Alexandrine-Jeanne d'Étiolles

Alexandrine-Jeanne d'Étiolles, also called Alexandrine Le Normant d'Étoilles, was born on August 10, 1744, during the "Scenes of Metz", in which the public was scandalized to learn of the adultery of her stepfather, Louis XV of France. She was the daughter of Madame de Pompadour, Louis XV's celebrated mistress.

Her biological father was probably the future Marquise de Pompadour's husband, Charles-Guillaume Le Normant d'Étiolles. Her mother was not yet Louis XV's mistress. Alexandrine-Jeanne was nicknamed "Fanfan" by her family. She is remarked to have been very thin throughout her very short life, but healthy.

Her mother became mistress of Louis XV in 1745. Louis arranged the legal separation of her parents and served as her unofficial stepfather for the rest of her life. "Letters to Fan-fan" (first broadcast 20050111 http://www.radiolistings.co.uk/programmes/letters_to_fan_fan.html), a play by Deborah Davis, recounts Madame de Pompadour's relationship with Louis XV from the point of view of his wife the Queen, and suggests that the Queen encouraged the relationship in order to diminish the hold on the King of his advisors - leading to a friendship between both women.

At the age of six, Fanfan entered the Convent of the Assumption in the rue Saint-Honoré in Paris, an artistocratic convent that served as her finishing school.

She was betrothed at age eight to the Duc de Picquigny, son of the Duc de Chaulnes, with the agreement that she would marry Picquigny at the age of twelve. François Poisson, Madame de Pompadour's father, doted on his granddaughter, whom he loved dearly. Madame de Pompadour even wrote, "Why must grandpapas always spoil their grandchildren?", referring to Poisson's love for Fanfan.

On June 14, 1754, Fanfan took ill at the Convent of the Assumption. Charles-Guillaume Le Normant d'Étiolles rushed to her side, but Madame de Pompadour was away and could not come. Louis XV sent two of his own doctors to Paris to care for Fanfan after receiving news of her illness, but she had already died of acute peritonitis. Fanfan was not yet ten years old.

Her grandfather, François Poisson, died eleven days later, on June 25, 1754, devastated by his dear Fanfan's death. Her mother reportedly never recovered from the loss of her daughter.