Madeline-Clémence de Pardaillan de Gondrin

## Madeline-Clémence de La Tour d'Auvergne

### House

House of Pardaillan de Gondrin (By Birth)House of La Tour d'Auvergne (By Marriage)

### Born

3rd September 1732, Chateau d'Argenteuil, Paris, Grandelumiere

### Spouse

Louis-Auguste Xavier de La Tour d'Auvergne

### Issue

Sophie-Antoinette Claudine, Mademoiselle de BouillonMarie-Eloise Pauline, Mademoiselle de Fronsac

### Mother

Marie-Clémence Gabrielle de Rochechouart de Mortemart

### Siblings

Louis-Victor de Pardaillan de Gondrin, Marquis d'AntinLouis-Chrétien-Hercules de Pardaillan de Gondrin, Marquis de Mézière

Marie-Gabrielle-Adélaïde de Pardaillan de Gondrin, Mademoiselle de Gouft

Auguste-Marie-Valentin de Pardaillan de Gondrin, Baron de Pardaillan

Charles-André de Pardaillan de Gondrin, Baron de Gondrin

Louis-Fontaine-Philippe de Pardaillan de Gondrin, Baron de Termes

Françoise-Elisabeth-Marguerite-Zephyrine de Pardaillan de Gondrin, Mademoiselle de Moncontour

### Religion

Roman Catholic

**Madeline-Clémence de La Tour d'Auvergne (née**  **Pardaillan de Gondrin)** (3rd September, 1732 - Present) was a Grandelumierian noblewoman and Duchesse de Bouillon.

Clémence possessed an outgoing and vivacious nature that was known to all. Renowned for her kind and virtuous character, she is known to be large patron of various charities. Although pleasant, many remark on her pious and subtle temperament, and her refusal to even hear the slightest bit of slander.

Her appearance was noticeably plain. While some called it a *"quiet beauty",* most agreed that she was completely and utterly unattractive. To her advantage, however ugly many would consider the Duchess, many remarked that her affectionate and loving personality drew many to her side.

## Biography

### **Birth**

Clémence was born on the 3rd of September, 1732, to the then Marquis de Montespan, Jean-Philippe de Pardaillan de Gondrin, and his wife, the Marquise de Montespan, Marie-Clémence Gabrielle de Pardaillan de Gondrin (Née  Rochechouart de Mortemart).

Her birth was fitting to her future character. Of little or no significance, born the first daughter and third child, her parents were indifferent to her birth. Immediately after birth, she was granted the style **Mademoiselle de Rocques**, as was traditional for the eldest daughter of the Marquis and Marquise de Montespan.

Between 1730 and 1737, Madame de Montespan gave eight children to her husband. With each and every one, also came along rumors of illegitimacy and the various options of parentage for the child. Around the time Clémence was conceived, her mother was noted to have been spending a considerable amount of time with Charles-Nicolas Mathieu, Duc de Choiseul. Henceforth, the court bursted with slander and rumors upon Clémence's birth. However, upon her baptism the day of her birth, her father assumed parentage. Nonetheless, she is said to have various similarities with the Duc de Choiseul.

### **Education**

After her her mother died of colic on the 25th of May, 1738, the Marquis de Montespan abandoned the children to go serve in the Tens Years War. With this, Mademoiselle de Rocques and her siblings were sent to the South of Grandelumiere to be educated. With a slew of governesses and tutors, the siblings were educated in between their father's two Chateaux, Chateau de Montespan and Chateau de Bonnefort. Damp and run down, Clémence's weak figure often fell ill. As her sisters exhibited the infamous *"Espirit Mortemart"* possessed by her mother, but that Mademoiselle de Rocques was evidently devoid of, she did not get along well with her sisters as the years progressed. Even in her early years, she was noticed to *"get lost in the shadows"* when with her sisters, as one Governess put it. Ignored by her tutors, they often favored her younger, more entertaining sisters, Mademoiselle de Gouft and Mademoiselle de Moncontour.

In 1747, when the war ended, her father returned. Subsequently, the Marquis reluctantly paid for the sisters' admittance to the Convent of Poissy. Tutored in the feminine subjects of dancing, embroidery, and how to run a large household, she soon caught on and studied obediently. Additionally, there were occasionally classes in French, geography, music, drawing, religion, and other subjects. Overall, they received a basic, yet respectable education. After turning 15, Clémence was taken out of the convent by her father, and sent to live with him at his modest residence in Saint-Germain des Pres, Paris.

Spending her years in an apartment on le Rue Taranne, Saint-Germain des Pres, she was often lonely, finding herself without companionship and in petty rivalries with her younger sisters. However, in 1749, inspired by her religious classes at the convent, she decided to take the veil. After writing to her father for his permission to enter an abbey, he responded, *"I should think you better than a haughty, unlearned peasant woman."* With the refusal from her father, she suffered a small bout of depression, which only ended with her presentation to the court.

### **Adolescence**

Mademoiselle de Rocques was taken out of Saint-Germain des Pres by the Marquis de Montespan, in 1750 and presented at court. Making little to no impression at court, few remarked on her plain appearance, and she was considerably overlooked by various other new courtiers. Presented to Queen-Empress Marie IV Sophie in the Hall of Mirrors at Chateau de Argenteuil, the Empress politely accepted her into court, but considered her without talent, charm, or beauty and *"considerably average".*

Due to her pious and gentle temperament she was placed in the households' of the young daughters of the then Dauphin and Dauphine, Marie-Louise, Marie-Therese, Marie-Adelaide, and Marie-Antoinette. Taking her duties seriously, her position was soon elevated to a higher position when the Dauphin and Dauphine inherited the throne of Marie IV in 1757, making her respective mistresses the *Mesdames.*

Estranged from her two elder brothers already at court, she found herself without a friends or acquaintances. Often, she was seen alone. However, as she became acquainted with the Devots Faction, she spent a considerable amount of time in the chapel. As time passed, she was identified with the traditional members of the court, and often agreed with them; one such notably, the powerful and influence-wielding Cardinal de Mortemart. Her sister, Mademoiselle de Moncontour remarked, *"She would of made a fabulous courtier at the court of Marie IV."*

As her father had no way of supporting her, or giving a large dowry, she was placed at court in hopes that she would acquire a marriage. Without charm or beauty, various suitors refused to enter into the marriage with her, as with the added negative of a minute dowry, many took her proposal of marriage without the least bit of consideration. With her father not attending court, her eldest brother, the Marquis d'Antin negotiated the numerous pursuits, despite the lack of relationship between the two. Finally, in late 1750, a marriage was agreed upon with Louis-Auguste Xavier de La Tour d'Auvergne, Duc de Bouillon. A great marriage for someone of her station, it was only built on the influence of her employers, *la Mesdames.* However, although Clémence was 18 at the time of the betrothal, the young Duc but was 12 years of age. Consequently, it was decided that the wedding would take place in three years time, in 1753.

### **Adulthood**

In 1753, at the age of 21, Mademoiselle de Rocques was married to the Duc de Bouillon in the chapel of Chateau de Argenteuil. With her father coming to court to celebrate his *"greatest achievement"*, her brother proudly looked on from the side. Besides the fact that the Duc was only 15 at the time of his marriage, due to the older age of the bride, the marriage was immediately consummated. Henceforth, she almost immediately became pregnant. Although a married and pregnant woman was not allowed to serve as a Fille d'Honneur, she was soon elevated to the position of Dame d'Honneur. With herself being a favored Duchess, she was perfect for the position. With her rank position, she happily moved out of le Rue Tarrane, and into the small, yet comfortable court apartments of the Duc de Bouillon.

Giving birth on December 4th, 1754 to her first daughter, Sophie-Antoinette Claudine, Mademoiselle de Bouillon, she was an immediate disappointment. With the lack of male heirs for the house of La Tour d'Auvergne, she was told by her surviving maternal aunts the then Princesse de Carigano, Duchesses de Anjou and Rohan, and the Marquise de Louvois, that she was *"a complete and utter failure"*. They continued on that she was fortunate enough to get her match, with her lack of funds and dowry. Additionally, they instructed her on being a good wife. This included not asserting her political opinions, eating a proper diet so *"as not to get fat",* be submissive, and not to keep up with fashions, as the Duchesse de Rohan put it: "*It makes a woman look foolish".*

 As the quiet and diffident Clémence's dutily listened to their advice, she was confident that on her next pregnancy she would deliver the much awaited male heir. However, on the 15th of November, 1755, she gave birth to her second daughter, Marie-Eloise Pauline, Mademoiselle de Fronsac. It was said that the weak and sensitive Clémence was close to tears, as due to her attentive temperament, she couldn't bear to fail at her duty. After this birth, her aunts came to visit her again. This time, the Princesse de Carigano warned that if she didn't deliver a son she would *"be useless and sent away".* The terrified and already hormonal Clémence burst into tears. Pleading with her husband, he laughingly and lovingly assured her that she would not be sent away.

### **Personality and Appearance**

#### **Appearance**

Her appearance was not much to be admired either. Surprisingly upon her birth, her parents were shocked that she had been blessed with *"the unfortunate curse"* of red hair. Considering at the time, blond hair was admired and craved, this naturally did nothing to add to her desire to be known as a beauty. In fact, when still in the nursery, her nursemaid affectionately dubbed her *"Carotte"*, or *"Rotte"* for short, after her red hair.

Besides for her hair, her features included slightly slanted eyes of an amber color. Her nose and mouth rendered her quite plain, as they added no great beauty. Her one coveted feature was her complexion, which her sister, Mademoiselle de Gouft said was *"one of the clearest in court."* The one indulgence she allowed herself in fact, was a special face powder from Paris, that she wore every day without fail.

#### **Personality**

Upon her arrival at court, all were astounded by the Mademoiselle's large heart. Exceeding the expectations of the court, she often gave more to her charities than what was expected from of someone of her station and rank. Although her quiet personality wasn't profuse among the members of the Imperial Court, as word of her virtuous reputation grew, she found herself not without a loss of friends. However, she was easily manipulated by the various courtiers, and sometimes even by those she considered her friends, without knowing it. Often, she was willing to do even the most demeaning and trivial tasks for the inhabitants of Argenteuil, for the fear that if she did not, she would lose their friendship.

As time wore on, she became increasingly submissive and diffident, and never once questioned authority. Soon, she affiliated herself with the more traditional members of the court, and often avoided the liberal circles of the Dauphin and Dauphine, whose members considered her *"boring"* and *"dreary"*. As she became additionally tied to the remnants of the Devots faction, she was greatly influenced by them, and was soon able to be found often at the Chapel praying.

## Issue

* Sophie-Antoinette Claudine, Mademoiselle de Bouillon (December 4, 1754 - Present)
* Marie-Eloise Pauline, Mademoiselle de Fronsac (November 15, 1755 - Present)
* Stillborn Daughter (May 13, 1757)

## Titles and Styles

### **Titles and Styles**

* **3rd September 1732 - 16 March 1753** *Her Ladyship, Mademoiselle de Rocques*
* **16 March 1753 - Present** *Sa Grâce, Duchesse de Bouillon (Madame de Bouillon)*