Laurence de Montmorency (1571–1654) was a French court official. She served as ''

Première dame d'honneur ''Première dame d'honneur'' ('first lady of honour'), or simply ''dame d'honneur'' ('lady of honour'), was an office at the royal court of France. It existed in nearly all French courts from the 16th-century onward. Though the tasks of the post ...

'' to the queen of France,

Anne of Austria Anne of Austria (french: Anne d'Autriche, italic=no, es, Ana María Mauricia, italic=no; 22 September 1601 – 20 January 1666) was an infanta of Spain who became Queen of France as the wife of King Louis XIII from their marriage in 1615 unti ...

, from 1615 until 1624. Until 1618, she shared her office with Inés de la Torre.Kleinman, Ruth: Anne of Austria. Queen of France. . Ohio State University Press (1985)

Life

Laurence de Montmorency was the daughter of Claude de Clermont-Montoison, and married in 1601 to duke and Constable

Henri I de Montmorency Henri I de Montmorency (15 June 1534 in Chantilly, Oise – 2 April 1614), Marshal of France, and Constable of France, seigneur of Damville, served as Governor of Languedoc from 1563 to 1614. Biography Born on 15 June 1534, Henri was the son ...

in his third marriage. She was widowed in 1614. In 1615, she was appointed Première dame d'honneur to the new queen of France, Anne of Austria, upon her arrival in France. However, when Anne arrived at the French royal court in Paris, a dilemma occurred, as she was given a new household composed of Frenchmen upon her arrival, but did not wish to dismiss her Spanish retinue. A compromise was met where she was allowed to keep both households. This resulted in a situation where several offices at her court was split, and the post of ''Première dame d'honneur'' was consequently shared by Laurence de Montmorency and her Spanish counterpart Inés de la Torre, just as the second rank office of ''

Dame d'atour ''Dame d'atour'' was an office at the royal court of France. It existed in nearly all French courts from the 16th-century onward. The ''dame d'honneur'' was selected from the members of the highest French nobility. History At least from the Isab ...

'' was shared between the Spanish Luisa de Osorio and her French counterpart Antoinette de Vernet. In 1618, Anne's Spanish courtiers were sent home and Laurence de Montmorency became her only Première dame d'honneur. In 1619, however, the new office of

Surintendante de la Maison de la Reine ''Surintendante de la Maison de la Reine'' ("Superintendent of the Queen's Household"), or only ''Surintendante'', was the senior lady-in-waiting at the royal court of France from 1619 until the French revolution. The ''Surintendante'' was select ...

was introduced with the appointment of

Marie de Rohan Marie Aimée de Rohan (December 1600 – 12 August 1679) was a French courtier and political activist, famed for being the center of many of the intrigues of the first half of the 17th century in France. In various sources, she is often known ...

, outranking her. She wished to resign, but stayed to nurse the queen, who fell sick when the whole hing happened; when Marie de Rohan was banished in 1622, she again became the highest ranked lady-in-waiting at court, a position she is said to have performed with diplomatic charm.
The Married Life of Anne of Austria, Queen of France, Mother of Louis XIV., and Don Sebastian, King of Portugal
', Historical Studies, Tinsley Brothers, 1865

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Montmorency, Laurence de 1654 deaths 17th-century French people French ladies-in-waiting 1571 births Court of Louis XIII Household of Anne of Austria