Princess Marie Louise of Savoy known as Madame De Lamballe

Princess Maria Teresa of Savoy-Carignan was born in 1749  in Turin Italy.   In 1767, she married Louis Alexandre de Bourbon-Penthièvre, prince de Lamballe, grandson of Louis XIV's legitimised son, Louis Alexandre de Bourbon.  Barely one year into her marriage her husband died leaving her a widow but wealthy.  When Marie Antoinette married the future Louis XVI she was made “Superintendent of the Queen’s Household.”  It was during this time period that pamphlets started to appear depicting a lesbian affair between the Marie Antoinette and Marie Teresa.

When mobs from Paris forced the Royal family to return to the capital Marie Teresa accompanied them.  Her salon served as a point to which royalists gravitated.  As anti-royalist feeling spread she spent some time in Bath England.

On her return she continued to serve Marie Antoinette up until the attack on the Tuileries Palace on the 10th of August 1792.  She was eventually taken to La Force Prison.  At a tribunal she swore that she would make an oath to liberty but would denounce not the King and Queen.  She was escorted into the street where she was executed.

What happened next is unclear some stating that the body was mutilated.  Her head was cut off and placed on a pike.  It was taken to the Temple where Royals were being held and paraded the head beneath Marie Antoinette’s window.  It is believed that they wished the Queen to kiss the lips of the dead Princess in a mockery of their supposed lesbian affair.  Her body was never recovered.

Austrian diplomat Florimund Mercy, Count d’Argenteau (who served in the French court) reports back to Marie Antoinette’s mother Marie Therese taken from Madame De Lamballe by Georges Bertin,  Godfrey A. S. Wieners, New York (1901) p36

" The queen's (Marie Antoinette) time is at present completely given up to the laying out of an English garden… This amusement would be a very harmless one if it left her time for serious thought."

Marie Therese replied

" I am more and more convinced that I am not deceived in my daughter's character, which for a long time I have thought inclined towards frivolities."

Account of the salary of Madame De Lamballe taken from Madame De Lamballe by Georges Bertin, Godfrey A. S. Wieners, New York (1901) p52-53

" Order for fifty thousand crowns salary for Madame la Princesse de Lamballe

"To-day, the 20th October, 1775. The king, being at Fontainebleau, having chosen Madame la Princesse de Lamballe to fill the position of super intendent of the royal household, his Majesty wishes at the same time to make known the esteem and special affection with which the queen honours her, by granting to the aforesaid Princesse de Lamballe the means to support herself in this important position with the dignity suitable to a princess of her rank. To this end his Majesty has declared, and does now declare, wish, and intend that, beginning with the first of last September, Madame la Princesse de Lamballe shall enjoy, as superintendent of the royal household, apart from a salary which is due her from the royal estate, so long as she shall occupy the aforesaid position, the sum of fifty thousand crowns, to be paid annually on her simple receipts without any deductions now or in future; the sum to be set aside for this purpose by the keeper of the royal treasury, now and in future, according to the conditions or directions which shall be drawn up concerning it, without, however, the granting of this favour, which is a personal one to the Princesse de Lamballe, to those who may succeed her in the aforesaid position ; and, as a pledge of his will, his Majesty has signed with his own hand the present document, and has ordered it countersigned by his secretary of state and of the fiscal board."

Austrian diplomat Florimund Mercy, Count d’Argenteau (who served in the French court) reports back to Marie Antoinette’s mother Marie Therese on the expense that de Lamballe was costing the King and Queen taken from Madame De Lamballe by Georges Bertin,  Godfrey A. S. Wieners, New York (1901) p57

" I have proved that the Princesse de Lamballe costs the state annually more than one hundred thousand crowns, including the salary her brother obtains here, and the number of additional expenses caused by the revival of the position of superintendent, and that the object of these wholly useless expenses is merely to satisfy an affection of the queen for one for whom she wishes to procure a brilliant and useful position. But this same person should be circumspect enough not to take advantage of the kindness of the queen, especially on occasions which in no wise affect this superintendent, who exceeds her duties by soliciting favours manifestly contrary to the true service of her sovereign, bringing upon herself the odium of making people believe that her credit is used only to effect superfluous expenditures." " All my remonstrances have not prevented the queen from almost yielding several times to the reiterated importunities of the Princesse de Lamballe; and yet I have succeeded in so far as her Majesty is still undecided, and at least there will result the advantage of making her see to what point one may go in abusing her kindness and generosity."

Louis XVI recounts in his journal the birth of his son the dauphin taken from Madame De Lamballe by Georges Bertin,  Godfrey A. S. Wieners, New York (1901) p115-116

The queen passed a very comfortable night the 21st of October. She felt some slight pain on awakening, but this did not prevent her from bathing; the pain continued, but to no great extent. Until noon I gave no order for the shooting I was to do at Sacle. Between twelve and half-past the pain became greater; the queen went to bed, and just one hour and a quarter later, by my watch, she gave birth to a boy. There were present only Madame de Lamballe, the Comte d'Artois, my aunts, Madame de Chimay, Madame de Mailly, Madame d'Ossun, Madame de Tavannes, and Madame de Guemenee, who went alternately into the Salon de la Paix, which had been left empty. In the large cabinet was my household, that of the queen and the grand entries, and the under-governesses, who entered at the critical moment and who remained at the rear of the chamber so as not to cut off the air. " Of all the princes to whom Madame de Lamballe sent at noon to announce the news. Monsieur le Due d' Orleans alone arrived before the critical moment (he was hunting at Fausse Repose). He remained in the chamber or in the Salon de la Paix. Monsieur de Conde, Monsieur de Penthievre, Monsieur le Due de Chartres, Madame la Duchesse de Chartres, Madame la Princesse de Conty, and Mademoiselle de Conde arrived also; Monsieur le Due de Bourbon in the evening, and Monsieur le Prince de Conty the next day. The following day the queen saw all these in turn.   My son was carried into the large cabinet, where I went to see him dressed, and I laid him in the, hands of Madame de Guemenee, the governess.  After the queen had been delivered I told her that it was a boy, and he was brought to her bedside. . .

On the birth of the dauphin many wrote to the royal family including the women of La Halle taken from Madame De Lamballe by Georges Bertin,  Godfrey A. S. Wieners, New York (1901) p117

'Congratulations of the fishmongers of Paris on the birth of Monseigneur le Dauphin

To THE King.

Sire : Heaven owes a son to a king who looks upon his people as his family; m our wishes and our prayers we have long asked for him. These are at last answered. We are sure that our grandsons will be as happy as we are, for this cherished child must resemble you. You will teach him to be good like yourself; we will undertake to instruct our sons how they should love and respect their king.

To THE Queen.

Madame: All France has already proved to your Majesty its true and lively joy at the birth of Monseigneur le Dauphin. We have shown our delight with all the love we have for you; it is permitted us to-day to lay at the feet of your Majesty the expression of our hearts; this privilege is dearer to us than life. We have loved you, Madame, so long without daring to say so, that it requires all our respect not to abuse the permission to tell you of it.

To Monseigneur le Dauphin:

Our hearts have long waited for you; they were yours before your birth. You cannot yet hear the vows we make around your cradle, but some day they shall be explained to you; they all amount to seeing in you the image of those to whom you owe life.

Madame Lage reports on the royal family attending on the terminally ill dauphin with Princess Lamballe from Madame De Lamballe by Georges Bertin,  Godfrey A. S. Wieners, New York (1901) p117 p166-168

This afternoon we went to see the little dauphin.  It is heart-breaking. Such endurance, such consideration and patience go straight to the heart.  When we arrived someone was reading to him. He had had a fancy for lying on his billiard table where they had placed his mattress. My princess and I looked at it, and it occurred to us both that it resembled the mournful state bed after death. Madame de Lamballe asked him what he was reading.  ‘A very interesting period of our history, Madame: the reign of Charles VII there were many heroes then.’  I took the liberty of asking if Monseigneur read connectedly or merely the most striking episodes.  ‘Connectedly, Madame. I have not known them long enough to choose; besides, it all interests me.’  These were his very words. His beautiful dying eyes turned towards me as he spoke. He recognized me; he said in a low tone to the Due d'Harcourt that they had been told of the arrival of the princess, and that she had just come.  ‘It is, I think, the lady who so greatly likes my map of the world,’  Then turning to me,  ‘This will perhaps amuse you for a moment.' He ordered a valet to turn it around, but I will confess to you that although when I saw it on New Year's Day I had been delighted with the perfection of the immense machine, to-day I was much more interested in listening to that dear and unfortunate child whom we saw hourly growing weaker.  The poor child was so ill.  Everything the little one says is beyond belief; he breaks the queen's heart; he is wonderfully tender to her. The other day he begged her to dine with him in his room. Alas! she swallowed more tears than bread.

In the Journal de Versailles reports on the Comte D’Artois (the King’s brother and future Charles X) going into exile.  Taken from from Madame De Lamballe by Georges Bertin, Godfrey A. S. Wieners, New York (1901) p117 p170

Madame la Comtesse d'Artois with a suite of about thirty has left to join her husband at Turin. She announces her return for next spring, but it is not supposed that it will take place so soon. All the silverware, the horses, and the carriages of the prince have been sold and converted into money. He wishes also to dispose of the superb library which he bought from Monsieur de Paulmy for six hundred thousand livres. We do not know how France will regard this prince who converts into money and carries into a strange country, not only his revenues, which are, in part, the sweat of the people, but the stocks he possesses in the kingdom.  It is reported that Bagatelle is for sale. They add that the officers of the prince were merely thanked, and received no kind of remuneration. This is not the way to preserve people's good opinion or to repair mistakes.

Monsieur de Clermont reports on conditions in the Temple.  Taken from from Madame De Lamballe by Georges Bertin, Godfrey A. S. Wieners, New York (1901) p230

" The court," he says, " is sad, and painful to look upon. Surrounded by spies, it would be a crime for the royal family to favor any one; the moment one receives a welcome or any mark of preference, he is suspected and watched. The queen has given up the dinners and teas at Madame de Lamballe's, because they displeased Monsieur Petion, and she goes there only in secret to spend a few moments of recreation or to summon the princess to her in private."

The Courrier Francais reports on the September Massacres.  Taken from Madame De Laballe by Georges Bertin, Godfrey A. S. Wieners, New York (1901) p284

What a night! What a day! The Procureur of the Commune tried in vain to bar with his body the door of the Abbaye. He succeeded no better than did the deputies of the National Assembly. The people made it a duty to purge the city of all criminals so that while they are away fighting the Austrians they need not fear an exodus from the prisons against the women and children.   There is no longer at the Chatelet anyone but the concierge. They have liberated the innocent and those imprisoned for debt. Twenty-four women also have been spared. Madame de Lamballe has lost her life.

Count Fersen (Swedish diplomat and close friend of Marie Antoinette) reports on the death of Madam de Lamballe. Taken from Madame De Lamballe by Georges Bertin, Godfrey A. S. Wieners, New York (1901) p291

Madame la Princesse de Lamballe has been tortured most horribly for four hours. My pen refuses to write the details. They tore out her entrails with their teeth and afterwards gave her every possible restorative for two hours to resuscitate her that she might more fully realize the torture of death.

Retif de la Bretonne the novelist recounts what he saw on the streets during the September Massacres.  Taken from Madame De Lamballe by Georges Bertin, Godfrey A. S. Wieners, New York (1901 p292-293

I arose dazed with terror. The night had not refreshed me, but had inflamed my blood. I went out. ... I listened, I was among those running to the scene of the disasters, for such was their expression. Passing in front of the Conciergerie I saw an assassin who they told me was a sailor from Marseilles, his wrist swollen from fatigue. ... I passed on. Before the Chatelet lay piles of dead. I started to flee. . . . Yet I followed the crowds. I reached the Rue Saint Antoine, at the end of the Rue des Ballets, just as a wretched victim, who had seen how they were killing his predecessor, instead of stopping overwhelmed on passing through the gate, started to run at full speed. A man who did not belong to the butchers, but who was one of those numberless unthinking machines, stopped him with his pike. The miserable wretch was attacked by pursuers and murdered. The man who had stopped him said to us coldly, 'I did not know that they wanted to kill him.' This prelude was enough to make me turn back when another scene met my eye. I saw two women come out; one whom I have since known through the interesting Sainte-Brice as lady-inwaiting to a former royal princess, a young person of sixteen years, Mademoiselle de Tourzel.   There was a cessation of the murders: something was taking place within. ... I flattered myself that all was over. At last I saw another woman come out she was as pale as her linen and was supported by a jailer. They shouted to her roughly, 'Cry Long live the Nation! 'No, no ! ' said she.  They made her mount a pile of corpses. One of the butchers seized the jailer and thrust him aside. ' Oh ! ' cried the unfortunate woman, ' do not hurt him.' Again they bade her cry ''Long live the Nation!' She refused with scorn. Then a butcher seized her, tore off her clothes and ripped open her stomach. She fell and was finished by the others. . . .  My imagination had never pictured such horrors. I strove to flee, my limbs gave way, I fainted. . . .When I came to myself I saw the bloody head. . . . I was told that they were going to wash it, curl the hair, put it on the end of a pike, and carry it beneath the windows of the Temple. Needless cruelty ! It could not be seen from them. . . . This unfortunate creature was Madame de Lamballe.

Jean-Baptiste Cléry (the King’s valet) reports on the events of the September Massacres in 1792 from A Journal of the Terror, The Folio Society, London (1955) p20-21.

At one o’clock the King and the Family expressed a desire to walk, but were refused.  When they were dining, drums were heard, and soon after the cries of the populace.  The Royal Family rose from table with great uneasiness, and assembled in the Queen’s chamber.  I went down to dine with Tison and his wife, who were employed for the service of the Tower.

We were scarcely seated when a head on the point of a pike was held to the window.  Tison’s wife gave a violent scream which the murderers supposed to have proceeded from the Queen, and we heard the savages laughing immoderately.  Imagining that Her Majesty was still at dinner, they placed their victim in such a manner that it could not escape her sight.  The head was the Princess de Lamballe’s, which, though bleeding was not disfigured, and her fine light hair, still curling waved around the pike….

In the meantime the clamour without increased, and insults addressed to the Queen were distinctly heard.  Another municipal Officer came in, followed by four men, deputed by the populace to ascertain whether the Royal Family was, or was not, in the Tower.  One of them, accoutered in the uniform of the National Guards, with two epaulettes, and a huge sabre in his hand, insisted that the prisoners should show themselves at the windows, but the Municipal Officers would not allow it.  This fellow then said to the Queen, in the most indecent manner: “They want to keep you from seeing de Lamballe’s head, which has been  brought you that you may know how the people avenge themselves advise you to show yourself, if you would not have them come up here.”  At this threat the Queen fainted away; I flew to support her, and Madame Elizabeth assisted me in placing her upon a chair, while her children, melting into tears, endeavored by their caresses to bring her to herself.  The wretch kept looking on, and the King, with a firm voice, aid to him: “We are prepared for everything, Sir, but you might have dispensed with relating this horrible disaster to the Queen.”  Their purpose being accomplished, he went away with his companions.