Laura Mancini (6 May 1636 – 8 February 1657) was a niece of Cardinal Mazarin. She was the eldest of the five famous Mancini sisters, who along with two of their female Martinozzi cousins, were known at the court of

Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Versa ...

as the '' Mazarinettes''. She married Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, grandson of King Henry IV and was the mother of the great general the

Duke of Vendôme Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

Biography

Laura was the eldest daughter of Baron Lorenzo Mancini, brother-in-law of Cardinal Mazarin through his wife Girolama Mazzarini. She received the name ''Vittoria'' honour of her paternal grandmother, Vittoria Capoccii. The eldest of ten children, through the influence of her uncle, the personal advisor of

Louis XIII of France Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

, Laura and her family were invited to France, leaving Rome in 1653 following the death of her father along with their cousins

Laura Laura may refer to: People * Laura (given name) * Laura, the British code name for the World War I Belgian spy Marthe Cnockaert Places Australia * Laura, Queensland, a town on the Cape York Peninsula * Laura, South Australia * Laura Bay, a bay on ...

and Anna Maria. The family resided in the Palais Royal in Paris, home of Queen Anne and her sons

Louis XIV , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Vers ...

and Philippe, Duke of Orléans. Laura's four sisters were: #

Olympe Olympe ( grc, Ολύμπη) ( sq, Olimpi) was an ancient city located in the territory of the Amantes, between northern Epirus and southern Illyria in classical antiquity. It is located in modern day Mavrovë, Vlorë County, Albania. History ...

(1638–1708) married Eugene Maurice, Count of Soissons, mother of the famous general Eugene of Savoy. # Marie (1639–1715) first love of

, wife of Prince Lorenzo Onofrio Colonna. # Hortense (1646–1699) married

Armand Charles de La Porte de La Meilleraye Armand-Charles de La Porte, Duc de La Meilleraye (1632 – 9 November 1713), was a French general, who was Grand Master and Captain General of Artillery. Biography The son of Charles de La Porte (called "Marshal de La Meilleraye") and nephew ...

and mistress of

Charles II of England Charles II (29 May 1630 – 6 February 1685) was King of Scotland from 1649 until 1651, and King of England, Scotland and Ireland from the 1660 Restoration of the monarchy until his death in 1685. Charles II was the eldest surviving child of ...

. # Marie Anne (1649–1714) married Maurice Godefroy de la Tour d'Auvergne, Duke of Bouillon, nephew of ''

Turenne Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, vicomte de Turenne (11 September 161127 July 1675), commonly known as Turenne , was a French general and one of only six Marshals to have been promoted Marshal General of France. The most illustrious member of the ...

''.

Coat of arms of Laura Mancini as Duchess of Mercœur

The Mancini also had three brothers: Paul (1636-1652), Philippe, Duke of Nevers (1641-1707), and Alphonse (1644-1658). Originally engaged to Louis Charles de Nogaret de La Valette, Duke of Candale, son of the

Duke of Épernon Duke of Épernon (french: Duc d'Épernon) was a noble title in the peerage of France granted to Jean Louis de Nogaret de La Valette by Henry III of France in 1581. It is named after Épernon. List of Dukes of Épernon, 1581—1736 Louis de Pa ...

, the match did not take place and she was instead married to Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Mercœur. The young Louis was the son of the

, himself an illegitimate son of Henri IV of France and the famous ''

Gabrielle d'Estrées Gabrielle d'Estrées, Duchess of Beaufort and Verneuil, Marchioness of Monceaux (; 157310 April 1599) was a mistress, confidante and adviser of Henry IV of France. She persuaded Henry to renounce Protestantism in favour of Catholicism in 1593. La ...

''. Laura married Louis at the Palais Royal in the French capital on 4 February 1651 and was thus became Duchess of Mercœur. Having married a ''legitimised prince of the blood'', Laura was allowed the style of '' Serene Highness''. However, she had a lower rank than that of her cousin the Princess of Conti who had married a legitimate prince. The young duke was instantly enamoured with his wife and his affections were returned. Three sons followed in quick succession the eldest of which being a famous commander in the wars of the Grand Alliance and Spanish Succession. Laura died as a result of childbirth to Jules César, named after his grandfather and the Cardinal, in 1657. Born on 27 January, the Duchess died a fortnight later on 7 February. Buried in Paris, her husband retired from public life to become a

cardinal Cardinal or The Cardinal may refer to: Animals * Cardinal (bird) or Cardinalidae, a family of North and South American birds **''Cardinalis'', genus of cardinal in the family Cardinalidae **''Cardinalis cardinalis'', or northern cardinal, the ...

, ensuring his children's upbringing to Laura's sister the Duchess of Bouillon.

Issue

# Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendôme (1654–1712) married

Marie Anne de Bourbon Marie Anne de Bourbon, ''Légitimée de France','' born Marie Anne de La Blaume Le Blanc, by her marriage Princess of Conti then Princess Dowager of Conti, ''suo jure'' Duchess of La Vallière and of Vaujours (2 October 1666 – 3 May 1739) ...

and died childless. #

Philippe, Duke of Vendôme Philippe de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme (1655–1727) was the Grand Prior for France in the Order of Malta. Vendôme held senior military positions throughout his life, in various command roles. Life Philippe was born in 1655, the second son of ...

(1655–1727) ''prieur de Vendôme'' died unmarried. #Jules César (1657–1660) died in infancy.

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mancini, Laura 1636 births 1657 deaths Nobility from Rome

Italian socialites Italian emigrants to France

Duchesses of Vendôme Countesses of Dreux Deaths_in_childbirth 17th-century French nobility 17th-century Italian women 17th-century French women