Louis-Paul Jules de Rochechouart de Mortemart

## Marquis de Belle-Île

Louis Auguste, Monseigneur le Dauphin

Marie-Gabrielle Hortense

Marie-Sophie Augustine

Marie-Adélaïde Thérèse

**Louis-Paul Jules de Rochechouart de Mortemart** (July 21st 1738 - Present) is a Grandelumierian nobleman from the House of Rochechouart de Mortemart, styled *Marquis de Belle-Île.*

A renowned beauty, Paul, as he is commonly called, is primarily known at the court of Louis Raphael XIV for his looks, libertine character, and membership of the Mortemart family. He was also widely known primarily for his involvement as the *'Chevalier' en Titre* to Monseigneur le Dauphin, Louis Auguste.

## Early Life

### **Birth**

Louis-Paul Jules de Rochechouart de Mortemart was born on the 21st of July, 1738, to the Marquis de Vivonne, his namesake, and heir to the Mortemart fortune, and his infamous wife, the Marquise de Vivonne, daughter of the Duc d'Orleans. Being their second son, he was granted the courtesy *Comte de Limoges* at his birth at the Château d'Argentueil.

### **Early Childhood**

From a young age, Paul was cared for by his governess, the elderly Comtesse de Thoury at his great uncle's residences, the Château de Reuil and the Château de La Motte de Bauçay. His early childhood was spent in the company of his siblings and the cousins of his illustrious house.

It was noticed by an early age that Paul was not very bright; his great uncle the Cardinal remarked: *"He inherited all his father's looks but alas, a maternal curse has rendered him a rather obvious lackwit.".* Despite a rather slow function, he was still looked on favorably by his family, particularly by the infamous *Mortemarettes*, who along with his governess, father and patriarch, ensured to maintain a great distance, both physically and emotionally from his mother, who had made for herself a terribly stained reputation at court with her debaucherous behavior.

By the age of seven, his greatuncle deemed him ready to take on the role of a page at the court of Marie IV, where he would learn the art of being a courtier. At this, Paul performed exceptionally, and like many in his family, he became an exemplar of grace and etiquette, which in no small part was augmented by his exceptional looks.

### **Adolescence**

Paul served as a page at court until 1750, when, at the age of twelve, he was sent to Paris at the behest of the Cardinal Mortemart to attend the Sorbonne in Paris. At Paris, Paul took on a particularly wild style of behavior that can only be attributed to his adolescence and new-found freedom. He performed terribly in all his studies, failing practically every subject miserably. More often then not, he would neglect his studies altogether to pursue frivolous courtships of ladies, and by common rumor, many young men as well. This rumor was affirmed two years into his studies at the Sorbonne when Paul was discovered to be having intimate relations with the young, and also visually remarkable Sieur de Marbot. Paul escaped serious punishment through the influence of his granduncle, although the Sieur was less fortunate and was expelled from the Sorbonne.

It was not until the assault on the young Comte de Guingamp that Paul was finally expelled from the Sorbonne. He and a gang of his acquaintances had heard of the student and his renowned physical deformity and made a public mockery of him by chasing him down the Rue de Seine, throwing stones and harassing him until they were chased off by the Parisian police.

After his expulsion from the Sorbonne in early 1753, and at the outrage of his father and granduncle alike, he was sent to the Château de La Motte de Bauçay, where he resided for the remainder of his adolescence, pursuing and failing painting, writing poetry and acting. The only talents of note he bore were his skills as a dancer and as a musician; Paul played the lute and harpsichord exceptionally well, he was also noted to have a very beautiful voice.

It was also during his time at La Motte, however, that Paul became quite familiar with the young Mademoiselle de Moncontour, Françoise Élisabeth Marguerite Zéphyrine. The two were first cousins but fell into a rather lustful arrangement, which formed out of their friendship. Their friendship would last a considerable period of time while still frequently partaking in *commerce*, as the court would refer to it.

### **Move to Argenteuil**

In 1754 after his sixteenth birthday, Paul was able to return to Argenteuil once more with his granduncle's permission. This move was partly inspired by Zéphyrine who lived in Paris and would allow them to meet more frequently. He would be introduced to court in the usual ceremony. Amongst his large family and the watchful eye of his granduncle, Paul excelled at court, as he once had as a young page. His minor talents won him an accompanying minor recognition by many, but he was renowned mainly for his beauty, charms, name, and rumored affairs.

While living at Argenteuil, he would frequently meet with Zéphyrine taking opportunities to enjoy one another's company, frequently attending formal events together. While not in love *per se*, they were very close, and Zéphyrine took her opportunity to find pleasure elsewhere between her liaisons with Paul, extending this to the Dauphin by 1755. Nevertheless, Paul and Zéphyrine did not drift apart and if anything he was pleased for her advancement in court society. Though this state of affairs would not last long as the physical aspect of Zéphyrine and the Dauphin dwindled fast, it proved to have a longer effect for Paul.

His sister the Mademoiselle de Lussac quickly replaced Zéphyrine as the Dauphin's *maitresse-en-titre* for a year as a result of a lavish ball held at the Hall of Mirrors, whereupon the Dauphin met both Lussac and Paul for the first time, being introduced through Zéphyrine. Immediately Paul found him to be a rather handsome figure, however, Lussac would take the pride of position from late 1755 to early 57. Paul came to regard her with some distaste during this time, finding her relatively foolish and childish, becoming increasingly condescending towards her.

### **Monseigneur le Dauphin**

It wouldn't be until late 1756 that both Paul and the Dauphin became increasingly well acquainted, reportedly during one ball the two would sit to one side and speak to one another for the majority of the night. Paul would take the role of the Dauphin's main love interest only after a few months, and by February of 1757, Paul came to be affectionately (or mockingly depending on the court faction) the Dauphin's *chevalier-en-titre*. Their relationship was so that the Dauphin would have the Chateau d'Houilles constructed for the pair to escape to when needed, and both became deeply involved.

While Paul remained in his position, there were many who came to despise him not least amongst his rivals was the Dauphine and his sister Lussac. While he did not care to bother himself over the opinions of the court on his relationship, there was the added challenge of the Dauphin's children. The elder of his children would come to refer to him as *Monsieur Putain* and completely despised their father's relationship. Regardless of both, the Dauphin increasingly leaned on Paul for support, as someone in front of which he was a person more than a title.

By the end of 1757, and the death of Marie IV, Paul's granduncle, the Cardinal Mortemart, would become increasingly ill with gangrene of the leg. On the death of the Grand Monsieur, who left Paul the residence of Sannois, the Cardinal contested the will in court on the pretext of the marriage agreement and had Sannois reverted to his own estate instead. Furthermore, the Cardinal sent Paul away to La Motte after a particularly public bout of flirting between the Dauphin and himself, although Louis Auguste would follow him there, and came to spend a few days together at the residence, much to the displeasure of the Sovereign. Paul would only return to witness the death of the Cardinal in 1758. From this, he would inherit a considerable fortune.

After the death of the Cardinal, Paul and the Dauphin brought the court into a new episode with the completion of the Chateau d'Houilles, which was suddenly the center of party culture in Grandelumiere, with constant events furnishing the little abode with a tremendous reputation. It was at many of these events that the more famed incidences occurred between Paul and the Dauphin, making their relationship, at least, publicly, a fragile thing. In private, however, it could not have been further from the truth; the couple remained close and devoted to each other, especially when the untimely death of the Duc de Mortemart came.

After a brief seclusion at the Chateau d'Houilles following the Duc's poisoning, from which Paul inherited the Chateau de Sannois and two million livres, the Dauphin and Paul hosted a masked ball at which, a particularly heated squabble between the couple arose over the infamous Mademoiselle de Moncontour, who had been intimately acquainted with both of them. The night ended with a sword fight, a partial drowning of Paul, and a bottle of wine smashed over the Dauphin's head. The Dauphin, half in retribution and half in love, planned to marry Paul off to the Mademoiselle, an affair which was considered by many to be the end of their relationship.

Despite popular opinion, the couple rebounded from the incident, and again became the socially large and prominent pair that the court had been accustomed to once more, though the court's opinion of Paul was quickly souring, and as a result, he and the Dauphin was quickly at odds with a number of distinguished individuals.

## Personality & Appearance

Paul was said to be a remarkably handsome; tall with fair blonde hair inherited from his father, along with his light blue eyes, it was regarded by many that he had *"a face for paintings.".* What he did not inherit from his father was his martial intelligence and manner. Paul was regarded to be a fairly feminine in tastes, reveling in song, listening to poetry and gossiping a fair deal, and had little attraction to hunting, and all matters military.

Of character, Paul was an amiable type, but only those he deemed interesting, which to him, was a matter of flattery and beauty. He is notably an unrestrained and flirtatious character, a favorite of debutantes and men of a similar fashion. Along with his feminine tastes and fine looks, Paul was seen more often than not sporting a great deal of makeup or more than what is considered a masculine quantity; he was a face of rosy cheeks and a deal of fine powder.

## Titles & Styles

**July 21st 1738 - Present** *Sa Seigneurie, Monsieur le Comte de Limoges*

**January 27th 1758 - Present** *Sa Seigneurie, Monsieur le Marquis de Belle-Île*