Dowager Duchess Marie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans

colored engraving of duchess of berry.

on 5 may 1714, husband died internal injuries sustained in hunting accident, whereupon louise Élisabeth became dowager duchess of berry. on 16 june 1714, 7 weeks after death of husband, gave birth, @ versailles, daughter died following day.

in september 1715, louise Élisabeth given luxembourg palace parisian residence, gave magnificent banquets. closing of luxembourg garden public made unpopular parisian population.

louis xiv had died on 1 september , madame de berry, officially in mourning, promised not attend shows 6 months, openly turned merry widow . on 23 september 1715, established residence in luxembourg palace , obtained father whole company of guards. despite mourning, duchess of berry allowed gambling in new palace, in particular lansquenet game. entertained herself in public. dangeau noted in diary dated saturday, 4 january 1716: there ball in evening in hall of opera, duchess of berry , many other princesses there masked. radiantly beautiful, duchess paraded in splendid dress @ carnival ball father regent had installed @ opera.

three weeks later, madame de berry shut herself in luxembourg palace, officially bothered bad cold . princess had been hiding pregnancy until reached term suffering pains of labour. clandestine confinement reported in gazette de la régence on 6 february 1716: duchess of berry gave birth daughter lived 3 days. conduct reminds of messalina , of queen margot. secret childbirth became public knowledge , excited verve of satirists. song dated 1716 ( les couches de la duchesse de berry ) , later satirical verses collection clairambault-maurepas lampoon unbridled lust of young widow, poking fun @ countless lovers , clandestine pregnancies.

during regency, louise Élisabeth given annual income of 600,000 livres. in addition orléans residences, given use of château de meudon after giving crown château d amboise, had been official country residence of duke of berry.

on friday 21 may 1717, duchess received @ luxembourg peter great, tsar of russia, on semi-official visit france. in march 1718, nursed mother ill.

according gazette de la régence, when duchess of berry received russian emperor @ luxembourg, appeared @ reception stout tower ( puisssante comme une tour ), rare idiom implying big child. (may 1717) voltaire (arouet) got arrested after saying police informer daughter of regent whore, adding had retired 6 months @ la muette give birth. dangeau s diary confirms duchess spent of spring , summer 1717 @ château de la muette. gazette de la régence mentions prolonged stay there , fact had given hunting , horse-riding had given rise salacious gossip. gazette de la régence states in july, duchess, kept secluded in la muette, being inconvenienced , having grown big ( puissante”) feared life! “gazette” reports end of july madame de berry rumored in critical condition delivered of new fruit of amours. in 1716, clandestine birth open secret , satirical songwriters mocked loose morality of princess armed large c..k, gets f....d both front , behind. in christmas satirical song of 1717, whole court of france, renders homage holy child in bethlehem, led regent , pregnant daughter :

very big child
the fruitful berry
said in humble posture
very sorry @ heart :
lord, no longer have such lusty ways
i want rions,
sometimes dad,
here , there, guards.


portrait pierre gobert, 1718.

voltaire sent bastille in may 1717 after suggesting in presence of police informer duchess of berry expecting child conceived own father. during imprisonment, voltaire completed play oedipus premièred on 18 november 1718 @ comédie-française. régent present @ première , congratulated voltaire success. berry s clandestine pregnancies attributed alleged incestuous relationships regent. these malicious rumors had made voltaire s play controversial long before performed. ironically, duchess of berry present @ première. entered theater in royal style escorted ladies of court , personal guard. young princess rumored expecting again , condition, not conceal, inspired satirists malicious comments spectators not see oedipus (the regent) , jocaste (berry) detect presence of eteocles! appearance @ premiere of infamous duchess, visibly enceinte, contributed public success of play. on 11 february 1719, duchess of berry attended performance of oedipus played nephew louis xv @ louvre. wearing splendidly embroidered robe à la française, princess sat next infant king. previous pregnancies, had put on enormous weight during gestation , loose fitting gown failed hide advanced condition. room crowded , hot. madame de berry felt unwell , fainted when allusion made in play jocasta s incestuous pregnancy loudly applauded public. paid price open flouting of public morality , outraging public sense of decency displaying illegitimate pregnancy. incident instantly awakened jubilation of scandalmongers expected berry/jocasta go labor , give birth eteocles in middle of performance. window opened , duchess recovered swoon, frustrating public taste oedipian scandals.

nearing term, duchess of berry still played lead role in little suppers of regent, freely indulging in strong drink. on 2 april 1719, after 4 days of gruesome labor, delivered of baby girl. according saint-simon father lieutenant of guards, sicaire antonin armand auguste nicolas d aydie, chevalier de rion. princess died during childbirth, shut in small room of luxembourg palace. curé of saint-sulpice (paris) church, jean-baptiste languet de gergy refused give absolution or let else administer sacraments unless expel paramour palace. regent tried in vain convincing irate curé attend suffering daughter. illustrious sinner put end languet s vigil giving birth. according saint-simon, duchess of berry secretly married rion few days later hoping thereby lessen public scandal caused confinement , refusal of church administer sacraments. means adopted princess conceal delivery ended in death. health fatally undermined harrowing lying-in, left paris château de meudon gave reception in honour of father did not approve of marriage rion , had sent him away paris. had not recovered horrendous childbirth , evening reception @ caught chill severely affected health.

the duchess took residence @ château de la muette, died on 21 july 1719, @ age of twenty-three. according saint-simon, autopsy revealed poor princess had in womb new fetus several weeks of gestation. on saturday 22 july 1719, heart taken val-de-grâce church in paris, , on 24 july 1719, buried in basilica of saint-denis. funeral arrangements made saint-simon himself.

concerning last visit granddaughter, madame wrote:

28th may, 1719. went see last sunday, 23rd may, , found in sad state, suffering pains in toes , soles of feet until tears came eyes. went away because saw refrained crying out on account. thought in bad way. consultation held 3 physicians, result of determined bleed in feet. had difficulty in persuading submit it, because pain in feet great uttered piercing screams if bedclothes rubbed against them. bleeding, however, succeeded, , in degree relieved. gout in both feet

during lifetime, louise Élisabeth gained reputation scandal. in irony of history, next duchesse de berry, princess caroline ferdinande of naples , sicily, known scandalous behaviour.