Louis the Well-Beloved (14 page)

It was not necessary to wait for his spies to tell him how often the King spent the night with the Queen, because this happened every night.

Villeroi had instilled in the King his respect for Etiquette and this was not forgotten even in the first heat of passion. The ceremonies of the
lever
and
coucher
were conducted as carefully as they had been in the days of Louis Quatorze. The Queen would be helped to her bed first, and the King’s
coucher
would take place in his own bedroom. When he was installed in his bed and those privileged noblemen who had assisted at the
coucher
had been dismissed, the King would make his way across the Galerie des Glaces to the Queen’s bedroom, accompanied only by his
valet de chambre
.

His sword would be set beside the Queen’s bed, and the Queen’s lady-in-waiting would draw the curtains about the bed, shutting her in with her husband, before she retired.

In the morning the King must leave the Queen’s bed and return to the great state bed in the Louis Quatorze bedroom for the ceremonial
lever
. This was an occasion when rivalry ran high for the privilege of handing him his garments which were passed from hand to hand – in order of the status of those present – until they reached the King himself.

It was a delightful existence. The King and Queen were never seen without each other those days. The Queen rode out hunting with him, and sat beside him when they picnicked in the woods all through the summer. The idyll went on into the winter when sledging parties took the place of picnics. The people gathered to see the King and Queen, gliding over the ice in a sledge made to look like a great sea-shell decorated with Cupids, their arms about each other – a charming enough pair of lovers to delight Gallic eyes.

‘Good days are coming,’ the people told each other. ‘Give him a little time to be young and in love, let him prolong his honeymoon a little longer; then it will be for him to cast off his mercenary ministers and govern us himself. He is good and kind, and he will understand our sufferings. Long live our little Louis!’

Louis was not aware of the people; he was only conscious of the charms of his Marie and the delights of requited love.

Marie’s pleasure was complete when her father came to Fontainebleau for, gay as he had outwardly been, she had always before been conscious of the cloud over his happiness. He would constantly yearn for the throne he had lost. But now, he assured her, nothing on Earth could give him greater joy than to see her the beloved wife of the King.

He and her mother stayed with Marie for three days at Fontainebleau. Even Catherine was contented. There need no longer be the depressing business of fighting poverty. Were they not father- and mother-in-law to the greatest King in Europe? The splendour of the French Court dazzled them; and to see Marie in the centre of it – not only Queen of France but so loved by the King – made them feel as though they were dreaming and so much sudden good fortune could not possibly be theirs.

Louis was gracious to them; artlessly he seemed to thank them for having produced one so perfect as his Queen. Instead of the Château de Saint-Germain they were to have the Château de Chambord which he was having refurnished and made ready for them. Meanwhile they would take up their residence at the Château de Bourron.

Before he left for Bourron, Stanislas and Catherine embraced their daughter with great fervour.

‘Do not forget,’ Stanislas said, ‘that it is the Duc de Bourbon who rules France. In no way antagonise him. Remember too all that you owe to Madame de Prie.’

‘I can never forget it,’ murmured Marie.

‘They are your friends; the King loves you. There is only one thing I need to make my contentment complete. That is a Dauphin for France.’

And Marie, as astonished by her sudden good fortune as her parents were, had no doubt that, as so much had been granted her, this would not be denied.

  Chapter IV  

MADAME DE PRIE
AND THE DUC DE BOURBON

I
t was during the winter that Louis first took Marie to Marly, that delightful château which Louis XIV had built between Versailles and Saint Germain.

Marie was delighted with Marly, perhaps because it was so beautiful, set among the woods with its view of the river, perhaps because at that time she was in love with life.

There was good hunting to be had in the surrounding country and each day the King and his bride rode forth, returning in the evening to cards and other entertainments.

Always in attendance were the Duc de Bourbon and Madame de Prie. The latter had been installed as the chief of Marie’s ladies-in-waiting; and it became a regular routine that whoever wished to approach the King or Queen could only do so through the good graces of Madame de Prie.

Had Louis and Marie not been so absorbed in each other they would have noticed that the Queen of the Court was not Marie, but Madame de Prie, who, while she insisted on everyone’s observing the strictest Etiquette, did no such thing herself.

She would go in and out of the Queen’s apartment without being announced. She advised the Queen not only on what to do but what to wear; and remembering her father’s advice and her own gratitude, Marie willingly accepted these suggestions.

Recklessly, during those weeks at Marly, Marie gambled at the instigation of the King. It seemed a great joke to him when counting their debts they discovered them to be 200,000 livres.

‘200,000 livres!’ cried Marie. ‘Why, it is a fortune. In the days at Wissembourg we could have lived on that for a very long time.’

That delighted Louis. He proudly told her that she need not now feel the least concerned about losing 200,000 livres. They would play as recklessly tomorrow night just to prove it.

One day she came upon three of her ladies – the Duchesses d’Epernon, de Beuiune and de Tallard – gossiping together, and noticed that when she approached they grew silent. She was naturally eager to learn all she could about the Court, and these ladies, she believed, could tell her a great deal.

‘You must not fall silent when I appear,’ she told them. ‘I like to join in the fun.’

The ladies tried to look innocent but they failed somehow and, when she insisted on hearing what they had been talking about, they told her that they had discussed the affairs of the Duc de Richelieu who was said to be one of the biggest rakes of all time. He was so very handsome.

Marie, whose upbringing at Wissembourg had been a very strict one, did not immediately grasp the nature of those adventures in which the Duc de Richelieu had apparently indulged to such a great extent.

‘We were talking about the duel which the Marquise de Nesle fought with Madame de Polignac,’ Madame de Tallard eventually explained.

‘A duel between ladies!’

‘Oh, yes. It was with pistols. You see, they were both desperately in love with the Duc de Richelieu and decided on a duel.’

‘How . . . immodest!’ said the Queen.

The Duchesse d’Epernon murmured. ‘But, Your Majesty, such things happen.’

‘I hope we shall never have anything so disgraceful happening at our Court. I shall expect all my ladies to live virtuously and in a way to be an example to all. Tell me, does this immorality exist today . . . here?’ Marie pursed her lips so that she looked very prim. ‘I must speak to Madame de Prie about it.’

The Duchesse de Bethune tried hard not to smile but did not quite achieve her intentions, and Marie was shocked into sudden suspicion. Madame de Prie and the Duc de Bourbon
were
very friendly. They were frequently seen in each other’s company and they did appear to be on terms of the utmost affection.

Marie said tensely: ‘What is the relationship between the Duc de Bourbon and Madame de Prie?’

‘Why, Madame, it is common knowledge that she is his mistress.’

‘But . . . Madame de Prie has a husband . . .’

Her ladies looked at her blankly.

Marie realised that there were doubtless a great many things going on at this brilliant Court of which she was in ignorance.

She was deeply shocked. Her first impulse was to send for Madame de Prie, to tell her that this disgraceful association must cease. But this concerned the Duc de Bourbon, First Minister of France, and Madamce de Prie whose power had put Marie where she was.

Marie understood then that it was necessary to adjust her principles. The relationship between those two powerful people was something she must accept, disapprove of it though she so heartily did.

Those were fateful days for Louis and Marie. Their lives lay before them and to each Fate offered at the time a choice of two ways. To each was given the opportunity to mould the destiny of France; each was too young, too inexperienced – in Louis’ case too lazy, in Marie’s case too unimaginative – to choose the path which would have led to glory.

Louis was beloved by his people. His handsome looks had won their hearts: his perfect manners enchanted them. His people looked to him to bring prosperity to the country and, because he was young and had won their affection, they did not ask of him impossibilities. They were ready to be patient. All they asked of him was that, when he was old enough to rule, he would rule them well. They asked for his consideration of their sufferings; they asked that he should use his undoubted talents to serve them.

Louis, enthralled by being a husband, eager to indulge his pleasures such as hunting and gambling, and having always relied on his governors and tutors to do the serious business of the State, was eager to escape from the people and enjoy his life. This they would forgive while he was young, but already he was growing towards an age of responsibility.

As for Marie, Louis was in love with her and ready to be guided by her. At this time, when she could give him the sexual satisfaction he desired, she could have established herself as his confidante and adviser for all time. It was true that a man of such insatiable desire as Louis was already showing signs of becoming, could not be content with one woman; an experienced woman of the world would have realised this and consolidated her position while she had an opportunity of doing so.

Marie, being ill-advised by her parents, misjudged not only her husband’s character and her own possibilities but the true quality of the men who sought to govern the King.

She believed in the shrewd cleverness of the Duc de Bourbon and bowed to his wishes and those of his mistress in every way; while she completely ignored the man for whom Louis had the greatest regard and affection, the man who the King, if not the Queen, was clever enough to see had a deeper grasp of affairs and a more altruistic attitude towards the state: Fleury the Bishop of Fréjus.

Marie knew that the Duc de Bourbon and his henchman, Pâris-Duverney, together with Madame de Prie, were seeking an opportunity to oust Fleury from his position because it was clear that he was endeavouring more and more to influence the King. For instance, it was impossible to speak to Louis alone on state matters for Fleury always made it his duty to be present.

Madame de Prie pointed out to the Queen that the King was now a husband and old enough to do without the continual attendance of his tutor. Marie declared that she believed Louis had a great affection as well as respect for Monsieur de Fleury.