The Fall of Madame de Montespan

In 1678 Madame de Montespan gave birth to her seventh child by Louis XIV. Françoise-Athénaïs had reached her 38th birthday and had been the king’s maitresse en titre for no less than thirteen years. Her reign had been long – longer than most women could manage – and for the time being all seemed quite normal. Yet, the year marked not just the birth of her final child but also the beginning of the…