''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 The French nobility () was an Aristocracy, aristocratic social class in France from the France in the Middle Ages, Middle Ages until its abolition on 23 June 1790 during the French Revolution. From 1808 to 1815 during the First French Empire, ...

. They were ranked between the ''

Première dame d'honneur ''Première dame d'honneur'' (, ), or simply ''dame d'honneur'' (), 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 shifted, the dame d'honneur was norm ...

'' and the '' Dame du Palais''.

History

At least from

Isabeau of Bavaria Isabeau of Bavaria (or Isabelle; also Elisabeth of Bavaria-Ingolstadt; c. 1370 – 24 September 1435) was Queen of France as the wife of King Charles VI of France, Charles VI from 1385 to 1422. She was born into the House of Wittelsbach a ...

's tenure as queen, there had been a post named ''demoiselle d'atour'' or ''femme d'atour'', but this had originally been the title of the queen's chambermaids and shared by several people. The office of ''dame d'atour'', created in 1534, was one of the highest-ranking offices among the ladies-in-waiting of the queen and given only to members of the nobility.Nadine Akkerman & Birgit Houben, eds. ''The Politics of Female Households: Ladies-in-waiting across Early Modern Europe'' Leiden: Brill, 2013 The ''dame d'atour'' was responsible for the queen's wardrobe and jewelry and supervised the dressing of the queen and the chamber staff of ''femme du chambre''. When the ''

dame d'honneur Dame d'honneur (, ) was a common title for two categories of French ladies-in-waiting, who are often confused because of the similarity. Dame d'honneur can be: * Short for Première dame d'honneur, which were commonly shortened to Dame d'honne ...

'' was absent, she was replaced by the ''dame d'atour'' as the supervisor of the female personnel of the queen.

List of ''dames d'atour'' to the queens and empresses of France

Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ...
, 1547–1589

* 1547–1549 : Marie-Catherine Gondi * 1549–1552 : Jacqueline de l'Hospital Dame d'Aisnay * 1552–1559 : Madeleine Buonaiuti, Madame Alamanni, Mme de Gondi

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...
, 1559–1561

* 1559–1561: Guyonne de Breüil

Élisabeth d'Autriche, 1570–1575

* 1570–1574: Marguerite de La Marck-Arenberg

Louise of Lorraine, 1575–1601

* 1575–1590: Louise de la Béraudière

Marie de' Medici Marie de' Medici (; ; 26 April 1575 – 3 July 1642) was Queen of France and Navarre as the second wife of King Henry IV. Marie served as regent of France between 1610 and 1617 during the minority of her son Louis XIII. Her mandate as rege ...
, 1600–1632

* 1600–1617: Leonora Dori
Marie de Medicis and the French court in the XVIIth century
' * 1617–1619: ''Vacant'' * 1619–1625: Nicole du Plessis de Mailly, marquise de Brezé * 1625–1631:

Duchesse d'Aiguillon Marie-Madeleine de Vignerot de Pontcourlay, suo jure Duchess of Aiguillon (; 160417 April 1675) was a French nobility, French aristocrat, also remembered for her charitable work and her patronage of artists and mathematicians. Biography Vigne ...

Anne of Austria Anne of Austria (; ; born Ana María Mauricia; 22 September 1601 – 20 January 1666) was Queen of France from 1615 to 1643 by marriage to King Louis XIII. She was also Queen of Navarre until the kingdom's annexation into the French crown ...
, 1615–1666

* 1615–1619: Luisa de Osorio (jointly with de Vernet) * 1615–1626:

Antoinette d'Albert de Luynes Antoinette d'Albert (died 1644) was a French court official. She served as the ''dame d'atour'' to the queen of France, Anne of Austria, between 1615 and 1626. Life She was the daughter of Honoré d'Albert, ''seigneur'' of Luynes, and Anne de Rodul ...

, Dame de Vernet (jointly with de Osorio) * 1626–1626:

Marie-Catherine de Senecey Marie Catherine de Senecey née de La Rochefoucauld (1588–1677) was a French courtier. She served as '' Première dame d'honneur'' to the queen of France, Anne of Austria, from 1626 until 1638, and royal governess to king Louis XIV of France an ...

* 1626–1630:

Madeleine du Fargis Madeleine du Fargis, née ''de Silly'' (died 1639), was a French courtier and agent. She served as ''dame d'atour'' to the queen of France, Anne of Austria, in 1626–1630. She was an intimate favorite and influential confidant of the queen. Life ...

* 1630–1657:

Catherine le Voyer de Lignerolles Catherine Le Voyer (1571-1657), was a French court official. Kleinman, Ruth: Anne of Austria. Queen of France. . Ohio State University Press (1985) She served as the ''dame d'atour''s to the queen of France, Anne of Austria in between 1630 and 165 ...

, Baronne du Bellay, Dame de la Flotte ** ''1637–1639:

Marie de Hautefort Marie de Hautefort (1616 – 1691), was a French noble and lady-in-waiting, a trusted confidante and adviser of King Louis XIII of France. They did not have a sexual relationship and she was thereby a favorite rather than a royal mistress. She wa ...

, 'Madame de Hautefort' (deputy dame d'atour, first term)'' ** ''1643–1644:

, duchesse de Schomberg (second term as deputy)'' * 1657–1666: Louise Boyer, duchesse de Noailles

Maria Theresa of Spain Maria Theresa of Spain (; ; 10 September 1638 – 30 July 1683) was Queen consort of France, Queen of France from 1660 to 1683 as the wife of King Louis XIV. She was born an Infante, Infanta of Spain and Portugal as the daughter of King Philip IV ...
, 1660–1683

* 1660–1683: Anne Marie de Beauvilliers, Countess of Bethune

Marie Leszczyńska Maria Karolina Zofia Felicja Leszczyńska (; 23 June 1703 – 24 June 1768), also known as Marie Leczinska (), was Queen of France as the wife of King Louis XV from their marriage on 4 September 1725 until her death in 1768. The daughter of St ...
, 1725–1768

* 1725–1731:

Anne-Marie-Francoise de Sainte-Hermine Anne-Marie-Francoise de Sainte-Hermine (1670 – 1734), was a French court official.Clarissa Campbell Orr, Queenship in Europe 1660-1815: The Role of the Consort' She served as the ''dame d'atour'' to Françoise Marie de Bourbon from 1692 to 1696 ...

, comtesse de Mailly * 1731–1742: Francoise de Mailly, duchesse de Mazarin * 1742–1768: Amable-Gabrielle de Noailles, duchesse de Villars

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last List of French royal consorts, queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the ...
, 1770–1791

* 1770–1771: Amable-Gabrielle de Villars * 1771–1775: Adelaide-Diane-Hortense Mancini-Mazarin, duchesse de Cossé * 1775–1775: Laure-Auguste de Fitz-James, Princess de Chimay * 1775–1781: Marie-Jeanne de Talleyrand-Périgord, duchesse de Mailly * 1781–1791: Geneviève de Gramont, comtesse d'Ossun

Joséphine de Beauharnais Joséphine Bonaparte (, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie; 23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 Janua ...
, 1804–1809

* 1804–1809:

Émilie de Beauharnais Émilie de Beauharnais, comtesse de Lavalette (; 1781–1855), was a French court official, '' dame d'atour'' to Empress Joséphine of France. Life She was the daughter of François VI de Beauharnais and Françoise de Beauharnais and thus relat ...

Marie Louise Marie Louise or Marie-Louise is a French feminine given name, compound given name. In other languages, it may take one of several alternate forms: * Maria Luiza (Bulgarian, Portuguese) * Maria Luisa (Italian, Spanish) * Maria Luise (German) * Mari ...
, 1810–1814

* 1810–1814:

Jeanne Charlotte du Luçay Jeanne Charlotte du Luçay née ''Papillon d'Auteroche'' (; 1769-1842), was a French court official, '' Dame du Palais'' to Empress Joséphine and ''Dame d'atour'' to Empress Marie Louise of France. Life Jeanne Charlotte du Luçay was married t ...

References

{{Reflist * Mathieu da Vinha &

Raphaël Masson Raphael was an Italian Renaissance painter. Raphael or Raphaël may also refer to: Music * Raphael (band), a Japanese rock band active 1997–2001 * ''Raphael'' (opera), an 1894 opera by Anton Arensky *Raphael (musician), American musician and c ...

: ''Versailles: Histoire, Dictionnaire et Anthologie'' * Anselme de Sainte-Marie & Ange de Sainte-Rosalie: ''Histoire généalogique et chronologique de la Maison Royale de France'' Ancien Régime Ancien Régime office-holders French monarchy Court titles in the Ancien Régime Gendered occupations French royal court

History

List of ''dames d'atour'' to the queens and empresses of France

Catherine de' Medici Catherine de' Medici (, ; , ; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian Republic of Florence, Florentine noblewoman of the Medici family and Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to Henry II of France, King Henry II. Sh ..., 1547–1589

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ..., 1559–1561

Élisabeth d'Autriche, 1570–1575

Louise of Lorraine, 1575–1601

Marie de' Medici Marie de' Medici (; ; 26 April 1575 – 3 July 1642) was Queen of France and Navarre as the second wife of King Henry IV. Marie served as regent of France between 1610 and 1617 during the minority of her son Louis XIII. Her mandate as rege ..., 1600–1632

Anne of Austria Anne of Austria (; ; born Ana María Mauricia; 22 September 1601 – 20 January 1666) was Queen of France from 1615 to 1643 by marriage to King Louis XIII. She was also Queen of Navarre until the kingdom's annexation into the French crown ..., 1615–1666

Maria Theresa of Spain Maria Theresa of Spain (; ; 10 September 1638 – 30 July 1683) was Queen consort of France, Queen of France from 1660 to 1683 as the wife of King Louis XIV. She was born an Infante, Infanta of Spain and Portugal as the daughter of King Philip IV ..., 1660–1683

Marie Leszczyńska Maria Karolina Zofia Felicja Leszczyńska (; 23 June 1703 – 24 June 1768), also known as Marie Leczinska (), was Queen of France as the wife of King Louis XV from their marriage on 4 September 1725 until her death in 1768. The daughter of St ..., 1725–1768

Marie Antoinette Marie Antoinette (; ; Maria Antonia Josefa Johanna; 2 November 1755 – 16 October 1793) was the last List of French royal consorts, queen of France before the French Revolution and the establishment of the French First Republic. She was the ..., 1770–1791

Joséphine de Beauharnais Joséphine Bonaparte (, born Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie; 23 June 1763 – 29 May 1814) was the first wife of Emperor Napoleon I and as such Empress of the French from 18 May 1804 until their marriage was annulled on 10 Janua ..., 1804–1809

Marie Louise Marie Louise or Marie-Louise is a French feminine given name, compound given name. In other languages, it may take one of several alternate forms: * Maria Luiza (Bulgarian, Portuguese) * Maria Luisa (Italian, Spanish) * Maria Luise (German) * Mari ..., 1810–1814

See also