Dame du Palais

The Dame du Palais, originally only Dame, was an historical office in the Royal Court of France. It was a title of a lady-in-waiting holding the official position of personal attendant on a female member of the French Royal Family. The position was traditionally held by a female member of a noble family. They were ranked between the Première dame d'honneur and the Fille d'honneur. They had previously been styled 'Dames'.

Louise Julie de Mailly-Nesle, Comtesse de Mailly, by Alexis Grimou. She served as Dame du Palais to queen Marie Leszczyńska.

The equivalent title and office has historically been used in most European royal courts (Dutch: Dames du Palais; English: Lady of the Bedchamber; German: Hofstaatsdame or Palatsdame; Italian: Dame di Corte; Russian: Hofdame or Statsdame; Spanish: Dueña de honor; Swedish: Statsfru). The same title has been used for the equivalent position in the courts of Belgium, Greece and The Netherlands.

History

Dame and Dame d'honneur

Initially, the married ladies-in-waiting who attended the queen of France had the title Dame. This was simply the title of a married lady-in-waiting, who was not the principal lady-in-waiting.

From 1523, the group of 'Dame', (married) ladies-in-waiting who attended the court as companions of the queen had the formal title Dame d'honneur ('Lady of Honour', commonly only 'Dame'), hence the title 'Première dame d'honneur' ('First lady of honour') to distinguish between the principal lady-in-waiting and the group of remaining common (married) ladies-in-waiting.[1] They were third in rank below the Dame d'atours, and above the of unmarried Fille d'honneur ('maid of honour').

Dame de Palais

In 1674, the position of Fille d'honneur was abolished, and the 'Dames' were renamed Dame du Palais.[2]

The Dame de Palais were appointed from the highest ranked nobility of France. Only married women were selected. Their task was function as companions to the queen and attend functions as a part of her entourage. The number were in 1674 set at twelve.

The position was abolished with the introduction of the Republic in 1792. It was revived during the First Empire, with the same original position as the title of a married lady-in-waiting below the 'Première dame d'honneur'.[3] It was last used during the Second Empire.

List of Dame du Palais to the Queens and Empresses of France

This is an incomplete list of those who have served as Dame du Palais to the Queen or Empress of France. They also include those prior to 1674, who had the title Dame (formally Dame d'honneur), because it was the same position under different names. The office was normally shared between twelve women, who served in parallel. If additional Dame du Palais was appointed above the number twelve, they were normally named Dame du palais surnuméraire.

Dame to Eleanor of Austria 1532-1547

Dame to Catherine de' Medici 1547-1589

Dame to Mary Stuart 1559-1560

Mary Stuart left France for Scotland in 1561, after which almost all of her ladies-in-waiting chose to remain in France.

Dame to Louise of Lorraine 1575-1601

Dame to Marie de' Medici 1600-1632

Dame to Anne of Austria 1615-1666

Dame du Palais to Maria Theresa of Spain 1660-1683

In 1674, the Dame (d'honneur) were renamed Dame du Palais.

Dame du Palais to Marie Leszczyńska 1725-1768

Many of the Dame du Palais of Marie Leszczyńska were transferred to the court of Marie Antoinette in 1770 with the title Dame pour accompanger, and became Dame du Palais again when Marie Antoinette became queen in 1774.

  • 1725-1740: Marie-Adélaïde de Gramont, duchesse de Biron, dite duchesse de Gontaut
  • 1725-1728: Henriette-Julie de Durfort, comtesse d’Egmont
  • 1725-1740: Marie-Françoise de Rochechouart-Mortemart, princesse de Chalais
  • 1725-1737: Julie-Christine-Régine Gorge d’Antraigues, duchesse de Béthune-Charost
  • 1725-1746: Garcie-Joséphine-Pétronille de Salcedo, comtesse de Mérode
  • 1725-1741: Edmée-Charlotte de Brenne, marquise de Matignon
  • 1725-1729: Armande Félice de La Porte Mazarin, marquise de Nesle
  • 1725-1726: Agnès Berthelot de Pléneuf, marquise de Prie
  • 1725-1741: Marie-Marguerite de Tourzel d’Alègre, marquise de Rupelmonde
  • 1725-1727: Jeanne-Angélique Rocque de Varengeville, duchesse de Villars
  • 1725-1757: Françoise-Gillette de Montmorency-Luxembourg, duchesse d' Antin
  • 1725-1729: Marie Isabelle de Rohan, Duchess of Tallard
  • 1726-1734: Marie-Josèphe de Boufflers, duchesse d'Alincourt
  • 1727-1742: Amable-Gabrielle de Villars
  • 1728-1739: Henriette Fitzjames, marquise de Renel
  • 1729-1757: Catherine-Éléonore-Eugénie de Béthisy de Mézières, princesse de Montauban
  • 1729-1742: Louise Julie de Mailly
  • 1734-1749: Madeleine-Angélique de Neufville de Villeroy, duchesse de Boufflers, puis de Luxembourg
  • 1737-1745: Marthe-Élisabeth de La Rochefoucauld de Roye, duchesse d'Ancis
  • 1737-1762: Laure Fitz-James, marquise de Bouzols
  • 1739-1768: Anne-Madeleine-Françoise d'Auxy de Monceaux Fleury
  • 1740-1768: Marie-Élisabeth Chamillart, marquise de Talleyrand
  • 1741-1751: Marie-Chrétienne-Christine de Gramont, comtesse de Rupelmonde
  • 1741-1762: Victoire-Louise-Joseph Goyon de Matignon, duchesse de Fitz-James
  • 1742-1744: Marie Anne de Mailly
  • 1742-1766: Hortense Félicité de Mailly
  • 1745-1748: Hélène-Françoise-Angélique Phélypeaux de Pontchartrain, duchesse de Nivernais
  • 1746-1753: Marie-Françoise-Casimire de Froulay de Tessé, comtesse de Saulx
  • 1747-1768: Marie-Anne-Philippine-Thérèse de Montmorency-Logny, duchesse de Boufflers
  • 1748-1768: Louise-Félicité de Bréhan de Plélo, duchesse d'Agénois puis d'Aiguillon
  • 1749-1752: Alise-Tranquille de Clermont-Tonnerre, marquise de Montoison (dame du palais surnuméraire)
  • 1753-1759: Anne-Marguerite-Gabrielle de Beauvau-Craon, duchesse de Mirepoix
  • 1751-1768: Marie-Louise-Sophie de Faoucq de Garnetot, comtesse de Gramont
  • 1756-1764: Madame de Pompadour
  • 1757-1768: Marie-Anne-Julie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil, comtesse de Clermont-Tonnerre
  • 1757-1768: Marie-Émilie FitzJames, marquise d'Escars
  • 1759-1768: Marie-Éléonore de Lévis de Châteaumorand, comtesse de Tavannes
  • 1762-1768: Laure-Auguste de Fitz-James, Princess de Chimay
  • 1762-1766: Marie-Hélène-Charlotte Caillebot de La Salle, vicomtesse de Beaune
  • 1763-1768: Marie-Madeleine de Rosset de Fleury, duchesse de Beauvilliers
  • 1764-1768: Gabrielle Pauline d'Adhémar
  • 1766-1768: Marie-Paule-Angélique d'Albert de Luynes, duchesse de Chaulnes
  • 1767-1768: Louise-Charlotte de Duras (dame du palais surnuméraire)

Dame du Palais to Marie Antoinette 1774-1792

Many of the Dame du Palais of Marie Antoinette were transferred to her from the former court of Marie Leszczyńska in 1770. They had the title Dame pour accompanger when Marie Antoinette was Dauphine, and became Dame du Palais again when Marie Antoinette became queen in 1774.

  • 1774-1791: Louise-Charlotte de Duras
  • 1774-1775: Laure-Auguste de Fitz-James, Princess de Chimay
  • 1774-1789: Guyonne-Élisabeth-Josèphe de Montmorency-Laval, Duchesse de Luynes
  • 1774-1788: Guyonne-Marguerite-Philippine-Élisabeth de Durfort, Vicomtesse de Choiseul-Praslin
  • 1774-1781: Louise-Adélaïde-Victoire de Durfort de Civrac, Marquise de Clermont-Tonnerre
  • 1774-1789: Madeleine-Suzanne-Adélaïde Voyer d'Argenson de Paulmy, Duchesse de Luxembourg
  • 1774-1785: Marie-Éléonore de Lévis de Châteaumorand, Comtesse de Tavannes
  • 1774-1780: Marie-Elisabeth Chamillart, Marquise de Talleyrand
  • 1774-1788: Marie-Louise-Sophie de Faoucq de Garnetot, Comtesse de Gramont
  • 1774-1786: Marie-Madeleine de Rosset de Fleury, Duchesse de Beauvilliers
  • 1774-1781: Marie-Paule-Angélique d'Albert de Luynes, Duchesse de Chaulnes
  • 1775-1792: Colette-Marie-Paule-Hortense-Bernardine de Beauvilliers de Saint-Aignan, Marquise de La Roche-Aymon
  • 1778-1789: Gabrielle Pauline d'Adhémar
  • 1778-1789: Adélaïde-Félicité-Étienette de Guinot de Monconseil, Princesse d'Hénin
  • 1780-1782: Thérèse-Lucy de Dillon (dame du palais surnuméraire)
  • 1780-1789: Alexandrine-Victoire-Éléonore de Damas d'Antigay, Comtesse de Talleyrand
  • 1781-1789: Marie-Sylvie-Claudine de Thiard de Bissy, Duchesse de Fitzjames
  • 1781-1789: Marie-Thérèse-Josèphe de Castellane, Princesse de Berghes
  • 1782-1789: Louise de Polastron
  • 1784-1789: Marie-Louise de Bonnières de Souastre de Guisnes, Comtesse de Juigné
  • 1785-1789: Gabrielle-Charlotte-Éléonore de Saulx-Tavannes, Vicomtesse de Castellane
  • 1786-1792: Louise-Emmanuelle de Châtillon, Princesse de Tarente
  • 1787-1789: Henriette-Lucy, Marquise de La Tour du Pin Gouvernet (dame du palais surnuméraire)
  • 1788-1789: Gabrielle-Charlotte-Eugénie de Boisgelin, Comtesse de Gramont d'Aster
  • 1788-1792: Madeleine-Angélique-Charlotte de Bréhan, Duchesse de Maillé

Dame du Palais to Joséphine de Beauharnais 1804-1814
  • 1804-1809: Jeanne Charlotte du Lucay
  • 1804-1809: Madame de Rémusat
  • 1804-1809: Elisabeth Baude de Talhouët
  • 1804-1809: Madame Lauriston
  • 1804-1809: Madame d'Arberg
  • 1804-1809: Marie Antoinette Duchâtel
  • 1804-1809: Sophie de Segur
  • 1804-1809: Madame Séran
  • 1804-1809: Madame Colbert
  • 1804-1809: Madame Savary
  • 1804-1809: Aglaé Louise Auguié Ney
  • 1804-1809: Élisabeth de Vaudey

Dame du Palais to Marie Louise 1810-1814
  • 1810-1814: Duchesse de Bassano
  • 1810-1814: Comtesses de Montmorency
  • 1810-1814: Madame Mortemart
  • 1810-1814: Madame de Bouille
  • 1810-1814: Madame Talhouet
  • 1810-1814: Madame Lauriston
  • 1810-1814: Madame Duchatel
  • 1810-1814: Madame Montalivert
  • 1810-1814: Madame Peron
  • 1810-1814: Madame Lascaris
  • 1810-1814: Madame Noailles
  • 1810-1814: Madame Ventimiglia
  • 1810-1814: Madame Brignole
  • 1810-1814: Madame Gentili
  • 1810-1814: Madame Canisy
  • 1810-1814: Anna Pieri Brignole Sale

Dame du Palais to Eugénie de Montijo 1853-1870
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References
  1. Caroline zum Kolk, "The Household of the Queen of France in the Sixteenth Century", in: The Court Historian, vol. 14, number 1, June 2009
  2. Jeroen Frans Jozef Duindam: Vienna and Versailles: The Courts of Europe's Dynastic Rivals, 1550-1780.
  3. Philip Mansel: The Eagle in Splendour: Inside the Court of Napoleon
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