’tis a Prerogative that she does not often make use of, because she has such a Dislike to Dress, that she appears little at Court; and when she comes to the King or Queen, ’tis in private: She commonly resides at Paris, or at Bagnolet[47]: She is the only Princess of the Kingdom that has Guards, and enjoys the Honours of a Daughter of France. King Lewis XIV. granted all these great Distinctions to the late Duke of Orleans, in Favour of this Marriage, to which that Prince agreed against the Consent of his late Father, and the express Prohibition of his Mother; who was so exasperated against her Son, for not resisting Lewis XIVth’s Will and Pleasure, that she lifted up her Hand against him, when he told her that he was just marry’d, would not see her Daughter-in-law for a long time, and never could endure the Thoughts of the Match, till she saw her Grand-daughter marry’d to the Duke of Berry. Since that time, she has not been so strongly prejudic’d against her, but acknowledges her Royal Highness’s Virtues, and always kept a good Correspondence with her. This Princess lives very retir’d in the Midst of the Court, and is very much employ’d in Works of Piety.
Her Son, the Duke of Orleans, is a Prince of exemplary Devotion, being almost continually at Prayer, or performing Works of Charity: He made two or three Attempts to retire from the World, but the King thinking his Presence necessary in his Council, would not consent to it. His most serene Highness is the first Prince of the Blood, and Governor of Dauphiny; and he was once Colonel and Captain General of the French Infantry, but he resign’d that Post some Years ago. This Prince marry’d the Princess of Baden, by whom he has a Son styl’d Duke of Chartres, a hopeful young Prince, who is
educated at St. Cloud, remote from the Grandeur and Hurry of the Court.
The Duke of Orleans has also four Sisters in the Kingdom, the eldest of whom is the Abbess de Chelles, who was formerly styl’d Mademoiselle de Chartres. This Princess, in spite of all the Persuasions of the late Regent and the Duchess, who did their utmost to divert her from it, took the Habit of a Nun, tho’ she was one of the most amiable Princesses in Europe, and might have made a great Prince happy.
The second Sister is the Queen of Spain, the Dowager of Lewis I. whom she marry’d when he was Prince of Asturias, before his Father resign’d the Crown of Spain to him; but the young King did not live long to enjoy it, and after his Death, the young Queen Dowager having a Desire to return to France, their Catholic Majesties consented to it, and the King of France allow’d her the Castle of Vincennes to reside in, where for some time she liv’d: She had not been there many Weeks, when she receiv’d a Visit from the King, who said, before he went, that his Visit would be short. I am not very talkative, said his Majesty, and they say, that the Queen of Spain does not talk at all; so that I don’t believe we shall have much Conversation: And indeed the Visit was very short. The Queen receiv’d the King at the Step of the Coach, and the King taking her by the Hand, led her into his Chamber, where two Arm-Chairs were plac’d for them under a Canopy. The King seated himself on the Right Hand, and after a few Words spoke by the Duke de Bourbon, and the Duke de Noailles, who, as Captain of the Guards, stood behind the King’s Chair, his Majesty rose, and went away with the same Ceremonies as he came. Some time after this, the Queen of Spain went to visit the King, when her Guards were plac’d in all the Posts
of Versailles, the King’s Guards being order’d to make room for them. The King receiv’d the Queen as she alighted from the Coach, and every thing pass’d with the same Formality as at Vincennes. The Queen of Spain, after some Stay at the Castle of Vincennes, went to live in those Apartments at Luxembourg, which had been the Residence of her Sister the Duchess of Berry; but some time ago she retir’d to a Convent, and her Family, which was at first exceeding numerous, was very much reduc’d. If we except the vain Honours of Royalty, she would have been far more happy, if she had never been a Queen; for then she might have marry’d again; whereas now she must continue a Widow, and pass the Prime of her Days in Solitude and Retirement.
The third Sister of the Duke of Orleans is Mademoiselle de Beaujolois, who was design’d as a Match for the Infante, Don Carlos; but when the Infanta of Spain was sent back from France, return’d to this Kingdom with the Queen, her Sister: She is one of the most beautiful and most amiable Princesses upon Earth, worthy to reign, and worthy of the Infante[48].
Mademoiselle d’Orleans[49], her Sister, is a very charming Princess, with an exceeding graceful Air, and Behaviour fully answerable to her Birth.
Next to the Family of Orleans, the first in Rank is that of Conde, which consists of three Princes, and six Princesses: The Duke de Bourbon is the chief, who is great Steward of the King’s Houshold, and Governor of Burgundy, His Highness lost one Eye in Hunting, by an unfortunate Shot from the Duke
of Berry: He was marry’d very young to Mademoiselle de Conti his Cousin, who died without Issue. He was also but young when he made the Campaigns in Germany, in Company with his Brother-in-law the Prince of Conti. After the Decease of Lewis XIV. the Duke went to Law with the legitimated Princes, and caus’d the Duke de Maine to be degraded from the Rank of Prince of the Blood, to which he had been promoted by an Arret solemnly register’d in Parliament during the Life of the late King. The Duke of Bourbon demanded, as first Prince of the Blood, whom he then represented, by reason of the tender Age of the Duke of Chartres, now Duke of Orleans, to have the Superintendance of the King’s Education, to which Post the Duke de Maine had been nominated by the late King’s last Will: He obtain’d his Demand, and the Duke de Maine retir’d to Seaux. The Duke de Bourbon had after this a great Share in the Affairs of the Regency, and the Duke of Orleans took care to keep him in good Humour. At the unexpected Death of the Regent, the Duke, being then at Versailles, went to the King, and demanded the Post of Prime Minister, vacant by the Death of his Royal Highness, and obtain’d it. The late M. de la Vrilliere, Secretary of State, being perhaps a little too forgetful of his Obligations to the Son of a Prince who had heap’d Favours upon him, drew up the Patent instantly, and caus’d it to be sign’d by the King, before the Duke of Chartres, who was at the Opera at Paris, could hear the News of his Father’s Death; so that tho’ he went Post to Versailles, and demanded the Office of First Minister, the Duke of Bourbon told him, that the King had dispos’d of it to himself. The Duke was no sooner vested with the Authority of Prime Minister, than he made great Alterations in the Government; but these are the Subject of History rather than of a