Marie Adelaide, Princess of Savoy

Louis XIV, otherwise known as the Sun King, had many loves in his life, but perhaps one of his most poignant and important was the young Italian Dauphin, Marie Adelaide ofSavoy. In autumn of 1696 in Motargis, Marie Adelaide had been driven to the border town of Pont-de-Beauvoisin, where she stayed in a house on the Savoy side of the river, and then had been taken across the bridge in her stage coach. After she descended, a Savoy page burst into tears, and then handed her train to a French page.

While the princess and her entourage traveled toward Fontainebleau, the impatient king Louis traveled as far as Montagaris to meet her, arriving so early that he was at the door of her coach when it pulled up at six in the morning. He was charmed immediately. He would not, he told his brother Monsieur, change anything about her, and dispatched a courier in haste to tell Mme de Mainenon of his delight.

"I went to receive her in her coach." Louis wrote while the little princess rested. " She waited for me to speak, and then replied very well, but with a slight shyness which would have pleased you. I led her to her room through the crowd, allowing her to be seen from time to time by lighting up her face with the candelabra. This supported with grace and dignity.

Finally, we reached her room where there was a crowd and heat enough to kill one. I presented her from time to time to everyone who approached, and watched her from every point of view to tell you about her. She has the most graceful air and finest figure I have ever seen, perfectly dressed, and her hair also, eyes bright and magnificent, eyelashes black and admirable, complexion smooth white and red, all that could be desired; the most beautiful black hair possible and in abundance. She is thin, which is proper at her age, mouth very red, lips thick, teeth white, long and irregular, hands well shaped and the color of her age. She speaks little, as far as I have seen, and is not embarrassed when she is looked at, like one accustomed to the world. She curtsies badly, rather in the Italian fashion....To speak to you as I am in the habit of doing, I find her perfect, and should be very sorry if she were more beautiful. I repeat, I am pleased with everything, except her curtsy.."

Touchingly, the Grand Monarch said, " Up to now, I have behaved wonderfully. I hope that I can maintain an easy manner until we reach Fontainebleau."