Princess Marie-Adélaïde of Savoy

Marie-Adélaïde of Savoy (6 December 1685 - 12 February 1712), Princess of Savoy and Sardinia, was the eldest daughter of Victor Amadeus II of Sardinia and of his first wife Anne Marie d'Orléans. Her maternal grandparents were Philippe de France, duc d'Orléans and Princess Henrietta Anne of England. She married the eldest grandson of the King of France, Louis XIV and became the mother of Louis XV.

Life

Betrothal. Arrival at Court of Versailles. Marriage

At the age of ten, Marie-Adélaïde was betrothed to her cousin Louis, duc de Bourgogne (1682-1712), the eldest son of "Monseigneur", the Grand Dauphin, and of his wife, Maria Anna of Bavaria, which placed Bourgogne next in line to the throne of Louis XIV, right after his father. At the age of 10, Marie was sent to Versailles so as to learn her proper role as the future Dauphine and Queen. Louis XIV declared that she was to be the First Lady of Versailles, and he loved his granddaughter in law dearly. She reinvigorated the life of the aging king, and enchanted the court. She was doll-like, some courtiers refered to her as a "walking doll". It was said that Louis XIV has not loved anyone as much as he loved Marie Adelaide. Other members of the court called her a walking doll or plaything. Adélaïde was taught well on how to please the King and did her best to amuse him at all times. One anecdote says that she once sat on the lap of Mme de Maintenon, and told her: "Teach me well, I beg you, what I have to do to please the King" [Fraser, Antonia, "Love and Louis XIV", Doubleday Canada, 2006, p. 250. ISBN-10: 0385660626 ISBN-13: 978-0385660624] . In her letters to her family members, she frequently wrote of her love for the King and his kindness to her.

The marriage of Marie-Adélaïde to the duc de Bourgogne, took place on 7 December 1697. The two were in love with one another, a rarity at the court of Versailles.

Dauphine of France

On 14 April, 1711, her father-in-law died. Her husband became the Dauphin and she his Dauphine. Both she and her husband fell ill in early 1712 and died within six days of each other from an illness, thought to be the measles. Her second son died the same year from the same disease.When she was dying, she said to Mme de Guiche:

"Good bye, beautiful duchess. Today Dauphine, and tomorrow nothing".

Children

The Dauphin and Dauphine had three children:

*Louis, Duke of Brittany (1704-1705)
*Louis, Dauphin (1707-1712)
*Louis XV of France (1710-1774). King of France from 1715 until 1774. Married to Maria Leszczyńska, and paternal grandfather of three kings:
**Louis XVI, who lost his head in the French Revolution;
**King Louis XVIII;
**King Charles X.

Ancestors