#mazarinettes

[itsmalombra]

Benedetto Gennari Junior, Portrait of Marie-Anne Martinozzi (née Mancini), Duchess of Bouillon (detail), 1672 - 1673, National Portrait Gallery, London.

[roehenstart]

Maria Mancini as Armida. By Carlo Maratta.

[girlboccaccio]

Jacob Ferdinand Voet - different portaits of the Mazarinettes, the collective name which indicated the seven nieces of Cardinal Jules Mazarin (Giulio Mazzarino), chief minister to the Kings Louis XIII and Louis XIV of France.  

Their names were: Laura and Anna Maria, daughter of Laura Margherita Mazzarino; Laura, Olimpia, Maria, Ortensia and Maria Anna, daughter of Girolama Mazzarino.

Mazarin wished to establish a dynasty in France and secure his legacy through advantageous marriages, but could have no children of his own as a member of the Catholic clergy. He also wanted to surround himself with his family, in whom he could confide, as he had many enemies at court.

The French royal family supervised the education of the girls. The Queen Regent, Anne of Austria, allowed for the younger children to be educated with the future king Louis XIV and his younger brother, Monsieur Philippe, Duke of Anjou.

Cardinal Mazarin arranged advantageous marriages for his nieces with powerful French and Italian aristocrats, and gave large dowries to their husbands in order to overcome their reluctance to marry women of lower origins. Many of them, in any case, will live more adventurous lives, becoming estimated women of letters or abandoning violent husbands and becoming lovers of kings and other rulers.

[inziladun]

Dramatis personae:

Hortense, duchess of Mazarin Armand-Charles, her husband Marie, her sister Philippe-Jules, her brother Charles II, king of England Anne Lennard, countess of Sussex

From https://partylike1660.com/hortense-mancini-duchesse-mazarin/

In January 1666, as Hortense had just given birth to Paul Jules and was eager to rejoin court life, her husband took all her jewellery from her while she was dressing and forbade her to leave. Hortense, in tears, thus tried to flee to the neighbouring property of her brother Philippe-Jules, Duc de Nevers, but her husband had the connection door in the garden closed up with bricks. What followed was witnessed by many happening to pass by. Hortense fled to the street to reach the property of her brother, under the cries of her husband urging the servants to take her captive. Hortense was once again locked up in a cloister, but freed with the help of her brothers-in-law and Armand-Charles banished from the Palais Mazarin.

Hortense finally made a bid to escape from her hellish marriage on the night of 13 June 1668, with help from her brother. Disguised in men’s clothing and on horseback, she left Paris in the midst of the night and boarded a carriage at its outskirts, that brought her to Lorraine and from there to Rome, to her sister Marie, now Princesse Colonna. Philippe-Jules joined them there shortly after and the exiled Chevalier de Lorraine as well. The latter had an eye on Hortense, but she had no particular interest in him and thus turned him down.

Hortense returned to France in 1670* and that in a not less scandalous manner. This time it was Marie fleeing from her abusive husband, afraid he might plan to poison her. Philippe-Jules asked for permission to bring both her and Hortense to France with him. Louis XIV declared himself protector of both sisters and the plan went underway. Marie and Hortense left Rome, wearing men’s garments under their travelling garments. They went to Monaco, where a boat, chartered by their brother, was waiting for them. The voyage was delayed by Hortense giving birth to a child obviously not from her husband, which lead him thus to spread rumours of a incestual relationship between Hortense and Jules-Philippe. Louis XIV intervened again and ordered Armand-Charles to refrain from stating accusations like this, then granted Hortense an annual pension of 24000 livres. Her former suitor the Duc de Savoy also declared himself her protector and Hortense retired to Chambéry, in Haute-Savoie, where she establish her home as a meeting place for authors, philosophers, and artists.

After the death of her Savoyan protector in 1675, Hortense had no source of income anymore, since her husband froze all of her income, including the pension from Louis XIV. The English ambassador to France, Ralph Montagu, aware of Hortense’s desperate situation, enlisted her help in increasing his own standing with Charles II. He hoped she would replace the King’s current mistress, Louise de Kerouaille, Duchess of Portsmouth. Hortense was willed to try and disguised herself as a man again to travel to England, under the pretext of a visit to her young niece, Mary of Modena, the new wife of Charles’ younger brother, James, Duke of York.

It did not take long until the plan succeeded. Already by mid 1675, Hortense was a visitor of Charles’ bed and he provided her with a pension of £4,000, enabling her to live a comfortable life.

From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hortense_Mancini:

This state of affairs might have continued had it not been for Hortense's promiscuity. She was dubbed 'the Italian Whore' in England.

Firstly, there was her almost certainly sexual relationship with Anne, Countess of Sussex, the king's illegitimate daughter by the Duchess of Cleveland. This culminated in a very public, friendly fencing match in St. James's Park, with the women clad in nightgowns, after which Anne's husband ordered his wife to the country. There she refused to do anything but lie in bed, repeatedly kissing a miniature of Hortense

[thestuartkings]

Portrait of Hortense Mancini

By Jacob Ferdinand Voet

[thestuartkings]

Portrait of Marie Mancini

By Jacob Ferdinand Voet

[thestuartkings]

Portrait of a Lady said to be Marie Mancini

By Jacob Ferdinand Voet

[thestuartkings]

Hortense Mancini (6 June 1646, Rome – 9 November 1699, Chelsea, London)

Hortenses's ostensible reason for arriving in England in the winter of 1675 was her cousinship to Mary Beatrice, the new Duchess of York. But her conquest of the King was rapid. By the summer of 1676 it was being said that the only time Hortense was not at the Kings side was when he was bathing. 

In Hortense's amatory explioits there were hints of ambiguity. It was said 'Each sex provides its lovers for Hortense'. She had an affair with the Anne, Countess of Sussex, (the daughter of the King and Barbara Villiers) with whom she took part in fencing matches in St James Park, wearing only their nightgowns.

Most aspects of pleasure were a lure for Hortense. She was a compulsive gambler, lover of food, adored dogs - three favourites were named Boy, Little Rogue and Chop - as well as cats, monkeys and birds, which included a starling called Jacob and a parrot called Pretty.

Like Charles, she loved to swim, though she was not quite as adept at it. We hear of the faithful servant Mustapha (who was an excellent swimmer) dragging her about in the water on her front and her back.

Hortense, wrote a contemporary, "thought of nothing but enjoying herself; she triumphed over everything by an excess of folly".

- Extracts from the book 'King Charles II by Antonia Fraser