Marie-Gabrielle Hortense de Rochechouart de Mortemart

## Duchesse de Choiseul

Louis Chretien Auguste, Duc de Richelieu

Marie Louise Etiennette, Duchesse de Mercoeur

Marie-Sophie Augustine, Mademoiselle de Lussac

Marie-Isabelle Adélaïde, Mademoiselle de Montmorency

**Marie-Gabrielle Hortense de Choiseul** (13th February 1736 - Present) is a Grandelumierian noblewoman and the *Duchesse de Choiseul.*

Born into the illustrious name of Les Rochechouart de Mortemart to Louis Paul Jules de Rochechouart de Mortemart, then *Marquis de Vivonne*, and Sophie Therese de Rochechouart de Mortemart, then *Marquise de Vivonne*, Hortense was their first child. She is known at Court for her (desireable traits), and the *esprit de Mortemart.*

## Biography

### **Birth**

Marie-Gabrielle Hortense de Rochechouart de Mortemart was born at Le Château d'Argenteuil on 13th February 1736 to Louis Paul Jules de Rochechouart de Mortemart, then *Marquis de Vivonne* and Sophie-Thérèsede Rochechouart de Mortemart (nee d'Orléans), then *Marquise de Vivonne.* She was the first-born of the couple, being a brief let-down to them for being female. She would be granted the courtesy title *Mademoiselle de Vivonne* at birth.

### **Infancy**

Hortense as a child would be described as slick, long and straight blonde hair and dull, sad blue eyes. Because of the issues betwixt her parents, Hortense had a strained relationship with her mother, a sentiment that both Hortense and her younger brother, Alexandre, would share. She and Alexandre had a tight-knit relationship because of their mother's neglection of their childhood.

### **Childhood**

Due to her being raised by her father, Hortense would grow up to be akin to him in personality and hobbies. During her early childhood, she would enjoy the outdoors with her siblings, especially Alexandre. Because of the complications betwixt her parents she never got to see her mother, and therefore never took a liking to her. The only things Hortense grew to know about her mother were the repulsive rumours of her *libertin* activities in the bedchamber.

### **Adolescence**

During her adolescence, Hortense turned from enjoying the outdoors to spending more of her time indoors, which therefore limited her connection to her siblings. She slowly drifted away from her family, causing her to be much unlike them in many aspects. Hortense no longer enjoyed doing the things her father or siblings enjoyed. The only things she tended her time with doing were getting her education, and, on occasion, talking with her siblings.

### **Engagement**

During her early adult years Hortense was engaged to the *Duc de Choiseul*, as part of her father's will. After her father had died Hortense had repeatedly begged her brother the new *Duc de Mortemart* to undo the engagement, though it was no use. It was speculated at court that when the *Duc de Choiseul* was viciously attacked in the gardens of *Argenteuil* that Hortense and her brother, Paul were behind the beating. Even after the scandalous event had happened her brother Alexandre still refused to undo the engagement to Choiseul, which in turn Hortense had decided to cut off her ties with him and refused to speak to him for many weeks or even acknowledge his presence.

### **Marriage**

Throughout her marriage Hortense deeply resented her husband, being more capable of hiding her discontent as she grew older. Spending her spouse's money on expensive trinkets and finery was the only thing that could bring her joy in the world. Hortense quickly became pregnant with her husband's first child right after the marriage, giving birth to a baby girl which wasn't taken as a disappointment, when soon after she had become pregnant with twins, a boy given the title *Duc de Richelieu* at birth and another girl given the title *Mademoiselle de Nevers* at birth. Having the three children so quickly took a toll on Hortense's body greatly for many months, sometimes not even being able to get out of bed. As the marriage had gone on, Hortense had grown even more discontent with her family as well as her husband and spending as much as possible without going into debt to cope with her vexation.

### **Time in the Abbey**

When she had been caught engaging in sinful acts with *Monsieur le Duc* in his bedroom at *Le* *Pavillon de Rose,* Hortense's husband the *Duc de Choiseul* had secretly arranged for her to be sent to *Le Abbey du Mont Saint-Michel* for a period of three years. During a sunny day at court, Hortense had been taken from the court's salon by force in front of her peers including *Monseigneur le Grand-Dauphin*. Later, after her brother the *Marquis de Belle-Île* had found out about the events that had gone on, he had gone into outrage and had later arranged for the *Duc de Choiseul* to be arrested, which had been successful.

### **Return to Court**

One month after being in the Abbey, Hortense had sent a letter to the King-Emperor and his Consort begging to return to court. The letter was successful and a week after, she was returned to court looking pale and sickly. While in *Le Abbey du Mont Saint-Michel,* she had miscarried what should have been her fourth child. When Hortense had returned to court, she was first publicly seen at a ball at *Le Chateau de Houilles,* hosted by *Madame la Dauphine.*

## Personality and Appearance

### **Personality**

Though cold to most people, Hortense was considered very lovely and trustworthy if you were close to her. One of her best attributes was that she was protective of the people she cared about, which was rare for her to care about someone. The worst thing about her personality was that she was very easily able to dispose people even her relatives as shown when she estranged herself from her brothers. Like her father, Hortense was very icy on the exterior showing and saying almost none of what she was feeling in public. Hortense was also very good at managing her money and knowing her limit, even if she was always seen buyng new things. To keep expectations low at court Hortense would sometimes act as if she weren't as bright as she really was to seem like she wasn't to be scared of, which was the case when she had the Duc de Choiseul battered and cut in the gardens of *Le Chateau de Argenteuil* for saying he would send her away after she gave him an heir.

### **Appearance**

Through her childhood Hortense had very bulbous blue eyes that were seemingly dull and accompanied with the classic golden locks of the Mortemart family. As she grew older her eyes seemed to grow bigger, looking like puddles of crystal blue water. Her hair seemed to grow much darker as well, taking on an almost cocoa brown color. Hortense had been growing in grey hairs prematurely from the stress of her personal life with her husband and taking care of all of her children, which she blended in with powder. The older she grew, the more makeup she seemed to wear as well always keeping a porcelain complexion and very bright rosy cheeks. She had also enjoyed to wear many accessories and pearls throughout her adult years saying *"I'd rather go nude than go without a jewel laying upon my chest."* Because of Hortense giving birth to many children so quickly she would look more frail and sickly around court, looking almost skeletal.

## Issue

* Anne-Sophie Camille de Choiseul, Mademoiselle de Choiseul (20th December 1759-Present)
* Miscarriage
* Louise-Elisabeth Francoise de Choiseul, Mademoiselle de Nevers (2nd August 1762-Present)
* Louis Chretien Auguste de Choiseul, Duc de Richelieu (2nd August 1762-Present)
* Miscarriage