Marie-Angélique de Scorailles, Mademoiselle de Fontanges, was a beautiful young girl, the same age as Louis XIV‘s son, when she arrived at the court in the service of his sister-in-law. Athenaïs de Montespan was feeling threatened by the King’s relationship with Madame de Maintenon. She thought Marie-Angélique would be the perfect distraction for the King as a temporary measure. She believed the teenager would pose no long term threat because she was “as stupid as a basket”. However, Louis was completely charmed by the teenager. He felt he was rediscovering his own youth. Initially the affair was secret but Louis was so enchanted, he began to publicly shower her with gifts and money.
Needless to say, Athenaïs was furious and was not going to leave the scene quietly. She was not the sweet, self-effacing person that Louise de La Vallière had been. To the amusement of the court, Athenaïs had her two pet bears, a gift from Louis, taken to Marie-Angélique’s apartment and let them loose to wreck it.
She needn’t have bothered. Louis was already growing bored with the pretty young thing who was indeed “as stupid as a basket”. The problem was that she was pregnant.
Marie-Angélique gave birth to a premature child, a son, who did not survive. Initially she seemed fine but within a few months she had ongoing health problems which also took a toll on her looks.
As he had done before with Louise when he was looking to move on, Louis made Marie-Angélique the Duchess of Fontanges. She went to live at the Abbey where her sister was Abbess. She was already unwell and during that time it appears there was an attempt to poison her. When she died the following year at nineteen, the “Affair of the Poisons”* was in full swing and rumours abounded that she had been poisoned at the demand of Athenaïs de Montespan.
Embarrassing revelations about Athenaïs which were coming out as part of the “Affair of the Poisons” were the final straw. The ever reliable Madame de Maintenon helped cover everything up as Louis wished, but Athenaïs’ days as the official King’s favourite were well and truly over. She had to move out of her lavish apartment in Versailles, which was given to her son. She remained at the court for the next ten years and watched with pride as Louis organised brilliant marriages for their children.
Any hope she had for rekindling her romance with Louis was dashed. Less than two years after the dramas, Louis’ wife Queen Marie-Thérèse died at the age of 44. Ten weeks later Louis secretly married Madame de Maintenon and remained faithful to her for the rest of his life.
