Marie de Rabutin-Chantal

Marie de Rabutin-Chantal (5th February 1626 - Present), was a Grandelumièrian and Burgundian noblewoman born to Celse-Bénigne de Rabutin-Chantal, Baron de Chantal and his wife Marie de Coulanges. Born into the ancient house of Rabutin, Marie would become an heiress nearing her first birthday. She would later become a Marquise by her marriage to Henri de Sévigné, Marquis de Sévigné.
== Early Life ==
=== Birth ===
Marie de Rabutin-Chantal was born to Celse-Bénigne de Rabutin-Chantal and Marie de Coulanges, on the 5th of February 1626 at her familial estate of Bourbilly. Being the only living child to the couple, she would be baptised soon after her birth in Paris at the Église Saint-Paul de Paris, her godparents being Charles Le Normand, Seigneur de Beaumont and her grandmother Marie de Bèze, Dame de Coulanges. She would be given the name Marie in honour of the latter. 
=== Childhood and Education ===
On the 22nd of July 1627, Marie would lose her father during the siege of La Rochelle. Under the orders of the Seigneur de Toiras, he would be shot by a canon ball killing him instantly, after having received 27 spear wounds and losing 3 horses from under him. The death of her father would leave the infant Marie an heiress and Baronne de Chantal. Her mother would follow her husband to the grave 5 years later, due to extreme grief of his death. The death of her parents would leave Marie an orphan at the age of 6 after which she would be sent to live with her maternal grandfather at the Hôtel de Coulanges in Paris. During the time she spent with her maternal family, no expense was spared towards her education. She received the best education that was permitted for a woman to receive, being educated in French, Latin, Italian, Spanish, and having private religious instruction by the family's chaplain. Despite this tragedy would strike again in 1636 and her guardian, the Seigneur de Coulanges would pass. With the death of her grandfather it remained up to her paternal grandmother, Mère Jeanne de Chantal, to decide who was best suited to assume her guardianship. She would finally settle on the Abbé de Coulanges, Marie's maternal uncle, as he had kept her best intentions at heart unlike every other relative that wanted the young heiress for her fortune. It it with her uncle, nicknamed "Bien bon", that her education would continue and extend to receive courses on elegance and politeness. 
== Marriage ==
=== Marquis de Sévigné ===
Only entering her 18th year, the young Marie de Rabutin-Chantal was wed to Henri de Sévigné at 3 am on a cold january morning of 1644. The marriage one of convenience provided Marie with the rank of Marquise and Henri with a fortune all while unifying two ancient families. The union would prove difficult as the Marquis was not a man fit to make a wife happy. His qualities aligned him towards the occupation of finding pleasure, as was his passion, he would therefore abandon his wife for multiple mistresses. It was all the more difficult for Marie to pardon his infidelities and disturbances that he joined to his abrupt mood and difficult and rude attitude, as she had developed an inextinguishable affection for her husband. It was noted that the writer, Valentin Conrart had stated:"The Marquis of Sévigné would tell his wife, on occasion, that he believed she would have been very pleasant for another, but for him, she could not please him."It was also noted by Valentin Conrart that:"There was a difference between her and her husband; he respected her but loved her not, whereas she had affection for him but did not respect him much."The marriage would face other troubles, notably the attempted thefts by the Marquis, of jewels belonging to friends of Marie. These thefts were meant to obtain gifts for the Marquis de Sévigné's mistress, Madame de Gondran, known as "la Belle Lolo". The Marquis in his desperation for his new mistress would also borrow money from his wife, sums in which would never be returned, to give to Mme de Gondran. It is this affair that would lead to his duel with her former lover, the Chevalier d'Albret. The Marquis would be fatally wounded by the Chevalier's sword and die on the 5th of February 1651.
== Issue ==
With Henri de Sévigné, Marquis de Sévigné, Marie de Rabutin-Chantal would have 2 children.
* Françoise Marguerite de Sévigné, Mademoiselle de Sévigné - (10th October 1646 - Present)
* Charles de Sévigné, Marquis de Sévigné - (12th March 1648 - Present)
== Titles and Styles ==
* 5th February 1626 - 22nd July 1627: Mademoiselle de Chantal
* 22nd July 1627 - 10th January 1644: Mademoiselle la Baronne de Chantal, Dame de Sully et Bourbilly
* 10th January 1644 - 5th February 1651: Madame la Marquise de Sévigné, suo jure Baronne de Chantal, suo jure Dame de Sully et Bourbilly
* 5th February 1651 - Present: Madame la Marquise Douairière de Sévigné, suo jure Baronne de Chantal, suo jure Dame de Sully et Bourbilly
== Ancestry ==
Category:17th-century births
Category:House of Rabutin
Category:House of Sévigné
Category:Grandelumièrian nobility
Category:Burgundian nobility