Louise, The Grand Duchess of Windenberg

Margueritta Louisa du Carthage was a princess of Macedonia who became the Grand Duchess of Windenberg as the wife Grand Duke James of Windenberg.
Libertine and unruly in conduct from an early age, her relations with her husband and his family were tempestuous and often bitter, with repeated appeals for mediation to Philip II. Nevertheless, three children were born to the couple: Grand Prince Ferdinand, Princess Anne, and Prince Alexander.

 **Children** | Ferdinand, The Grand Prince of Windenberg
Princess Anne Mary Louise of Windenberg
 **House** | House of Vendome (by birth)
House of Windenberg (by marriage)

## Early Life

Margueritta Louisa was born the second daughter of Alexander Louis, The Duke of Troy by his second wife Diana, The Duchess of Troy. Known as Louisa or Lou by her family, her father had son Nicholas Henry from a pervious marriage with the well known heiress Anne Lambelle.
At birth she was given the style of "Highness" as a great-grandaughter of Emperor Charles I of Corinth. She was recognized as a "Princess of the Blood". Her sponsors being \_, \_, and \_.

She was most distant from her sister Elisabeth Margueritte and more close to her youngest sister Francoise Magdalena du Carthage.

She did not get along with her cousin the future Henrietta Maria, Queen of Wessex

Govenor General

## Marriage

Phlip II needed more allies in his war with the Franco-countries. Philip decided on a mariage alliance with Windenberg, by marrying Louise to James, The Grand Duke of Windenberg. The marriage was preformed by proxy in Macedonia with George, The Prince of Conde standing in as the groom. From this point on Louise was recognized as the Grand Duchess of Windenberg though a more public and official marriage was later held in Windenberg.

The marriage quickly proved unsussecful. Louise was very much underwhelmed on her first meeting with her futue husband. On the day of their marriage made abounding attempts to flirt with the women of Louise's entourage, including her younger sister the infamous future Elisabeth, The Duchess of Guise. It became apparent that the two would not enjoy a harmonious union.

The Windenberg court hoped there would be a reconciliation when Louise's mother, Diana, The Duchess of Troy died. Many even promting the Grand Duke to show compassion and warmth towards his wife in hopes that they will preform their duty and produce an heir. There hopes were fulfilled and for a time the couples turbulent marraige seemed to be cooling down.

The coupled welcomed their first child, Ferdinand who was styled "Grand Prince of Windenberg" as the heir to his father's throne. Even with the birth of her son, the Grand Duchess grieved heavily over her mother's death.

Louise gave birth to her second child Princess Anne Mary Louise a year after Ferdinand's birth. With two children to secure the succession, James quickly retreated into the arms of his mistresses and Louise began to increase her spending habits. Her spending habits not only spelled conflict with the Grand Duke, but made her unpopular with the people of Windenberg. This was compounded by her free-spirited conduct, such as having two grooms who frequent her chamber at all hours.

Marguerite Louise and the Grand Duke sent entreaties to Phlip II after her Macedonian staff were dismissed, Marguerite Louise complaining of being maltreated, the Grand Duke asking for help in restraining Louise's behaviour.

To placate both the Grand Duke and Louise, Philip II. sent the Henry Joeseph, *The Duke of Guise*. In the conversations that took place, it emerged that Louise wanted to return to Macedonia, and Guise sympathised with this, as did much of the Macedonian court, so he concluded his visit without finding a solution to the couple's domestic problems.

After several more attempts at conciliation had failed, in the fall Marguerite Louise left her apartment in \_ Palace, refusing to return. As a result, James I moved her into \_ House, where she was watched by forty soldiers, and where six courtiers, appointed by James, had to follow her everywhere because it was feared she would flee to Macedonia. The following year, she changed tack, and was reconciled with the Grand Ducal family. That particular reconciliation collapsed, however, after the birth of Prince Alexander George.

## Return to Macedonia

In an effort to restore domestic harmony, James I sent for Louise's childhood governess who had sided with the Grand Duke before. However the governess arrived with some delay. By then, Marguerite Louise was in the depths of despair, and asked to be allowed visit \_ House, ostensibly for worship at a nearby shrine. Once there, she refused to return to the capital, which resulted in a two-year standoff between herself and the Grand Duke, for he would not consent to her return to Macedonia, though she begged for this in her parting letter to him.
Philip II made one final attempt to reconcile the Grand Ducal couple, to no avail. Therefore, all attempts at conciliation having failed, Cosimo capitulated to Marguerite Louise, in a contract: Marguerite Louise, provided for with a pension of 80,000, was allowed to leave for Macedonia, but she had to confine herself to the Abbey of Saint Peter at Montmartre and surrender her rights as a Royal Princess of Macedonia. Overjoyed, the Grand Duchess departed for Macedonia laden down with the fixtures and furniture of \_ House, for, in her own words, she had no intention "of setting forth without her proper wages".