Jeanne du Barry

Jeanne Vaubernier, born to a Catholic monk and a cook named Anne, finds herself navigating a turbulent life. As an illegitimate child, Jeanne is sent to a convent where her insatiable curiosity leads to expulsion for indulging in erotic literature. This early defiance marks the beginning of her unconventional journey.

Relocating to Paris, Jeanne becomes a reader for a widow, Madame de la Garde, wherein she sharpens her wit to mingle among the aristocracy. However, Jeanne’s charm proves too enticing, as she is expelled once again, this time for entanglements with Madame de la Garde’s sons. Undeterred, she embraces her status as a courtesan, mastering the art of libertinage and seducing affluent lovers.

Her fortunes take a significant turn when she meets a count, Le Comte Du Barry, whose noble friend, Le Duc de Richelieu, introduces her to King Louis XV. The king’s physician meticulously examines Jeanne to ensure she is free from any vaginal illnesses, a testament to the peculiar protocols of the royal court.

Set against the backdrop of 1770, a year marked by mourning as Queen Marie passes after serving 43 years as consort, the King’s daughters express their displeasure regarding Jeanne’s rise amidst their grief. Without a official queen and with the King reluctant to remarry, Jeanne unexpectedly becomes the foremost lady at Versailles.

Though much of her time is spent in the lavish halls of Versailles, she also chooses Zamor as her page, further securing her place in the royal sphere. The tension escalates when Louise of France, the youngest daughter of Louis, rejects her father’s new mistress by leaving the court to become a nun.

As political alliances take form, Stephen Francis, Duke of Choiseul serves as prime minister while the 16-year-old Dauphin marries the young Marie Antoinette. Meanwhile, Mercy serves as the ambassador from the Archduchy of Austria, turning the court dynamics into a breeding ground for intrigue.

However, as Louis XV falls ill with smallpox, the tides turn against Jeanne. Reviled by the royal family and the Catholic Church, she is quickly ousted from Versailles after the king’s demise. Ironically, the very court that once embraced her now casts her aside, leading to her betrayal by Zamor, who orchestrates her execution on December 8, 1793, due to her connections with the royals and her past as a commoner-turned-countess.

Last Updated: November 25, 2024 at 19:24