Henry IV, "The Great"(1553-1610), King of Navarre in 1562, King of France in 1589, was a Protestant and leader of the French Huguenots from the 1560's and 1570's. Henry IV adopted the Catholic Faith in 1593 after being captured by the Catholic League. Even though he changed faiths, he still regarded himself as a Protestant. The conversion was only a political move. In 1598, by the Edict of Nantes, Henry IV gave liberty of worship to the Protestants of France. Henry, as king, was concerned with the ordinary people of France, unlike other Bourbon Kings.

Henry married (1st) Marguerite de Valois (1553-1615), daughter of Henry II of France and Catherine de Medici. Marguerite was barren, so he divorced her in 1599.

His (2nd)wife was Mary Medici (1573-1642), daughter of Francis, Grand Duke of Tuscany. They married in 1600. Henry IV won from Savoy, the Duchies of Bresse and Bugey. Marie gave Henry two sons and three daughters. Henry II (1519-1559) was King of France from 1547-1559. He was the son of Francis I (1496-1547) of France. Her brother was Francis II (1544-1560).

Henry IV's Mistresses:

Gabrielle d'Estrees, Mme d'Amerval de Laincourt (1573-1599) was created the duchess of Beaufort and Marquise de Monceaux. Gabrielle mothered three of Henry IV's children. She almost became his queen.

Jan Lesczczynski, Starost of Radziejow. D: 1588/1559

Andrezej Lesczczynski (1559-April 1606), Palatine of Brezesc-Kujawski. Andrezej married three times.

Waclaw Leszczynski D: 1628 Crown Grand Chancellor. He replaced his brother, Andrezej, as Polish envoy.

GENERATION SIX:

Louis XIII, was the eldest son of Henry IV, and his mother, Marie de Medici, acted as his regent.Louis was King of France in 1610 (at age 9 years), and Navarre(1610-1643) married Anne of Austria(1601-1666), daughter of Philip III, King of Spain, in 1615. Under Armand Jean du Plessis, the Duke of Richelieu (1585-1641) and Cardinal Jules Mazarin (d. 1661), the powerful first ministers of Louis XIII and Louis XIV, France became established as a great power. There was also an increase, in wealth and power, for the Bourgeoisie in France under Richelieu's and Mazarin's influence. Henry died May 14, 1643, at age 42 years.

Gaston of France was the third son of Henry IV.

Rafal Leszczynski (October 1579-March 29, 1636) Palatine of Belz/Buelna, and Count of Lesno. Rafal married Anna Radziminska (1586-1635), daughter of Stanislaw Radziminski of the Brodzic coat of arms.

Jan Leszczynski (1603-1678), Palatine of Leczyca (1653-1656), Palatine of Poznan (1656-1661), Crown Vice Chancellor (1661-1666)and Crown Grand Chancellor (1666-1678).

Przeclaw Leszczynski (1605-1670), Palatine of Dorpat

Waclaw Leszczynski (1605-1666), Bishop of Warmia (1644-1658), Archbishop of Gniezno (1658-1666)

Katarzyna Leszczynski married Jan Piotr Opalinski (1601-1665), Palatine of Podlasie and magnate of Greater Poland. Jan refused to sign the surrender to Sweden (only 800 of 13,000 signed). However, many nobles fled and surrendered as their last option. Ujscie was seen as a military defeat due to the lack of preparation and low morale. The surrender at Ujscie had a profound effect on Lithuania. With no Polish reinforcements, fast decisions were made. Lithuania felt it had not just one enemy, but two, at this time. Many were against King Jan Casimir.

Marianna Leszczynski

Andrej Leszczynski (c. 1608- April 16, 1658), Bishop of Chelmo (1646-1653), Crown Vice Chancellor (1645-1650), Grand Grand Chancellor (1650-1652)and Archbishop of Gniezno (1653-1658)

Wladyslaw Leszczynski (D: 1679), Palatine of Leczyca (1657-1679)

Jan Leszczynski (D: 1657), Bishop of Kiev (1648-1655)and Bishop of Chelmo (1655-1657)

GENERATION SEVEN:

Louis XIV, "the Sun King" ("Le Roi-Soleil") believed himself to be the greatest monarch of the century, and he chose as a symbol of his greatness Apollo, the sun-god. Louis XIV was King of France (in 1643) and Navarre (1638-1715) married (1st)Marie Teresa, the Infanta of Spain (1638-1683), in 1660. Maria was the daughter of Philip IV of Spain (1605-1665), and grand daughter of Phillip III, King of Spain (1578-1621). Louis married(2nd)Margaret of Austria (1584-1611), who gave him three sons. These sons became the Dukes of Burgundy, Anjou, and Berri.

Louis XIV was one of the most remarkable of the Bourbons. He came to the throne at age four and reigned for 72 years. His mother was his regent until 1661, when he ruled by himself. Louis XIV commissioned the building of "La Palais de Versailles" which took twenty years to build and cost five percent of the entire State income. His project would transfer Louis XIII's small hunting lodge, the old "Cour de Marbre", into his new palace. Versailles' architect was Louis de Vau, one of the most important architects of his time. Vau was most noted as a Baroque designer.

Louis XIV was a womanizer. His mistresses included:
• Marquise de Montespan de Francoise Athenais de Rohechouart (1641-1707).
• Francoise d'Aubigne (1635-1719), Marquise de Mainternon de Francoise d'Aubigne, Mme. Paul Scarrow..
  Francoise went from mistress to wife when she married Louis after the death of Marie Therese.

  Louis asked the Duchesse Valliere to leave the Paris Carmelito retreat so he could confer upon her some of his worldly teasures.

Andrzej Leszczynski (c. 1606-1651), Palatine of Dorpat

Rafal Leszczynski (1607-1544)

Teodora Leszczynska married Zbigniew Gorajski (Korczak coat of arms), Castellan of Kijowski.

Boguslaw Leszczynski (1614-September 21/23, 1659; in Warsaw, Poland) (1614-1659), Crown Treasurer (1650-1658)and Crown Vice Chancellor (1658-1659) under King John Casimir. He inherited six towns and seventy villages; grants of royal lands added fourteen towns and 259 villages to this total. Boguslaw married Countess Ann von Donhoff (1620-1651) in 1638. Louis Joseph, Duc de Verdone (Duc of Penthievre (1654-1712) was a French General. He was the great-grandson od Henry IV of France.

GENERATION EIGHT:

Louis, "Le Grand Dauphin" (1661-1711) married Marie Anne (1660-1690), daughter of Ferdinand, Elector of Bavaria, in 1680.

Rafal Leszczynski (1650-January 31, 1703), Duke and Count of Lesno and Palatine of Lenezin. Rafal married Anna Katarzyna Jablonowska (1658-1727); on February 15, 1676 in Cracow/Krakow.

GENERATION NINE:

Louis, Duke of Burgundy, "Le Petit Dauphin" of France (1682-1712), married (2)Mary Adeline of Savoy (1685-1712), daughter of Victor Amadeus II, King of Sardinia, in 1697. Victor Amadeus II (1666-1732) was Duke of Savoy (1675-1730), King of Sicily (1713-1720), and King of Sardinia (1720-1730). Louis married (1) Anne (1669-1728) of Orleans in 1684.

Stanislaw Leszczynski (October 20, 1677- February 23, 1766), King of Poland. He was crowned in Warsaw, Poland. His reign lasted from in 1705-1709; and again from 1733-1735). France made him the Duke of Lorraine from 1735-1766.

Stanislas was put on the throne by King Charles XII of Sweden during the Northern War in which Poland was involved by August II acting in alliance with Tzar Peter I. Following the defeat of Charles XII, Leszczynski had to leave Poland and Augustus II of Saxony regained the throne. After the death of August II, Stanislas Leszczynski was again elected King of Poland by the Electoral Seym, but Russian and Saxon intervention forced him to abdicate in 1736. He kept his royal title.

From the king of France, Stanislaw received the Duchy of Lorraine for life, and he gained an excellent reputation as a ruler. Stanislaw married Countess Katarzyna Opalinska (1680-1747), a cousin, on May 10, 1698 in Cracow/Krakow. Katarzyna/Catherine was the daughter of John Charles, Count Opalinski.

Stanislas Leszczynski was an intellectual and a protector of the arts and science.

GENERATION TEN:

Louis XV "the Beloved," (1710-1774) King of France, in 1715, and Navarre married Mary Leszczynska daughter of Stanislaw Leszczynski, and a Princess in Poland. Louis and Mary were married in 1725. Louis was 15 and Mary was 22 years of age. Louis XV was the grandson of Louis XIV.

.....

Maria Leszczynska was born June 23, 1703; in Poznan, Poland, and died June 24, 1768 (at age 65) at Versailles Palace, France. Louis was born February 15, 1710, making him seven years younger than his wife. Louis died in 1774 of smallpox. His other title was the Duke of Anjou.

Louis XV was an ally of Sweden, and offered to return Royal Prussia to Poland for a cash payment of 2,000,000 livres. Louis and Maria had seven children, then Louis chose to give all his time to his mistresses, like his great-grandfather after their last child was born in 1730. At the time, Marie was only 27 years of age. The King was now 20 years old. We can deduce that Louis wanted women that were younger than him when he reached adulthood.

There were many mistresses, and the most notable were:
• Marquise de Pompadour (1721-April 1764) was Louis' mistress from the spring of 1745, and later his friend and confidente. She was born Jean Antoinette Poisson. Pompadour had the most influence over Louis XV, who appointed her favorites to control public affairs for twenty years. Pompadour was eleven years younger than Louis XV.

• Comtesse Marie Jeanne Gomand de Vaubernier (" du Berry") moved into the palace in 1769.

GENERATION ELEVEN:

After her husband turned to his mistresses, Maria's joy was found in her children and her church.

1. Madame Louise-Elizabeth was born August 14, 1727, at Versailles and died in 1759. She was called the Dutchess of Parma. She was the twin of Henriette. Louise-Elizabeth married Don Phillip (1720-1765) her cousin, the son of Philip V of Spain, on August 16, 1739 and became the Dutchess of Parma, Piacenza, and Guastella.

2. Madame Henriette of France was born August 14, 1727 and died in 1752. She was the twin of Louise-Elizabeth. She never married but lived her life at Versailles.

3. Louis (1729-1765) Dauphine of France, Louis married (1st) in 1747, to Marie-Therese-Raphaelle (1729-1765), the daughter of Philippe (1685-1746), Duke of Anjou, who later became Philp V of Spain, in 1700.(2nd)In 1747, to Mary Josepha, Princess of Poland and Saxony(1731-1767), the daughter of Augustus II, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony, and Marie-Josepha of Austria (1699-1757)

4. Madame Adelaide

5. Madam Victoriore

6. Madame Sophia

7. Madame Louise-Marie(1728-1733) Died at age 5 years old.
8. Child died young
9. Child died young
10. Child died young

GENERATION TWELVE:

1. Duke of Burgundy (1751-1761) died at age 10 years old.
   .....

2. Louis XVI was born August 23, 1754, and died January 21, 1793 by execution. He was the Duke of Berry. Later King of France and Navarre. He married Maria-Antoinette Josephe Heanne of Lorraine and Austria (1755-1793). Marie was the daughter of Emperor Francois I (1708-1765), son of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine, and Maria Theresa of Austria (1717-1780), archdutchess of Austria, Queen of Hungary and Bohemia (1740-1789). Maria Theresa, mother of Marie Antoinette, was the daughter of King Charles IV. Marie was executed on October 16, 1793 (9 months after her husband).
   Marie Antoniette's brothers were:
   • Joseph II (1741-1792)HRE from 1790-1792.
   • Leopold II (1747-1792) HRE from 1790-1792.

   • Louis XVIII, the Count of Provence and (1755-September 1824), King of France in 1814. Louis XVIII married Louise Josephine of Savoy, Countess of Provence (1753-1810), the daughter of Victor Amadeus III, King of Sardinia, an Italian Island.

   • Charles X, the Count of Artois, (1757-1836) and King of France in 1824, but he abdicated in 1830. Charles X married Marie-Therese of Savoy (1756-1805), daughter of Victor Amadeus III, King of Sardinia, This line dies out in 1883.

   • Madame Ctolilde, Queen of Sardinia, (1759-1802) married Charles Emanuel IV (1751-1819), King of Sardinia, in 1755.

   • Madame Elizabeth was born in 1764. Elizabeth did charitable work and spent her youth at the Carmelite Convent of Saint Denis, where he aunt Madame Louise resided begining in the year 1770. She was executed on May 10, 1794 via the guillotine, by the Revolutionary tribunal. However, she was an innocent victim of the French Revolution. Elizabeth was always reserved and nothing like Marie Antionette, She declined royal gifts of horses and jewelry. She was asked to serve as Abbess of Remiremont in 1786, but declined. She made a vow, in 1790, to the Immaculate Heart of Mary and was a devotee to the Sacred Heart. Her execution was seven months after her mother.

GENERATION THIRTEEN:

1. Louis, Dauphin of France (1781-1789). He died before the French Revolution, thus sparing him the agony of his brother, another Louis.

2. Louis XVII (1785-1795) was the titled King of France (1793-1995). For nine years of his life (from age 1) he had been imprisoned alone in a filthy room and he died of a massive infection. He died on June 8, 1795.

3. Marie Therese (1778-1851 at age 73) Madame Royale, Dutchess of Angouleme. Maria Therese married Louis XIX (1775-1844), Duke of Angouleme, Dauphin (1824-1830), Count of Marne in 1836.Louis is the son of Charles X (1757-1836).

4. Marie-Sophie (1786-1787) died in childhood.

SOURCES::

Constans, Claire and Xavier Salmon, editors. Splendor of Versailles. Co-sponsored by The Mississippi Commission for International Cultural Exchange, Inc. and Musee National des Chateaux de Versailles er de Trainon. New York: Welcome Enterprises, Inc., 1998.

Dziegielewski, Jan (et al). Encyklopedia Historii Polski: Dzieje Polityczne. Warsaw: Morex s.c.-Egross, 1994.

Frost, Robert. After the Deluge. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1998

Gurney, Gene. Kingdoms of Europe. New York: Crown Publishers, 1982.

Louda, Jiri. Lines of Succession: Heraldry of the Royal Families of Europe. New York: Barnes & Noble Books, 2002.

Metejk, Jana. Poczet Krolow i Ksiazat Polskich (The Gallery of Polish Kings and Queens). Warsaw: Wydawnictwo Interpress, 1996.

Myers, Bernard S. Art Treasures in France. New York: McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1969.

Yapp. Nick. The French Millennium. Koln: Konemann, 2001.

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