Marguerite Louise d'Orléans
Marguerite Louise d'Orléans (28 July 1645 – 17 September 1721) was Grand Duchess of Tuscany, as the wife of Grand Duke Cosimo III de' Medici. Deprived of her lover, Charles V of Lorraine, Marguerite Louise despised her husband and his family, whom she often quarrelled with and falsely suspected of attempting to poison her. Marguerite Louise reconciled with the Medici on more than one occasion, however, only to promptly resume hostilities.
| Marguerite Louise d'Orléans | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| Grand Duchess of Tuscany | |||||
| 23 May 1670 – 17 September 1721 | |||||
| Born | 28 July 1645 Château de Blois, France | ||||
| Died | 17 September 1721 (aged 76) 15 Place des Vosges, Paris, France | ||||
| Burial | Picpus Cemetery, Paris, France | ||||
| Spouse | Cosimo III de' Medici | ||||
| Issue Detail | Ferdinando, Grand Prince of Tuscany Anna Maria Luisa, Electress Palatine Gian Gastone, Grand Duke of Tuscany | ||||
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| House | House of Bourbon House of Medici | ||||
| Father | Gaston, Duke of Orléans | ||||
| Mother | Marguerite of Lorraine | ||||
Having become Grand Duke of Tuscany upon his father's death, in 1670, Cosimo III, under the sway of his mother, Vittoria della Rovere, refused to grant Marguerite Louise entry to the Privy Council. Thus without political influence, Marguerite Louise sorted the education of her eldest son, Grand Prince Ferdinando. Two more children followed: Anna Maria Luisa, Electress Palatine, and Gian Gastone, the last Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany.
In June 1675, Marguerite Louise was allowed to return to France to live in a convent in Paris. She was a daughter of Gaston de France, Duke of Orléans. Although the contract, banned her from leaving the convent, Marguerite Louise often went to her cousin Louis XIV's court at Versailles. She was at the centre of many scandals at the convent, including an attempt to burn it down, which greatly irritated her husband, who, despite the separation, took great interest in Marguerite Louise's life. While still technically married, Marguerite Louise had several affairs.
Children
- Ferdinando de' Medici, Grand Prince of Tuscany (b.1663 d.1713)
- Anna Maria Luisa de' Medici, Electress Palatine (b.1667 d.1743)
- Gian Gastone de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (b.1671 d.1737)
Titles, styles, honours and arms
Titles and styles
- 28 July 1645 – 12 June 1661 Her Royal Highness "Mademoiselle d'Orléans" [Grand daughter of France]
- 12 June 1661 – 23 May 1670 Her Royal Highness The Grand Princess of Tuscany
- 23 May 1670 - 5 February 1691 His Highness The Most Serene Grand Duchess of Tuscany
- 5 February 1691 - 17 September 1721 Her Royal Highness The Most Serene Grand Duchess of Tuscany
Marguerite Louise D'Orléans Media
Cosimo III de' Medici, Marguerite Louise's husband, whom she hated, in Grand Ducal regalia
The Grand Prince Ferdinando, Marguerite Louise's eldest son, by Niccolò Cassana, 1687
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