Louis XV

Who Would Be The Best Alternative for Queen of Louis XV

  • Henriette Alexandrine of Bourbon-Condé

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    20
  • Poll closed .
Louis XV was certainly spoilt for choice as far as potential brides went. According to author Nancy Mitford there were no less than forty candidates considered before Marie Leczinska was chosen.

Following the grave illness of the king in the 1720s, the Infanta Mariana Vittoria was returned to Spain. And the king was to marry quickly:

"The Duc de Bourbon was very much of this opinion because the next heir to the throne after Louis was the Duc d'Orléans, and the Orléans and Condé families were at daggers drawn. (The feud between them was fanned by the Dowager Duchesses who were sisters, daughters of Louis XIV and La Montespan.)
The infanta was returned to Spain and the hurdle of the Princess’ return having been cleared without mishap, the Duc de Bourbon had begun to study lists of princesses to take her place. There were nearly forty in all, but they boiled down to very few suitable ones. Lorrainer and Savoyard princesses were ruled at once because they had Orléans or Condé blood and neither would consent to such an elevation of the other. Princess Anne of Hannover was considered, but the British would not allow her to change her religion; the Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia, was too parvenue and was also said to show signs of incipient madness, as did the King of Portugal who had an otherwise eligible daughter . The Princess of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rothenburg would have done very well if her mother had not been in the habit of giving birth alternately to heirs and hares. The Duc de Bourbon, thinking, perhaps, that there was room for any amount of hares at Chantilly, finally married her as his second wife."


Who would the best queen of France be?
 
Louis XV was certainly spoilt for choice as far as potential brides went. According to author Nancy Mitford there were no less than forty candidates considered before Marie Leczinska was chosen.

Following the grave illness of the king in the 1720s, the Infanta Mariana Vittoria was returned to Spain. And the king was to marry quickly:

"The Duc de Bourbon was very much of this opinion because the next heir to the throne after Louis was the Duc d'Orléans, and the Orléans and Condé families were at daggers drawn. (The feud between them was fanned by the Dowager Duchesses who were sisters, daughters of Louis XIV and La Montespan.)
The infanta was returned to Spain and the hurdle of the Princess’ return having been cleared without mishap, the Duc de Bourbon had begun to study lists of princesses to take her place. There were nearly forty in all, but they boiled down to very few suitable ones. Lorrainer and Savoyard princesses were ruled at once because they had Orléans or Condé blood and neither would consent to such an elevation of the other. Princess Anne of Hannover was considered, but the British would not allow her to change her religion; the Grand Duchess Elizabeth of Russia, was too parvenue and was also said to show signs of incipient madness, as did the King of Portugal who had an otherwise eligible daughter . The Princess of Hesse-Rheinfels-Rothenburg would have done very well if her mother had not been in the habit of giving birth alternately to heirs and hares. The Duc de Bourbon, thinking, perhaps, that there was room for any amount of hares at Chantilly, finally married her as his second wife."


Who would the best queen of France be?

I htought the Duc de Orleans was the regent for Louis XV?
 
I htought the Duc de Orleans was the regent for Louis XV?

He was, but by the time of Louis XV's illness the Duc d'Orleans had died. Louis XV appointed his cousin, Louis Henri Duc de Bourbon/Prince de Condé (his official title whihc he never used) to succeed him as Prime Minister. Condé didn't want Louis XV to die without issue because it meant that the House of Orleans would ascend to the throne.

I voted for the Russian chick cause I just love Russian girls. In fact I'm dating one, she's actually half to be exact.

That russian chick, as you called her, is the future Empress Elisabeth of Russia. Even if the idea got of the ground floor, I doubt Elisabeth would consent to the marriage. And, considering how the Russian succession played out in the early to mid 18th century, history would be completely different. Plus, to the horror of both Russia and the great powers, this marriage would give France a direct claim to the Russian throne. It would never happen.

Personally I voted for Elisabeth Thérèse of Lorraine. Its a good match. Such a marriage wouldn't entangle France in a foreign war, the bride would be fairly high ranking, so no loss of face by marrying a daughter of a deposed elected monarch, and finally it would give France a direct claim to Lorraine, so when France demanded Lorraine be annexed by France to keep it from falling into Austrian hands, they could say its being done on behalf of the Queen.
 
This is not how queens are chosen.

It may not be how queens are chosen, but let's face it, in Russia (pre Peter the Great) they used to have competitions amongst the boyars to see which of their daughters would become Tsarina/Tsaritsa

And also, it was highly important that Louis be given a wife who was a) of childbearing age; b) royal; c) not throw France into a disastrous relation with a foreign court.

That's exactly why Marie Leczinska was chosen. She was royal (her father was the king of Poland). She was of childbearing age (she was "old" by the standards of the day and unmarried - 21). She wouldnt throw France into a difficult alliance since her father had already been deposed as king of Poland and she had thus no connexions to any royal houses.
 
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