Jeanne-Charlotte du Plessis-Liancourt

## Duchesse de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen

Son Altesse Sérénissime, Madame la Duchesse de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen, Suo jure Duchesse de La Roche-Guyon, Marquise de Guercheville, Marquise de Montfort, Comtesse de la Roche-Guyon, Dame de Montfort

## Title

### Title

Duchesse de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen, Suo jure Duchesse de La Roche-Guyon

### Tenure

Duchesse de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen (1662 - Present)Duchesse de La Roche-Guyon (1653 - Present)

### Predecessor

Henriette de Coligny (as Duchesse de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen)Roger du Plessis-Liancourt (as Suo jure Duchesse de La Roche-Guyon)

## Occupations

### Court Posts

Gouvernante des Enfants Impériaux (June 13th, 1662-Present)

## Biography

### House

Plessis-Liancourt (Birth)Wurtemberg-Weiltingen (Marriage)

### Born

February 2nd, 1645, Château de La Roche-Guyon, Empire de Vasttaire

### Spouse

François Dieudonné, Duc de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen (1637-Present)

### Issue

Henri-Roger de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen (June 8th, 1664-Present)Madeleine de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen, Mademoiselle de Weiltingen (October 4th, 1666-Present)

### Father

Henri-Roger du Plessis-Liancourt, Comte de la Roche-Guyon (1620-1648)

### Mother

Anne-Élisabeth de Lannoy, Duchesse d'Elbeuf (1626-1654)

### Siblings

Charlotte Élisabeth du Plessis-Liancourt, Princesse Consort de Monaco (1647-Present)Half siblings:

Charles de Lorraine-Guise-Elbeuf, Comte de Rieux (1650-Present) Anne Élisabeth de Lorraine-Guise-Elbeuf, Princesse de Vaudémont (1649-Present)

### Religion

Roman Catholicism

**Jeanne-Charlotte du Plessis-Liancourt** (February 2nd, 1645-Present) was a Vasttairian Noblewoman from the house of Plessis-Liancourt who was said to have been a talented landowner. She was the eldest daughter of *Henri du Plessis-Liancourt* and his wife, *Anne-Élisabeth de Lannoy*. She was the wife of *François Dieudonné, Duc de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen* and upon marriage she assumed the title *Duchesse de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen*, in her early life she became the *Suo jure Duchesse de La Roche-Guyon* amongst other titles which made her a prize bride and an eligible match for any man of noble birth.

## **Early Life**

### **Birth**

Jeanne-Charlotte du Plessis-Liancourt, was born to Henri du Plessis-Liancourt, *Comte de La Roche-Guyon* son of *Roger du Plessis-Liancourt, Duc de La Roche-Guyon*, and his wife Anne-Élisabeth de Lannoy, *Duchesse d'Elbeuf* (*Comtesse de La Roche-Guyon at the time)*. Jeanne-Charlotte was born a healthy baby girl, she was proof of her mothers fertility however speculations would grow of Anne-Élisabeth's ability to birth a *male heir*.

### **Childhood**

Jeanne-Charlotte would be raised and nursed by her Gouvernante, in 1647 another daughter would be born to Henri du Plessis-Liancourt and Anne-Élisabeth de Lannoy, named and styled, *Charlotte Élisabeth, Mademoiselle de Liancourt*. The following year in 1648, Jeanne-Charlotte's father Henri passed away making it certain that Jeanne-Charlotte and Charlotte Élisabeth would be the heiress's to their grandfather's fortune. The following year Jeanne-Charlotte and Charlotte Élisabeth's mother remarried to *Charles III de Lorraine-Guise-Elbeuf, Duc d'Elbeuf* and the pair would go on to have two children before the death of Jeanne-Charlotte and Charlotte's mother which occurred in 1654. In 1649, Jeanne-Charlotte's mother welcomed another girl named *Anne Élisabeth de Lorraine-Guise-Elbeuf* who would later go on to be *Madame la Princesse de Vaudémont*, and a year following Jeanne-Charlotte's mother welcomed a male named *Charles de Lorraine-Guise-Elbeuf, Comte de Rieux.*

### **Inheritance & Education**

On the 5th of October 1653, Jeanne-Charlotte's grandfather would pass away leaving Jeanne-Charlotte a large inheritance at the age of eight. Jeanne-Charlotte's grandmother *Jeanne de Schomberg*, was installed as *Regent* and made it paramount that Jeanne-Charlotte and her sister receive an education fitting to their new rank and responsibility. Jeanne-Charlotte's grandfather being a supporter of *Jansenism*, Jeanne-Charlotte and her sister were educated by Jansenists at her sister's newly inherited residence *Château de Liancourt* where she remained for the period of her five year Regency. Jeanne-Charlotte would sometimes be invited to attend to her grandmother to receive lessons from far more advanced tutors provided by Jeanne-Charlotte's grandmother (something which Jeanne-Charlotte's sister was *not* provided with).

## **Court Life**

### **Introduction**

In 1662 at the age of 17 Jeanne-Charlotte was presented before the Empereur de Vasttaire by her grandmother during a ceremonial Debutante ball. Suitors lined up for a dance with Jeanne-Charlotte hoping one of them could snatch the prized heiress, though by the end of the night Jeanne-Charlotte's grandmother had arranged a perfect match for the young Duchesse. The lucky man who'd be taking the young ladies hand would be none other than *François Dieudonné, Duc de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen* a member of the *prestigious* and *Princely house of Wurtemberg*.

### **Marriage**

The young couple married not too long after the Debutante, the Duchesse's grandmother remained an important figure in the new *Duchesse de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen's* life. The young Duchesse received half of her items promised in the marriage contract, with the other half being saved for when she was Widow as according to *French accustoms*.

### **Gouvernante des Enfants Impériaux**

Jeanne-Charlotte joined court following her marriage and it was particularly easy for her to make friends. Some being the members of the Imperial family and to extent the Emperor and Empress themselves. Shortly after the birth of the Dauphin, Jeanne-Charlotte swore fealty to the Emperor and was granted the position *Gouvernante des Enfants Impériaux* in the Empress's household, a great responsibility which many have said Jeanne-Charlotte succeeded in.

Jeanne-Charlotte set a time structure for the Dauphin as follows:

7:00am—8:00am: *le Dauphin had breakfast.*

8:00am—9:00am: *le Dauphine had prayer*

9:00am—12:00pm: *le Dauphin took to his lessons.*

12:00pm—2:00pm: *le Dauphin had lunch and free time.*

2:00pm—5:00pm: *le Dauphin returned to his lessons .*

5:00pm—6:00pm: *le Dauphin was dressed and prepared for dinner.*

6:00pm—7:00pm: *le Dauphin had dinner.*

7:00pm—9:00pm: *le Dauphin received visitors and was entertained with music or readings.*

9:00pm—10:00pm: *le Dauphin was dressed for bed, prayed, and went to sleep.*

## **Appearance & Personality**

### **Appearance**

Jeanne-Charlotte was said to be of average looks, she wasn't gorgeous or stunning like her sister Charlotte Élisabeth which Jeanne-Charlotte was jealous for, but she wasn't completely unfortunate looking to that matter. Jeanne-Charlotte and her sister, Charlotte Élisabeth were graced with their grandmother's *golden blonde hair* that extended down to their shoulders, as well as abnormally curly hair. They also possessed *deep pure hazel eyes with fairly light eyebrows*. They had a *light skin complexion*, an ideal trait for their time, but unlike Jeanne-Charlotte's sister she had a rather *extensive nose along with thin paper lips*.

### **Personality**

Jeanne-Charlotte wasn't known for being attractive but she was a mastermind in Politics and other sorts of popular debatable subjects during her time. As uncommon as it was for women to have much knowledge beyond how to curtsy, dance and speak the national language, Jeanne-Charlotte was said to have interest in subjects that would've been considered "a man's place". Luckily, Jeanne-Charlotte was an heiress which provided her with educational lessons on how to manage her estates. There was no denying Jeanne-Charlotte's intelligence being one of the many reasons why Jeanne-Charlotte was chosen to be the Gouvernante des Enfants Impériaux amongst other women by *Charles XIX, Empereur de Vasttaire* and his wife *Henriette d’Angleterre, Impératrice de Vasttaire* themselves*.* Jeanne-Charlotte was also known to be charitable, having donated large amount of sums to various Abbey's, and charity works yearly, in 1665 Jeanne-Charlotte constructed a school in Guercheville for the Bourgeoisie class and after a year of construction her school opened.

## **Issue**

Throughout Jeanne-Charlotte's marriage with François Dieudonné, Duc de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen she would go on two have two children both perfectly healthy, she faced no difficulties in her two pregnancies and her pregnancies are as follows:

* **Henri-Roger de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen,** *Marquis de Guercheville* (June 8th, 1664 - Present)

* **Madeleine de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen,** *Mademoiselle de Weiltingen* (October 4th, 1666 - Present)

## **Titles, Styles & Honours**

### **Titles & Styles**

* **2nd February 1645 - 5th October 1653,** *la Mademoiselle de La Roche-Guyon*
* **5th October 1653 - 7th April 1662,** *Sa Grâce, Mademoiselle la Duchesse de La Roche-Guyon, Marquise de Guercheville, Marquise de Montfort, Comtesse de la Roche-Guyon, Dame de Montfort*

* **7th April 1661 - Present,** *Son Altesse Sérénissime, Madame la Duchesse de Wurtemberg-Weiltingen, Duchesse de Wurtemberg-Neuenbourg, Dame de Neuenbourg*
	+ Suo jure Duchesse de La Roche-Guyon, Marquise de Guercheville, Marquise de Montfort, Comtesse de la Roche-Guyon, Dame de Montfort

### **Honours**

**13th June 1662 - Present,** *Gouvernante des Enfants Impériaux*