|
Infamous Infidelity: Wives and Mistresses of the French Monarchy
By Danny Gonzalez
The University of Texas' award-winning researcher Dr. David M. Buss (PhD) has published a number of studies concerning the ever-evolving nature of human sexuality. One of the most-cited works by Dr. Buss and colleagues suggests that as many as 30% of all marriages in the United States suffer from some form of infidelity, whether physical or emotional. In other words, the sacred, holy, cultural institution of marriage appears to be under siege.
But as history shows us, sexual attitudes, particularly of those who are married, have not descended into amorality over just the last few years. Rather, the marriage relationship has actually evolved and people have become more monogamous. Historical accounts may be able to shed light on the marriage institution as it stands today, and on how its troubles really began well in the past. Let’s look at some examples involving the wives and mistresses of the French monarchy during the 18th century reign of Louis XV.
Louis XV and His Royal Maitresse-en-Titre
For hundreds of years during the peak of the French Renaissance, life in the royal court of the king revolved around the Monarch’s sexual promiscuity. Scandalous accounts of infidelity became an unwelcome distraction during the rule of Louis XV, who reportedly kept company with dozens of mistresses at a time. Author Katherine Crawford writes in her book “The Sexual Culture of the French Renaissance” that, in essence, the king of France was all but expected to have multiple mistresses and bear many male children.
Crawford also remarks on the political purpose of marriage during this period. Marriages were either arranged or served some form of political function such as solidifying a truce. Indeed, Louis XV's wife Marie Leczinska hardly merits a mention in the historical accounts of the king's reign, but Louis XV's official “maitresse-en-titre” Madame de Pompadour features heavily. As a matter of fact, Madame de Pompadour held the official title as Louis XV's chief mistress for several decades, which was quite an accomplishment, as the king could literally choose any woman he desired.
Madame de Pompadour was neither the first royal mistress of the king’s nor the last, but the nature of her relationship to him brings to light an interesting question. Why would the king keep a single mistress for such a long period of time, especially after she could no longer bear children? Seduced time and time again by younger, more ambitious noblewomen, according to author Eleanor Herman, Louis XV remained faithful to his maitresse-en-titre despite the attempts to usurp her position in the king's court.
Louis XV and Madame de Pompadour's decades-long affair depicts the duplicity of infidelity. The culture of promiscuity that defined their era seems rather shocking by contemporary moral standards, yet, oddly enough, their love affair by all accounts grew beyond a mere sexual relationship. The dissolution of marriages today as reflected in Dr. Buss' research narrows the concept of infidelity to distinct eras where the distinction between loyalty and scandal have again started to overlap in a similar fashion, much like the affair between Louis XV and his mistress Madame de Pompadour
| 
