MARIE-THÉRÈSE
Anne of Austria had been delighted to welcome Marie-Thérèse as the new Queen of France. She took her niece under her wing to teach her the ropes. Marie-Thérèse had an early victory when she gave birth to a healthy son. Unfortunately she did not have the intelligence of her aunt/mother-in-law. It soon became evident she lacked the wit and social graces which were so much a part of Louis’ life. For example, she had two left feet when it came to dancing, one of Louis’ great talents.
She did not speak French well and spent most of her time with her entourage consisting of Spanish ladies companions, monks and dwarves.
This self-effacing queen endured Louis XIV’s many affairs and resulting children. She was certainly already accustomed to unusual domestic situations.*
In her forties she was delighted that Louis XIV started paying her a little more attention, even though she knew it was at the instigation of Mme de Maintenon, his new “favourite”.
*In the typical Spanish tradition, Marie-Thérèse’ brother Baltasar was supposed to marry his cousin. When Baltasar died shortly before his seventeenth birthday, their father Philip IV decided he would marry his niece himself. Marie-Thérèse’ was eleven at the time and her cousin and new stepmother was fifteen. Added to the household was Philip IV’s illegitimate son from an affair with an actress. This son John had been born six months before Baltasar. When John was 13 Philip IV legitimised him, a month after packing his mother off to a convent.