Marie Isabelle de Rohan, Duchess of Tallard

Marie Isabelle
Duchess of Tallard
Born	17 January 1699 Rue de Paradis, Paris, France
Died	5 January 1754 (aged 54) Palace of Versailles, France
Burial	7 January 1754 Église de La Merci, Paris
Spouse	Joseph d'Hostun de La Baume
Full name Marie Isabelle Gabrielle Angélique de Rohan
Father	Hercule Mériadec de Rohan
Mother	Anne Geneviève de Lévis

Marie Isabelle de Rohan (Marie Isabelle Gabrielle Angélique; 17 January 1699 – 5 January 1754) was a French noblewoman and grand daughter of Madame de Ventadour. Marie Isabelle was the governess of the children of Louis XV and his consort Marie Leszczyńska.

Biography

Born in Paris the fourth child of five. Her father was Hercule Mériadec de Rohan, Duke of Rohan-Rohan and his first wife Anne Geneviève de Lévis.^[1] As a member of the House of Rohan she enjoyed the prestigious rank of a Foreign Princess given to her family in the early 17th century due to them claiming ancestry back to the Dukes of Brittany. As such, this allowed the style of Highness. Her siblings included Louise Françoise, Duchess of La Meilleraye (married a grandson of Hortense Mancini and present ancestress of the Prince of Monaco) Jules, Prince of Soubise, Louise, Princess of Guéméné (wife of Hercule Mériadec, Prince of Guéméné). Her uncle was the Bishop of Strasbourg.

She married Joseph d'Hostun de La Baume,^[1] son of Camille d'Hostun de La Baume, Duke of Tallard on 13 March 1713; the bride was fourteen. Her husband was some seventeen years older than she.^[1] The young duchess was attached to the household of Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, Madame, wife of the late Philippe de France, Monsieur and mother of the future Philippe d'Orléans, Regent of France; Marie Isabelle's grandmother Madame de Ventadour was also part of Madame's household.

In 1735, her grand mother Charlotte de La Mothe-Houdancourt^[2] retired from her post as Governess of the Children of France. The position was thus given to Marie Isabelle. She would hold the post till her resignation on 10 January 1754 when her niece Madame de Marsan took up the role. Her sister in law Anne Julie de Melun also acted as an under governess to the royal children.

Madame de Tallard was a lady in waiting to Princess Henriette of France, daughter of Louis XV and his consort Marie Leszczyńska. She was also a dame du palais to Queen Marie.^[3] The queen is said to have been fond of the young duchess and Louis XV was a frequent of her dinner parties at Versailles. From 1735-54, she was responsible for the education and protection of Louis, Dauphin of France as well as his many sisters - the princesses Louise Élisabeth, her twin Henriette and Princess Adélaïde. She was later responsible for the daughters of the Dauphin himself. Marie Isabelle was present at the presentation of Anne Marie Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne, her great nephew's first wife.^[4][5]

She died over the night of 4–5 January 1754 at the Palace of Versailles and named her cousin Charles, Prince of Rochefort as her heir. She died without having children. Her husband outlived her by twenty months.^[1] Her death was a great sorrow for the king as well as her many students.^[5]

She was buried on 7 January 1754 at the Église de La Merci in Paris,^[6] the traditional burial place of the Soubise line of the House of Rohan.

Ancestry

Ancestors of Marie Isabelle de Rohan, Duchess of Tallard

16. Louis VI de Rohan, Prince of Guéméné               8. Hercule de Rohan, Duke of Montbazon                       17. Éléonore de Rohan               4. François de Rohan, Prince of Soubise                             18. Claude de Bretagne, Count of Vertus               9. Marie de Bretagne d'Avaugour                       19. Catherine Fouquet de La Varenne               2. Hercule Mériadec de Rohan, Duke of Rohan-Rohan                                   20. Charles Chabot, Lord of Sainte-Aulaye               10. Henri Chabot, Duke of Rohan                       21. Henriette de Lur               5. Anne de Rohan-Chabot, Princess of Soubise                             22. Henri de Rohan, Duke of Rohan               11. Marguerite de Rohan                       23. Marguerite de Béthune, Mademoiselle de Sully               1. Marie Isabelle de Rohan                                         24. Anne de Lévis, Duke of Ventadour               12. Charles de Lévis, Duke of Ventadour                       25. Marguerite de Montmorency               6. Louis Charles de Lévis, Duke of Ventadour                             26. Jean François de La Guiche, Count of La Palice               13. Marie de La Guiche                       27. Susanne Aux Epaules, Lady of Sainte-Marie-du-Mont               3. Anne Geneviève de Lévis                                   28. Philippe de La Mothe-Houdancourt, Lord of La Mothe-Houdancourt               14. Philippe de La Mothe Houdancourt, Duke of Cardona                       29. Louise Charles du Plessis-Picquet               7. Charlotte de La Motte Houdancourt                             30. Louis de Prie, Marquis of Toucy               15. Louise de Prie                       31. Françoise de Saint-Gelais

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 17 January 1699 – 15 March 1713 Her Highness Marie Isabelle de Rohan
• 15 March 1713 – 5 January 1754 Her Highness the Duchess of Tallard

References and notes

1. van de Pas, Leo. "Marie Isabelle de Rohan". Genealogics .org. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
2. she was credited for saving the infant Louis XV from the royal doctors in 1712 during a measles epidemic at court
3. de Voyer de Paulmy d'Argenson, René Louis. Journal et mémoires du marquis dArgenson, Volume 8. Googlebooks.org. Retrieved 25 March 2010.
4. And great grandmother of the murdered Louis Antoine, Duke of Enghien
5. D'Albert Luynes, Charles Philippe. Mémoires du duc de Luynes sur la cour de Louis XV (1735-1758) By Charles Philippe d'Albert de Luynes. Googlebooks.org. Retrieved 21 April 2010.
6. Itinéraires spirituels, enjeux matériels en Europe. Googlebooks.org. Retrieved 21 April 2010.