The last Prince of the Royal Family was the Duke of Orleans, afterwards Regent of the Kingdom; of whom I shall have occasion to say more, when at the death of Lewis le Grand he took on him the Government of the Kingdom during the present Monarch's Minority.
The first People at Court next to the Princes of the Royal Family, were the Princes of the Blood. The chief was the Duke of Chartres, now Duke of Orleans, by the Death of his Father who was the Regent of France during the Minority of Lewis XV.
The Duke of Bourbon, and the Counts de Charolois and Clermont compos'd the Condé Branch.
The first of these Princes whom they call only The Duke, was a tall portly Man, very free and easy, but had the misfortune to lose one Eye when he was a hunting by some small Shot that scatter'd from the Duke of Berry's Fowling-piece, as he let fly at some Game.
The other two Princes were well-shap'd and very fair, but being as yet very young, they were as well as the Duke of Chartres in the hands of their Governors.
The Prince of Conti, Son of him who was formerly decked King of Poland, was the only Prince of the second Branch of Bourbon.
These, Madame, were the Princes that then composed the Court of France. I shall now do myself the Honor to give you some account of the Princesses according to their Rank, distinguishing them as I have done the Princes, by the Titles of Princesses of the Royal Family, and Princesses of the Blood.
The first Princess of the Royal Family was the Dauphiness, whom I have had the Honor to mention to you.
Next to the Dauphiness, the Duchess of Berry was first in Rank. This Princess was the Daughter of the Duke of Orleans, afterwards the Regent. She resembled her Father very much for her Wit, and had she not been a little too bulky she would have been one of the most amiable Princesses of the whole Court. I shall have occasion to let you into this Princess's Character presently.
Madame, the second Wife of Philip of Orleans, Brother to Lewis XIV. was the third Princess at Court, during the Life of the Dauphiness. Her Name was Elizabeth-Charlotte of Bavaria; being the Daughter of the Elector Charles-Lewis