the novices and the economy. She was elected prioress three times. She was declared venerable in 1873.
Louise-Marie of France was born at Versailles on 15 July 1737. Her childbirth was particularly difficult for the 34-year-old Queen, and the physicians advised her that another birth could be fatal. Afraid of alienating her husband, who was just 27-years-old, the Queen did not tell him about her physicians' warnings. However, gradually she began to refuse him entrance to her rooms.
Around this time, Louis XV began to publicly acknowledge his first favorite, counting on the indulgence of his minister and former tutor, Cardinal de Fleury. The cardinal was well aware of the King's two major character flaws: an increasing shyness and a propensity for boredom. The King had ceased almost all sexual relations with his wife. Yet when members of the court openly wondered at the Queen's latest delivery, the King quipped that this latest child was to be called, Madame Dernière (Madame the Last).
Since her birth Louise was known as "Madame Septième" (one of her seven older sisters died before her birth), and after her baptism, she was known as "Madame Louise".
Louise was sent to be raised at the Abbey of Fontevraud with Louis' three other young daughters, Victoire, Sophie and Thérèse (who died at Fontevraud at the age of eight). On 20 December 1738 Louise was baptised at Fontevraud; her godfather was François-Marc-Antoine de Bussy, seigneur de Bisé; her godmother was Marie-Louise Bailly-Adenet, first woman of the chamber to her sister Madame Thérèse.
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