Marie Leszczyńska

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This is the correct spelling of the surname in modern Polish; various other spellings are also used in English and French.
Marie Leszczyńska
Queen Marie in circa 1740 by Louis Tocqué
Queen consort of France and Navarre
Tenure4 September 1725 – 24 June 1768
Born(1703-06-23)23 June 1703
Trzebnica, Poland
Died24 June 1768(1768-06-24) (aged 65)
Palace of Versailles, France
Burial
SpouseLouis XV of France
IssueLouise Élisabeth, Duchess of Parma
Princess Henriette
Princess Louise
Louis, Dauphin of France
Philippe, Duke of Anjou
Marie Adélaïde, Duchess of Louvois
Princess Victoire
Sophie, Duchess of Louvois
Princess Thérèse
Princess Louise, Abbess of Saint Denis
Full name
Maria Karolina Zofia Felicja Leszczyńska
HouseHouse of Bourbon
House of Leszczyński
FatherStanislaus I of Poland
MotherCatherine Opalińska
ReligionRoman Catholicism
SignatureMarie Leszczyńska's signature

Marie Leszczyńska (Trzebnica, 23 June 1703 – Versailles, 24 June 1768) was a queen of France as wife of Louis XV. In France, she was referred to as Marie Leczinska. She was the longest serving Queen consort of France.

Background[change | change source]

Born Maria Karolina Zofia Felicja Leszczyńska h. Wieniawa, she was the second daughter of Stanisław Leszczyński and his wife Katarzyna Opalińska.

Marriage[change | change source]

Maria was on a list of 99 eligible European princesses to marry the young king. The marriage by proxy took place on 15 August 1725 in the cathedral of Strasbourg, Louis XV being represented by his cousin Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans. She had nine children. Marie had a very close relationship to her children.

Issue[change | change source]

On 4 September 1725, she married Louis XV of France. They had eleven children:

Queen[change | change source]

Queen Marie never managed to acquire any political influence. Marie was a devout Roman Catholic. She was also a great lover of music and painting and the protector of many artists. Marie died at Versailles on 24 June 1768, six years before her husband. Her family sincerely grieved her death. She was buried at the Basilica of St Denis, and her heart was deposed at the church of Notre-Dame-de-Bonsecours in Nancy (Lorraine).