7. Madame de Pompadour (December 29, 1721-April 15, 1764)
Madame de Pompadour was raised in a wealthy family, but they didn’t have any noble blood. Extremely intelligent and well-educated, she was trained to be a royal mistress at a young age to raise the family’s fortunes. After making an advantageous marriage, she frequented the salons of Paris, where she met many important Enlightenment figures, such as Voltaire and Montesquieu, perfecting her sharp wit and the subtle art of conversation.
After meeting France’s King Louis XV while he was out hunting, he invited her to a masked royal ball in 1745, and she became his chief mistress very soon after that. The king gave her a title, the marquise de Pompadour, which allowed her to be presented at court. She secured her position by cultivating and maintaining good relationships with the royal family and declaring her loyalty to the queen, being careful not to alienate her. At Versailles, Madame de Pompadour had her own quarters and was one of the privileged few who had alone time with the king.
With her new position, Pompadour became one of the king’s most influential advisors. She rose through the ranks at court, eventually becoming the queen’s lady-in-waiting, the highest noble rank that a woman could hold at court. She also was responsible for appointing and dismissing people in positions. She became a benefactor of the arts and sciences, enhancing French culture at Versailles by developing relationships with Enlightenment scholars. She became a patron of the arts by encouraging the production of porcelain and introducing the Rococo style of architecture in the residences she maintained with Louis.
Pompadour ended her sexual relationship with the king in 1751 due to her poor health. Even after they did not maintain a sexual relationship, she still kept her role as his chief mistress, and he still approached her for all of his political matters. Madame de Pompadour is unique in that her power and influence never faded, even after she stopped being the king’s lover. She retained her power and influence over the French court, and the entire court of Versailles mourned when she died in 1764.