The Royal Family consisted first and foremost of King Victor Amadeus, who marry’d a Granddaughter of France, nam’d Anna-Maria of Orleans, Daughter of Philip Duke of Orleans, Brother to Lewis XIV. and to Henrietta of England, by whom he has had Two Princes and Two Princesses: The first of the Princes was Philip-Joseph, who dy’d the 22d of March, 1715, at 15 Years of Age: The second, who is the present King by the Resignation of the King his Father, is Charles-Emanuel, who marry’d first Anne-Christina of Sultzbach, and his second Wife was Polyxena of Hesse Rhinfels.
The Two Princesses were Mary-Adelaide of Savoy, (marry’d to the Duke of Burgundy, Dauphin of France, Father of Lewis XV.) who dy’d the 12th of February, 1712: And Mary-Louisa of Savoy, (the first Wife of Philip V. the present King of Spain) who dy’d the 14th of February, 1714.
The Queen was still living while I was at Turin: She was one of the most courteous Princesses in the World, lov’d dearly to converse with her Courtiers, and was perfectly civil to Foreigners that had the Honour to be introduc’d to her: She dy’d the 26th of August, 1728.
Madame Royale the King’s Mother was very ancient; yet ’twas easy to discover, that she had once her Share of Beauty, and she had still a fine Shape and a majestic Air, in Spite of her great Age.
The first Prince of the Blood of the Savoy Family is Victor Amedeus, the Prince of Carignan:
This Prince happen’d not to be at Turin when I was there, his Affairs having requir’d his Presence for some time in France: I had the Honour of paying my Compliments to the Princess his Consort, who, you know, is the King’s Daughter, by the Countess of Verrue. Before her Marriage she went by the Title of Madamoseille de Suza: This Princess is indeed not very tall, but she is a perfect Beauty, the Features of her Face, which are regular, being improv’d moreover by a fair clear Complexion. All these external Perfections are supported likewise by the best Sense and a generous Soul: She is so good-natur’d, so civil, and has such a happy manner of expressing herself, as wins the Hearts at the same time as it procures the Respect of those that hear her: She has a Vivacity of Temper, which charms, and a Generosity, which is not confin’d to Words only; and she is never better pleas’d, than when she has an Opportunity of doing Service: This, Madame, is not a feign’d Character, for I say no more than what I was Eye-Witness of myself, and what the whole City of Turin said of this Princess: And I saw with what Regret they parted with her, when she set out to see her Husband at Paris, which she did while I was at Turin.
I was a constant Attendant at Court to pay my Duty to the King and all the Royal Family: The Time that one had the Honour of speaking to his Majesty was commonly when he went from Mass, for it was very rare to see him the rest of the Day. After this the Company us’d to go to the Prince of Piedmont’s Apartment, which was over the King’s; but one had not the Pleasure of waiting on that Prince so often or so long as it were to be wish’d, because he was then very much
taken up with his Studies: The best time to see him was in the Evening, when he came to the Queen’s Drawing-Room, which was open’d about 6 or 7 o’Clock: Then the Ladies came in their Court Dress, and were admitted into the Queen’s Chamber, where a Chair of State was plac’d between Two Rows of Stools: The Queen came out of her Closet with the Princesses, and as soon as she was in Reach of her Chair, she made a Curtesy to the Right and Left, and then sate down: The Princesses also seated themselves in Folding Chairs; but the Ladies stood behind the Princesses, and the Gentlemen behind the Ladies: The Queen, after a Conversation with the Princesses and the Ladies, arose, paid her Compliments again to the Right and Left, and then retir’d; tho’ sometimes she stopp’d in the same Chamber, to talk to such Ladies or Gentlemen as she had a Mind to distinguish.
From the Queen’s Drawing-Room the Company went to the Apartment of Madame Royale. This Princess had a Drawing-Room in the same manner as the Queen, only with this Difference, that the Prince of Piedmont was not there, and that after it was over, her Royal Highness permitted those Persons that she had a Mind to honour, to follow her into her Bedchamber, where she talk’d a long time with them, being supported all the while by one of her Equerries.
After her Drawing-Room was over, there was no other Person of the Royal Family to be seen more for that Night, and then the Nobility us’d to repair to the Princess of Villa-Franca’s Assembly, where there was Variety of Gaming: There were always several Tables for Ombre, Pharo, Lansquenet, &c. and I play’d there with Fortune very much on my Side, as I had done ever since