Adélaïde of France
The longest-lived of Louis XV's daughters, a sharp-witted princess who wielded quiet influence from the heart of Versailles.
1732–1800 (age 68)·Princess of France·Birthday: March 23
Biography
Madame Adélaïde was one of the 'Mesdames', the cluster of King Louis XV's daughters who remained unmarried and formed a distinct, powerful bloc at court. Sharp, politically astute, and possessing a formidable will, she and her sister Madame Victoire became central figures in their father's later life, hosting him for supper nearly every evening. She was a fierce opponent of his mistresses, particularly Madame de Pompadour. After Louis XV's death, she initially held sway with her nephew, the new king Louis XVI, but found her influence waning as the revolution approached. She fled France in 1791, spending her final years in exile in Italy, a living relic of the Ancien Régime's vanished splendor.
#1 When Adélaïde Was Born
The biggest hits of 1732
Adélaïde's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1732Born
1737Started school
1745Became a teenager
1748Could drive
1750Could vote
1753Turned 21
1762Turned 30
1772Turned 40
1782Turned 50
1792Turned 60
1800Died at 68
Key Achievements
- Became a leading hostess and influential figure in the court of her father, Louis XV, during his later years.
- Successfully maintained a position of respect and access to the king that many courtiers and mistresses envied.
- Presided over a sophisticated salon at the Château de Bellevue, which she inherited with her sister.
Did You Know?
She was an accomplished musician, playing the viola da gamba and harpsichord.
She and her sisters were painted by Jean-Marc Nattier in a famous series of portraits in allegorical dress.
She was the last of Louis XV's children to die, surviving into the Napoleonic era.
“A princess is a soldier of the state, and her battleground is the court.”
