Marie Leszczynska, Queen of France

Marie Leszczyńska (in Polish Maria Karolina Zofia Felicja Leszczyńska; Trzebnica, June 23, 1703 - Palace of Versailles, June 24, 1768) was a princess of Poland and later queen consort of France and Navarre through her marriage to Louis XV from France.

•  Queen Marie Leszczynska by Charles-Andre Van Loo, 1747

Marie was the second daughter of the dethroned King of Poland, Stanislaus I Leszcznki and of his wife Queen Catherine Opalinska. 

• Queen Catherine Opalinska, mother of Marie Leszczynska, by Jean-Baptiste Van Loo, 1725

                                                

•  Stanislaus I Leszczynski, King of Poland, father of  Marie Leszczynska, by Jean-Marc Nattier, 1730

Marie had an older sister named Anne who was born in 1699. Her older sister, Anne Leszczyńska, died at the age of eighteen from pneumonia. Marie's childhood coincided with the turbulent and brief reign of her father, appointed sovereign by Charles XII of Sweden. But the weak political situation in the country shook a reign that ended in 1709, at which point the king and his family had to take refuge in Sweden.

In their new home, the family easily integrated into the social life of the Kristianstad aristocracy, where they had settled. In 1714 they moved to live in Germany, to a territory that was the domain of the King of Sweden, where they remained until the death of Charles XII in 1718. At that time, the former Polish royal family was in a compromised political situation that they resolved with the help of the Duke of Lorraine, then Regent of France, who invited them to settle in Wissembourg, in the French province of Alsace.

Marie was married by proxy in the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Strasbourg to Louis XV, on August 15, 1725, and in person on September 5 at Fontainebleau.

The ceremony would take place in the chapel built by Francis I. The arrival of the couple was announced by trumpets and drums and the two passed row after row of the infamous Hundred Swiss Guards. The Knights of the Order of Saint-Esprit entered the chapel in rows of two followed by the Grand Officers of the Houses: Count of Charolais, Count of Clermont and Prince of Conti.

The royal couple were positively surrounded by people, most of whom Marie Leszczynska had never seen before. Behind the Queen was the Marèchal de Villeroy, the Duc de La Rochefoucauld and the Duc de Mortemart. In front of her (leading her to the altar) were the Duke of Orleans and the Duke of Bourbon, as well as the Marquis de Nangis, the Count of Tesse, and the Duke of Noailles. The queen's train was carried by the Duchess of Bourbon, the Princess of Conti and the Mademoiselle de Charolais. The Duchess of Orleans immediately followed the queen and, in turn, was followed by Mademoiselle de Clermont and Mademoiselle de La Roche-sur-Yon. The rest of the queen's train consisted of the queen's bridesmaids, bridesmaids, and blood princesses. 

The King was announced by two officers of his House and the Captain of the Hundred Swiss.

The heralds bearing the royal arms approached the foot of the steps leading to the altar. Louis XV and Marie Leszczynska knelt on two cushions for the ceremony. As the two were escorted on their pillows, the courtiers took their places on the church pews; each one was meticulously calculated according to the rank of the guest.

          

• Marriage of Louis XV and  Marie Leszczynska at Fontainebleau

The kings had 10 children, Louise Elisabeth and Anne Henriette, Marie Louise, the dauphin Louis Ferdinand, Philip Louis, Marie Adélaïde, Victoire Louise, Sophie Philippine, Therese Felicite and Louise Marie. 

Marie was a humble and simple woman who fled from the protocols of the court but remained in her role in the court that was to be present at the ceremonies that were carried out in her.

She focused on her children and had to fight with the numerous lovers of her husband, the best known of her is Madame de Pompadour, with whom she maintained a good relationship although her children hated the king's favorite. 

Marie died on June 24, 1768 at age 65.