Jeanne Charlotte de Talleyrand-Périgord

Princesse de Tingry, c. 1652

## Occupations

### Court Posts

Demoiselle d'Honneur de Mathilde de Bourgogne (29th March, 1652 - 8th May, 1654)
Sous-Dame d'Atours (8th May, 1654 - 13th May, 1654)

Première Dame d'Honneur (13th May, 1654 - 23rd May, 1654)

Surintendant de la Maison de Catherine de Portugal (23rd May, 1654 - present)

## Biography

### House

 Talleyrand-Périgord (birth) Lévis (marriage)

### Born

9th August, 1636, Château de Valençay, Valençay, Grandelumière

### Spouse

François Hercule de Lévis,Prince de Tingry

### Father

Charles de Talleyrand-Périgord, Marquis d'Excideuil †

### Mother

Charlotte de Pompadour, Marquise Douarière d'Excideuil

### Siblings

Adrien Blaise de Talleyrand-Périgord, Marquis d'Excideuil
Pierre de Talleyrand-Périgord, Comte de Grignols

Jean de Talleyrand-Périgord, Prince de Chalais

### Religion

Roman Catholicism

**Jeanne Charlotte de Talleyrand-Périgord, Princesse de Tingry** (born 9th August 1637—present) was a Grandelumèrian noblewoman and member of the imperial court during the 17th century. She was born into the ancient house of Talleyrand-Périgord to the Marquis and Marquise d'Excideuil, Charles de Talleyrand-Périgord and his wife, Charlotte de Pompadour.

## Early Life

### Birth and Education

Jeanne Charlotte de Talleyrand-Périgord was born on the 9th of August, 1637 in her family's estate, Château d'Excideuil. She was the only daughter and final child of the late Marquis d'Excideuil and his wife, Charlotte de Pompadour. Her three brothers, Adrien Blaise de Talleyrand-Périgord, Pierre de Talleyrand-Périgord, and Jean de Talleyrand-Périgord were raised alongside her and received a similar education. In addition to her general education, Charlotte became greatly talented in the arts. She had a special gift of singing and was able to play rather difficult pieces on the harpsichord.

When she was seven, her father unexpectedly passed away. Charlotte's male figure in her life was replaced by that of her three brothers. Charlotte's growing dependence on her brothers led her to attend her brother's lessons. She was tutored in depth on the history of Grandelumière and political history along with her other classes including Spanish, Italian, and Latin. Her attachment to her brothers would remain for the rest of her childhood before being sent to the Abbaye Sainte-Croix de Poitiers for further education. Charlotte gained a sense of independence while living at the abbey and returned home after her twelfth birthday. After her arrival back home, she was quickly prepared for her introduction before Charles XI and his court.

## Court of Charles XI

### Introduction

After her 13th birthday, Charlotte was presented by her mother to Charles XI and his wife, Mathilde de Bourgogne. In preparation, Charlotte was dressed in the finest embroidered silks and her hair was styled in the popular style of the time. Her mother had made sure her daughter knew every bit of etiquette she needed to know and then some. On the day of her presentation, Charlotte woke up several hours ahead of the rest of the Court, rehearsing for what was, at that point, the most important day in her young life.

Thankfully, her mother's teachings paid off in full and she was warmly received by the Emperor and Empress. After a meaningful conversation about her family's history with the sovereign, Charlotte stepped aside and took in her victory. In the years that followed, she grew accustomed to the Court and eventually was hired as a *demoiselle d'honneur* to the Empress. Charlotte was said to be incredibly loyal to her Empress and employer, shining amongst the other ladies of her position.

### Court Life

After her marriage to François Hercule de Lévis, the Prince de Tingry, she was promoted to *sous-dame d'atours.* Shortly after her marriage, Charles XI was seriously injured in a hunting accident. Per his demands, his wife, Mathilde de Bourgogne, became Regent. The Empress-Regent quickly turned Court upside down. Her notable feud with Catherine II, Queen of Navarre, and her distaste for anyone who did not follow the Catholic religion made her into a tyrant. Charlotte, who continued her duty to the Empress, was torn between serving the Empress and recognizing her antics and increasingly dangerous behavior. After the imprisonment of Madame de Damville and Jeanne seemingly being the only woman who would still serve the Empress, she was given the rank of *première dame d'honneur*. A day later, the Empress was the victim of an assassination attempt and was striped of the regency in a coup led by Philippe IV, Comte de Champagne and her brother, the Marquis d'Excideuil. Jeanne and the household she led in the absence of the Empress served the Dauphine, Catherine de Portugal. Charlotte and her husband announced her pregnancy a day later.

## Court of Henri IV

Charles XI awoke briefly from the coma he entered following his accident...only to die an hour later from a stress induced heart attack after hearing of his wife's actions during his unconsciousness. Henri IV was declared Emperor and the Court entered a period of mourning for the late sovereign. The new Empress called upon Charlotte and requested she take up the role as *surintendant de la maison de l'Impératrice.* Charlotte eagerly accepted, taking an oath of service before the Emperor and the Empress. Just two years prior, Charlotte had started at the bottom of the household hierarchy. Now she was head of it. She worked alongside her second in command, the *première dame d'honneur* Louise Antoinette Thérèse de La Châtre. The old household and its ladies was disbanded and Charlotte was tasked with finding ladies to fill the new household she led. In her role as superintendent, she grew very close to the Empress, quickly becoming a confidant of hers.

Charlotte's pregnancy came to an end when she gave birth to her son, Jean-Baptiste Charles de Lévis. The little boy's namesake was Charlotte's late father. Charlotte and her husband were overjoyed at the arrival of a son and heir, quickly making plans for the child's education and preparation for Court Life years ahead. The child's godparents were soon picked. The Empress was delighted to accept the role as godmother and..

## Marriage

Charlotte was engaged to the heir of Henri de Lévis, the Duc de Ventadour. The Prince de Tingry and his father were pleased to accept the Marquis d'Excideuil's offer of his sister's hand in marriage. On the fifth of May, 1654, the couple was wed in a small ceremony consisting of family and close friends. Charlotte was showered in lavish gifts, including diamonds, various jewels, and a tiara. In addition, she was gifted a stunning yellow diamond from an Indian diamond mine. The diamond, given the name Khorshīd-i-Noor, was sent to Charlotte's jeweler and adapted into a versatile piece able to be placed in tiaras, brooches, and necklaces. Charlotte would continue to wear the piece for the rest of her life.

The marriage was considered very happy. The two, not particularly close in age, were said to be very close despite said age difference. It didn't take long for the Princesse to become pregnant, an announcement the two took great pride in making. Charlotte's pregnancy went smoothly and she regularly visited her physician to maintain both her health and her child's. She had great confidence in the child's gender, declaring that it would be a boy to her family and in laws. When she entered confinement, her water broke two weeks early. After being assured by her physician that she was close enough to her due date, she relaxed and had her family and husband called to witness the birth. After a relatively short four hours of labor, the Princesse gave birth to a son who she named Jean-Baptiste Charles in honor of her father.

## Titles and Styles

* **9th August 1637—present:** *Mademoiselle d'Excideuil*
* **5th May, 1654—present:** *Princesse de Tingry*