Memoirs of the Comtesse Du Barry with intimate details of her entire career as favorite of Louis XV

by Étienne-Léon de Lamothe-Langon

Jeanne Bécu, Comtesse du Barry (Marie-Jeanne, Comtesse du Barry) (1743-1793) was a French courtesan who became the mistress of Louis XV of France and is one of the most famous victims of the Reign of Terror. She first served as courtesan to Louis François Armand du Plessis, duc de Richelieu. Marie-Jeanne, however, could not qualify as an official royal mistress unless she had a title; this was solved by her marriage to Du Barry's brother, Comte Guillaume du Barry, in 1769. She was presented to the King's family and the court on April 2, 1769. At the King's request before his death in May 1774, she was banished from the court, as her amoral presence would have prevented the king from receiving absolution. In 1792 she was suspected of giving financial aid to emigres from the French Revolution. After a trial, she was executed by guillotine on the Place de la Concorde on December 8, 1793. Her Memoirs were written by the French Baron, Etienne Léon Lamothe-Langon (1786-1864) and were first published in English in 1903.

Genres: France

438 pages, Hardcover

First published July 26, 2004

About the author

Étienne-Léon, baron de Lamothe-Langon était un romancier français.

Étienne-Léon, baron de Lamothe-Langon was a French novelist.

Reviews

[LeAnn OBrien · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I was reading this I felt like I was a lady in the 1800s who was learning all the court gossip about this lady who double married. Papa liked

[Leslie Zemeckis]

I can’t tell if this is fiction or non fiction
While some details and life at court is interesting
It did go on and on about people and intrigues that could have been edited

[Manny Villa]

8956139

[M]

8956139

[Anne Holmes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting.

I am very interested in the period of Louis the fifteenth and this is an account by his acknowledged mistress of later years. Fascinating insights such as the probable identity of the man in the iron mask from the king himself. One strange thing, quite often a 1/2 (half) sign is printed in the middle of words!