Louise got a lot of
support from the French ambassador as she was seen as Charles’s chief mistress
and having influence over him. The French
King and Ambassador hoped to use her to promote French interests with Charles,
now that Minette was dead. Charles persuaded
Louis XIV to grant her a French title, Duchesse D’Aubigny… in 1673.
Louise in spite of Charles' love for her, does not come across
as very likable. Barbara Castlemaine was
not a particularly lovable woman, either… She was greedy, had a violent temper
and was arrogant and unpleasant.
However, she had more personality than “Weeping Willow’ Louise who seems to have been a very cool self regarding woman.
Charles loved her,
but her feelings towards him were probably simply gratitude for his generosity...
She was loyal to French interests, and keen to amass a fortune. She had a strong hold over her royal lover,
in spite of her unpopularity in England as a whole. Nell Gwynne mocked her; the people saw her as
a French spy and whore…
She had some protection
from Catherine of Braganza, who was grateful to her for her being polite and showing
her some respect. She survived the
Popish Plot, and maintained her hold on Charles’ affections. When he was dying, however she was not
allowed to go to him… but she worked behind the scenes to get a priest to
come to him so that he could at last declare himself a Catholic. Charles said
that he died loving her and she was in his thoughts at the end, though he did also
ask his brother to make sure that his other mistress, “Poor Nelly” did not starve.
James II ensured she had her pension, but Louise had no real protection in England and returned to
France. She visited England only once or
twice, turning up for the coronation of George I. She lost her money from Charles at the time
of the 1688 Revolution. She did however receive a pension from the King of
France…. and died there in 1734….
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