Royalty of the Week - Prince Louis Stanislas Xavier, comte de Provence

Louis Stanislas was born as a petit-fils de France ( since he was a son of the Dauphin ) on 17 November 1755 in the Palace of Versailles. His mother was Princess Maria Josepha of Saxony and his father was Louis-Ferdinand, Dauphin of France.


At the time of his birth, Louis Stanislas was fourth in line to the throne of France, behind his father the Dauphin and his two elder brothers, Louis Joseph Xavier, duc de Bourgogne, and Louis Auguste, duc de Berry. After the death of the duc de Bourgogne in 1761 and the death of his father in 1765, Louis Stanislas was second in line to the throne after his brother Louis Auguste, Dauphine of France.



On 14 May 1771, Louis Stanislas married Princess Marie Josephine Louise of Savoy, the daughter of the Duke of Sardinia, future king Victor Amadeus III of Sardinia. The new comtesse de Provence was considered to be ugly. She never brushed her teeth, plucked her eyebrows, or used any perfumes. The comtesse was pregnant two times; one time in 1774, and one time in 1781. but both pregnancies ended in miscarriages. The marrige was childless.



Louis Stanislas longed for political influence. He attempted to gain admittance to the King’s council in 1774, ultimately failing.



Louis Stanislas left France in 1791 and he didn't return until the fall of Napoleon. In 1814 he became the king of France. He wore the title from 1814-1815 and from 1815-1824. He died 16 september 1824.

Anne Claudine Louise d'Arpajon, Comtesse de Noailles - "Madame Etiquette"

Anne Claudine Louise d'Arpajon, Comtesse de Noailles was born 4 March 1729 in Arpajon, France. She was a daughter of Anne Charlotte Le Bas de Montargis 1695-1767 and Louis de Sévérac, Marquis d'Arpajon-sur-Cère 1667-1736. Her mother, Anne Charlotte, was lady in waiting of teh Duchesse de Berry.

Anne Claudine married Philippe de Noailles, duc de Mouchy on 27 November 1741. The couple had seven children, and they were:

Louise Henriette Charlotte Philippine de Noailles (1745–1832)

Charles Adrien de Noailles (1747) Prince de Poix

Louis Philippe de Noailles (1748–1750) Prince de Poix

Daniel François Marie de Noailles (1750–1752) Marquis de Noailles later Prince de Poix

Philippe Louis Marc Antoine de Noailles (1752–1819) Prince-duc de Poix and Duc de Mouchy

Louis-Marie, vicomte de Noailles (1756–1804) Vicomte de Noailles

Louis Marie de Noailles (1756-) Chevalier d'Arpajon

Comtesse de Noailles was first lady of honor to Queen Maria Leszczynska, and later to the Austrian Archduchess, Marie Antoinette Dauphine and later queen. She taught the new young Dauphine French ceremonial etiquette and Marie Antoinette gave her the nickname, "Madame Etiquette".

Anne Claudine, her husband, his sister, their daughter-in-law, Vicomtesse de Noailles, and their niece Duchesse d'Ayen, were guillotined on 27 June 1794 at Barriere du Trone, Paris. On 22 July, the wife, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter of Philippe's brother, Louis, 4th duc de Noailles, were guillotined.