Daughters of Louis XV

I've looked at Louis XV's daughters, and found some possible husbands for them. I realize that some might be regarded as a waste since those states were maybe already allied with France.


  • Louise-Elisabeth stays married to the Duke of Parma
  • Henriette-Anne marries either the Duc de Chartres (refused by Louis XV since he didnt want the house of Orléans to grow so powerful as it had been under the Regency) or become second wife to Ferdinand VI of Spain (also refused on the grounds that 'the French people abhor incest' [ironically he used the same excuse when offered Maria Antonieta as a second wife for the Dauphin]
  • Adélaïde marries Maximilian III Joseph rather than Maria Anna of Saxony (maybe she'll give him children).
  • Victoire can marry Ercole III d'Este, Duke of Modena (let the Comte de Soissons live longer, thereby rendering Maria Teresa Cybo Malaspina unavailable).
  • Sophie could maybe catch Karl Theodor (and much like Adelaide provide him with legitimate children that were sadly lacking).
  • Louise-Marie was proposed as a match for Bonnie Prince Charlie (but refused saying 'Why are all so obsessed with finding a husband for me, when I want none but Jesus Christ?')
It's just a crazy idea I had. But I was also thinking that the removal of Mesdames Adélaïde, Victoire and Sophie from Versailles could perhaps mean a less vindictive environment for Marie-Antoinette when (and if) she arrives.



Feel free to critique it and comment and make suggestions.
 
That is an interesting proposal... However, I once heard that Louis XV didn't want to marry his daughters (he only married one OTL, to the Duke of Parma) because of the huge dowry he would have had to pay. Of course, I'm not an expert in economical history and hardly know if that would really be a problem but it is something to consider.
Kellan Sullivan said:
I realize that some might be regarded as a waste since those states were maybe already allied with France.
It would not necessarily be seen as a waste at the time: it was important to strengthen alliances and marriage were a good way to do that.
 
The unmarried Princesses themselves also didn't want to marry. Europe in the period had a ton of unwed princesses and not enough princes to go around. For a French Princess, staying unwed was much better than marrying some princeling in Germany. Your rank was higher and many simply preferred France and the environs to Versailles to what might await them -- such as the dreary Alcazar in Madrid or whatever else might be an option.
 
The unmarried Princesses themselves also didn't want to marry. Europe in the period had a ton of unwed princesses and not enough princes to go around. For a French Princess, staying unwed was much better than marrying some princeling in Germany. Your rank was higher and many simply preferred France and the environs to Versailles to what might await them -- such as the dreary Alcazar in Madrid or whatever else might be an option.

While I agree that Versailles would be better than the Alcazar, several husbands of French princesses did make an effort to letting their wives feel less homesick (the duke of Modena and infante-duke of Parma spring to mind). Though admittedly it didnt entirely work since both Charlotte-Aglaë and Louise-Elisabeth died in France.

But if one looks at how Maria Theresa FORCED her daughters (except Christine, and including Josef) to marry for the good of the state, if Louis had a slightly more Roi Soleil attitude (his attitude to the sobbing queen of Spain who begged him not to send her to Madrid comes to mind) he might've dispatched his daughters hither and yon over Europe - eg. Munich, Mannheim, Warsaw/Dresden, Rome (for Bonnie Prince Charlie), Modena etc.
 
The main problem I should imagine with Louis XV's daughters (even if he does force them to marry. Let's argue that he does), is the finances. Even during the WotAS and the 7YW there were calls for the French economy to be overhauled.

Thus, Louis would most likely marry them down (after a sense) to your tinpot dukes in Italy and Germany - as you pointed out. A sovereign duke, while still the head of a country - i.e. Modena or Bavaria - would most likely be inclined to demand a smaller dowry than a king or a crown prince.

Therefore, marrying them off into Germany (where I'm sure Amalienburg in Munich or the Mannheim Electoral Palace were modelled closely enough after Versailles to be "homey" for a French princess.)

And it's true that in Modena the duke (Francesco III d'Este) had a whole suite of rooms built to accomodate his French wife to remind her of Paris, while the Infante Felipe rebuilt the Chateau de Colorno in the French style for Louise Elisabeth, as her own quasi-Versailles.
 
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