Anne-Julie de Melun

## Duchesse de Montfort

### Romantic Interests

François-Jules de France, Monseigneur le Grand DauphinCharlotte de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Duchesse d'Elbeuf

### Mother

Jeanne-Pélagie de Rohan-Chabot, Princesse Douairière d'Épinoy

### Siblings

Louis de Melun, Prince d'ÉpinoyMarie-Marguerite-Françoise de Melun, Mademoiselle de Vaucourtois

François-Michel-Auguste de Melun, Chevalier d'Épinoy

### Religion

Roman Catholicism

**Anne-Julie de Melun** (12th July, 1671 - Present) is the daughter of the late *Alexandre Guillame de Melun* and *Jeanne-Pélagie de Rohan-Chabot*. She is also one of the younger sisters of the current Prince of Épinoy*, Louis de Melun.* After her marriage to *Honoré Charles d'Albert de Luynes,* heir to the duchy of Luynes; she holds the title of *Duchesse de Montfort.* She is a known companion and confidante to the morganatic Queen of France *Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart*, *Duchesse d'Orléans*.

Being born away from Château de Versailles, and instead at the Hôtel de Soubise, made her hardly accustomed to life and pomp in the court of François IV. She arrived to the incredibly large residence in 1691, her brother Louis greeting her excitedly at the door. Anne-Julie was known for her bold and blunt nature and mannerisms, but had a wit that was described as *"A sharp blade attached to a small and attractive puppy."*

## Biography

### **Early Life**

The Mademoiselle d'Épinoy was born on the hot summer morning of 12th July 1671, at the city crowded Hôtel de Soubise. Her birth was said to be a tumultuous one, as her mother had given birth to a set of twins. The children would be named Anne-Julie and Marie-Marguerite-Françoise by their parents Alexandre Guillame de Melun, the Prince d'Épinoy and Jeanne-Pélagie de Rohan-Chabot, the then Princesse d'Épinoy. Upon the birth, they would be modestly celebrated without much enthusiasm.

### **Education and Adolescence**

Anne-Julie and her twin sister would be sent to the Abbaye de l'Église Saint-Paul in 1681, at the ages of nine and ten respectively. From there, they would both be educated in separate wings of the abbey as the Mother Superior found them to be quite rowdy when together for too long. They would both remain at there until the ages of fourteen and fifteen, where they would then be quickly returned back to their primary residence.

There the twins would be reunited with their brothers, Louis and Auguste. After being parted for some time, the four Melun children would spend three more years together before the two boys would be sent off again, for the final time, to the court of Versailles. It wouldn't be until 1691 when the two girls would finally be sent off to join them.

## Court of François IV

### **Introduction to the Court**

Upon her arrival to the Palace of Versailles. she would have been led in by her brother the Prince d'Épinoy towards the presence of François IV. Once the King had first seen her, she lowered into a rather deep and respectful curtsy. And his response to this was to call her "dainty" and "charming". However, he would also comment on her rather small physique as "The body of one of my grand-children's dolls." The Mademoiselle took this with a grain of salt, as the King was known to be rather callous to most he met. Overall, her introduction to the rest of the court would go along smoothly. However, it wouldn't be until 1692 she would be introduced to the *Duc d'Anjou* and his wife. After she had told them of her Melun heritage, they described her family as "quaint".

### **Courtly Relationships**

After six months of being at court, she would have gained a notable circle of friends which included *Charlotte de Rochechouart-Mortemart,* the *Duchesse d'Elbeuf* and most impressively the morganatic spouse of François IV the *Duchesse d'Orléans*. She was known to have kept the company of several mesdamoiselles et mesdames, and hardly had any male friends. However, in December of 1692 she would catch the powerful eye of the *Monseigneur le Grand Dauphin*. who found her to be rather attractive and appealing. Unlike his current lover the *Duchesse de Mortemart*, he had only found her physically beautiful and had no emotional connection towards her. The Mademoiselle had accepted this fully, as even she couldn't keep his fickle commitment away from the low-born Duchesse. However flirtations and sensual caresses were far from scarce between them, as she saw the immense benefits of allowing his desires to run its course. She was often paid money, and given expensive and luxurious gifts; much to Mortemart's seething dismay. The Mademoiselle herself didn't care too much for the Duchesse, and so the feeling was mutual.

With the money and given to her by her lover, she used it extravagantly for her own pleasure. She was known to be an avid drinker, often using a portion of that money to buy expensive and exotic wines. Though she often kept to a few glasses a day, on some occasions she was known to simply pass out in her rooms after an afternoon of heavy drinking. She often found court life enthralling, but a night by herself or intimately with someone else to truly be what kept her sane. During one event hosted by the Dauphin, the two would have fled the dancing to partake in their intimate affairs. Soon during, they would be interrupted by Mortemart herself. After a loud match of yelling, the Duchesse would proceed to simply slap her across the face. After this ordeal, the Mademoiselle would be considered the Dauphin's primary lover for the time being and her dislike for the Duchesse became even more apparent.

Her relationship to *Charlotte de Rochechouart de Mortemart*, the Duchesse d'Elbeuf and sister in law to Mortemart was drastically different. The two had immediately bonded during the Mademoiselle's first months at Versailles. Despite already having her real mother present at court, she found Elbeuf to be her primary source of maternal love. The two would have a simultaneous sexual affair while the Mademoiselle continued her affair with the Dauphin.

### **Marriage**

In the year of 1693, the already twenty-one year old Mademoiselle would be wed to the *Duc de Montfort*. As the heir to the Luynes fortune, her match was said to be rather successful. This match was arranged by the Dauphin himself as a favor to his now *Petit Maîtresse-en-titre.*