Marie-Angélique de Scorraille de Roussille , duchesse de Fontanges

Favorite of Louis XIV (born at Raulhac, Cantal, 1661 — died at Port-Royal, 1681).

"Belle comme un ange" et "fort au-dessus de tout ce qu'on avait vu depuis longtemps à Versailles", mais également "sotte comme un panier" au dire de Saint-Simon, elle devint en 1679 la maîtresse du roi, qui se lassa d'elle dès l'année suivante. Après avoir mis au monde un enfant mort-né, elle se retira à l'abbaye de Port-Royal, où elle mourut peu après.

"Beautiful as an angel" and "as strong on top of that as all that one has seen in a log time at Versailles," but equally "silly as a goose" in the words of Saint-Simon, she became, in 1679, the king's mistress, who gave her up the following year. After having delivered a still-born child, she reired to the abbey of Port-Royal, where she died shortly after.

Elle a laissé son nom à une coiffure (coiffure «à la Fontanges») qui fut de mode à la cour après que, décoiffée à la chasse, elle eut hâtivement ramassée sa chevelure sur le sommet de sa tête en la liant avec un ruban de sa jarretière.

She left her name to a coiffure/hairstyle (Fontanges) which became the fashion at court afterward; Her hat blown off while at a hunting event, she hastily tied it up with one of her garters, initiating the fashion of ribbons and lace in women's hairstyles.

The Duchesse de Fontanges plays a key role in the affair of poisons for her competitor for the king's affection, i.e., Madame de Montespan. Marie-Angelique de Scoraille was a beautiful young mistress of French King Louis XIV, during a period while Montespan was influencing him as well. Mademoiselle de Fontanges not only became pregnant with Louis’s child, but lost it as well. It was common for miscarriage to occur in this day but this miscarriage was said to be the work of a jealous Madame de Montespan. After Marie-Angelique's miscarriage, the Duchesse slowly weakened and died.




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