Memoirs of Mademoiselle de Montpensier (La Grande Mademoiselle)

Abstract

In this volume, P.J. Yarrow and William Brooks offer a selected and annotated translation of the memoirs of Anne Marie-Louise de Bourbon (1627–93), known as the Grande Mademoiselle. Mademoiselle de Montpensier did not lead an ordinary life. She was the daughter of Gaston d’Orléans, the rebellious brother of the king of France, Louis XIII, and granddaughter of Henry IV, and was thus among the highest ranking royals in Europe at the time. The two scholars have gathered together the most intriguing excerpts relating directly to Mademoiselle’s personal and intimate life and have left out the lengthy descriptions of various contextual events contained in the original memoirs. The result, and the assumed goal of their project, therefore, resembles an autobiography rather than a chronicle, depicting the intimate and private life of a princess in the seventeenth century. In the first part of her memoirs (1627–59), Mademoiselle wrote about her childhood experience and youth but most notably about her role in the Fronde and her subsequent exile. Her involvement as head of her father’s troops, in his name, during the Fronde episode is only one example of what makes her character unique. Her father, Gaston d’Orléans, and the prince of Condé assembled their forces against the royal army, and above all against Richelieu; Mademoiselle was given the charge of entering Orléans and she succeeded in her mission. While she appeared to take her role seriously, this episode also entertained her a good deal, she recalled that ‘[she] was vastly amused’. Proud of her participation in the last Parisian battle of the Fronde, in which her troops contributed to saving Condé’s life, she declared boldly, ‘I had saved the army’. Her experience even encouraged her to think that, ‘any lady would command armies successfully’. This constitutes a valuable contribution to the history of the Fronde with an exciting gendered perspective. When the Frondeurs were defeated, Mademoiselle was condemned to exile, where she began to write her memoirs and reflect on her life. Away from court, she also had time to supervise the management of her estates. Her immense wealth—she was one of the wealthiest individuals in the kingdom—most definitely contributed to her autonomy. Several extracts highlight her supervision of her estates and emphasize her managerial skills and duties.