When it comes to the late modern age, a lot of interesting things were in place. It was a different setting with different rules that don’t really fly in today’s age. Here are 5 big scandals that happened during Louis XIV’s court.
Louis XIV Had a Top-Secret Second Wedding
Whoa! I mean, I guess being king means you can get away with a lot in those days. After his first wife died, he wasn’t rushing to get re-married. He already had an heir and was able to keep his bloodline going. However, he had a thing with Marquise de Maintenon and fell in love with her. What transpired is a small marriage where just a few people were there and were sworn to secrecy. She lived close by but didn’t gain any titles or prestige from it.
The Affair of the Poisons
Apparently, magic and sorcery were a big thing in the 1600s. A lot of people were trying to gain the king’s favor because they wanted power and wealth. It’s no surprise that there were a lot of rumors of his court attempting to poison him. As a result of all of this news, Louis XIV criminalized magic and potion making to where he formed “The Affair of the Poisons, which were a special outfit that investigated people. Out of 400 people, 34 were exiled and 36 were put to death.
The King Had an Affair With His Sister-In-Law
Apparently, the marriage between Henriette Anne of England and Philippe, the Duc D’Orleans (Louis’ brother), wasn’t as stable as people thought. Both Philippe and Anne were both having their own affairs. Anne was pretty close with Louis XIV and served as a diplomat between France and England. She and Louis XIV had a lot of private time together, so people strongly assumed something was going on beneath the surface.
Nicolas Fouquet Was the Richest Man in France Before Heading to Prison
He was born into a wealthy family and had a lot of political and social power as he grew up. However, this ended in 1661. After having a party that Louis XIV deemed too lavish, he called Fouquet in for embezzlement. At first, he was going to be banished but Louis XIV thought he’d still have so much free reign to do what he wanted. He was sent to Pignerol Prison until his death in 1680.
Some Members of the Court Believed Henriette Anne Was Poisoned
Many historians say that her death was by natural causes. However, it seemed that she died very suddenly when she mentioned extreme side pain. What was found in the autopsy is she had signs of colic and gangrene on her organs from natural causes.
