- Madame Royale
Madame Royale ("Royal Lady") was a style customarily used for the eldest living daughter of a reigning French
monarch .It was similar to the style "Monsieur", which was typically used by the King's second son. Just as
Gaston, duc d'Orléans (1608-1660), the second son of KingHenry IV of France (1553-1610), was known as " Monsieur", Princess Elisabeth (1602-1644), the eldest daughter of Henry, was known before her marriage to KingPhilip IV of Spain (1605-1665) as "Madame Royale". After her death, the title was borne by her younger sister, Princess Christine (1606-1663), who was married toVictor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy (1587-1637). The most famous holder of thishonorific was KingLouis XVI of France 's eldest daughter, Princess Marie-Thérèse-Charlotte (1778-1851), the only one of his immediate family to survive theFrench Revolution . She later married her cousin, Louis-Antoine, duc d'Angoulême (1775-1844), and played a prominent role during theBourbon Restoration .The style "Madame Royale" was not regulated by any other code than that of
etiquette . Its very simplicity, however, was considered more desirable than being known more formally as "Son Altesse Royale" ("Your Royal Highness") in conversation.The style was customarily held until the death of the royal parent or until the princess married.
The equivalent style in Great Britain is "
Princess Royal ". This title came into existence when Queen Henrietta Maria (1609-1669), another daughter of KingHenry IV of France , and the wife of KingCharles I of England (1600-1649), wanted to imitate in theKingdom of England the way in which the eldest daughter of the sovereign inFrance was styled "Madame Royale."In Savoy, Henrietta Maria's older sister, Christine, became known as Madama Reale in reference to her French manner of address. Her daughter-in-law,
Marie Jeanne of Savoy-Nemours , when she became regent of Savoy after the early death of her husband, called herself Madama Reale, after her mother-in-law, who had also been a regent of Savoy. This was despite the fact that Marie Jeanne's father was not a king.ee also
* Dauphin
*Monsieur
*Madame
*Fils de France
*Petit-Fils de France
*Prince du Sang
*First Prince of the Blood
*Prince of the Blood External links
* [http://www.heraldica.org/ www.heraldica.org]
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