Marie Catherine of Grandelumiere

Marie Catherine (May 18th 1712 - March 22nd 1763) is the sixth child and third daughter of Emperor Louis Philippe XI and his Consort, Élisabeth Justine.
Marie Catherine is known for her involvement in the Church, when she became an Abbess at the death of her husband, the Duc d'Orléans, Henri Alois. She is also renowned for her 
== Reign of Louis XI - Madame Troisieme ==
Marie Catherine was born around midnight on the 18th of May, 1712, at the Imperial Palace of Saint-Etienne, in the county of Liege. Her birth was not enjoyed by most of the Court, as the infant turned out to be female. She was given the title "Madame Troisieme" respectively. 
=== Education ===
With her sister, Marie Therese, Catherine was taken to the Fontevraud Abbey in 1714, at the age of two. Marie spent her childhood in the Abbey, being raised by the Nuns. In her language studies, she learned Latin, English, Italian, Spanish, and French. Marie became fluent in Latin, Italian, and Spanish, which led her to become a "translator" for her Father, who needed assistance with writing to the Spanish King. She also studied theology, reading, writing, dance, musical composition, and became a prodigy at the cello. However, her intelligence would be overshadowed by her elder sister, Marie Amelie, who was her Father's favoured child. Within the artistic spectrum of the Empire, her sister, Marie Therese, was hailed as a Saint. Although, Catherine was known for being beautiful and having kind eyes. 
=== Marriage ===
Marie Catherine continued to study at the Abbey until the time of her marriage to the Duc d'Orléans, Henri Alois. The two married in November of 1726, having formed an alliance between Lowell-Valois and Lowell-Burgundy. This was the first alliance between the houses since Catherine's mother, Elisabeth Justine, married Louis XI. 
The couple's first night together was disastrous, but this did not affect their relationship. Marie and Henri fell in love with each other as their time together increased. They were seen together at Court daily, Marie having the look of endearment towards her husband where ever they went. Catherine adored Henri, and wrote to her sister Therese about her feelings quite often, and tried to help her sister with her own marriage as much as she could. 
=== Children ===
Marie Catherine did not become pregnant until two years after her marriage. She did not share her father's concern to produce an heir for her husband, as the two were happy just with each other. In 1728, the Duchesse gave birth to a boy. The birth was met by a small crowd, with mostly family in attendance. It was a smooth birth, causing little to no pain for Marie. She would name him Louis Philippe, after her own father. The Duc and Duchesse went on to have two more children in four years. 
== Reign of Louis XI - Duchesse d'Orléans ==
=== Court ===
During her time as Duchesse, Catherine helped her husband become heavily involved in politics, by using her favour with her father. The two became significantly popular within the Court and Empire. Marie even donated to several charities, and spent her time in Court with her circle. She rarely gambled, but had many animals, such as monkeys, dogs, parrots, and one cat, who did not live at the Court of Louis XI, as her father hated them severely. She began to fill her rooms with expensive furnishings, and took trips to convents frequently to maintain her religious tendencies. Marie Therese described her sister in her famous diary: "She is a person full of charms, and a striking proof that grace is preferable to beauty. When she chooses to make herself agreeable, it is impossible to resist her. Her manners are most fascinating; she is full of gentleness, never displaying the least ill-humour, and always saying something kind and obliging."Louis XI counted on the Duchesse to help him with state affairs, and consulted her on some few issues that she could handle. Catherine remained loyal to her father at all times, and never spoke against him. He wrote once that she was a "trusted courtier." Due to this, Marie and her husband were given rooms above Louis XI.
=== Smallpox ===
The smallpox outbreak of 1738 left many of Catherine's siblings dead. This effected her greatly, as she had always held a bond with her siblings. However, the death of both of her sons, Louis Philippe and Adrien Joseph, caused her and her husband to sink into a depression. She began to sob in private, and her relationship with the Duc declined slowly. The two saw each other on occasion, in which Marie always attempted to cheer him up, but to no avail. 
The Duc d'Orléans died in 1739, only two months after her sons. Catherine dressed in traditional widow's clothing. Her gentleness faded, and she rarely showed any emotion, or evidence that she could have been happy in the past. The Duchesse's rooms became a sign of death, when she changed almost all of her colourful furniture to black. Marie wrote in her diary that Felicite was all that she left dear to her.
Felicite Victoire would die a year after her Father. Marie Catherine felt it necessary to leave her father's Court and become a Nun. Without telling her siblings of her choice, she spoke to Louis XI, who payed for her position in the Clergy, as the Abbess of Estrange Abbey. During the night, Catherine slipped away from her home at Saint-Etienne, to become a Nun and dedicate her life to God.
Marie Catherine did, however, take trips back to the Château to see her family and friends. Louis XI was said to have looked forward to her visits, and even planned some of them for her. 
=== Death ===
During the spring of 1763, Influenza began to spread throughout the Abbey in which Catherine was the Abbess. Ten Nuns had died from the disease, and while praying over one of their bodies, Marie caught the illness herself. Even as she began to show symptoms, she stayed calm towards the end. 
Marie Catherine died on March 22nd, 1763, with her friends by her side. A young Nun wrote of her appearance at the time of her death to be "gentle, kind, and calm." Marie was given last rites by a Cardinal who was visiting the Abbey. Although she was not surrounded by any family members, and was far from the Château de Saint-Etienne, it was said that Marie reached out to grab her father, as she did as a child. She gave her last words right before the last breath;"To paradise! Fast! Full gallop!"
== Issue ==
To her marriage with Henri Alois, Duc d'Orléans she had three children, all of which were carried to full term, with their styles at the time of their birth;
* Louis Philippe, Sieur d'Orléans (7th October 1728 - November 12th 1738)
* Felicite Victoire, Dame d'Orléans (November 3rd 1730 - March 3rd 1740)
* Adrien Joseph, Sieur d'Orléans (10th May 1732 - 13th November 1738)
== Styles, Titles, and Honours ==
=== Styles and Titles ===
* 18th May 1712 - 23rd November 1726 Her Imperial Highness, Madame Troisieme
* 23rd November 1726 - 24th January 1739 Her Grace, Duchesse d'Orléans
* 24th January 1739 - 1st April 1740 Her Grace, Dowager Duchesse d'Orléans
* 1st April 1740 - 22nd March 1763 Reverend Mother, Abbess of Estrange Abbey 
=== Honours ===
* Dame of the Order of Saint-Marie
Category:Grandelumierian Nobility
Category:1700s births
Category:House Lowell-Burgundy
Category:Grandelumierian Clerics
Category:Births in Saint-Etienne
Category:Fils de Grandelumiere