Maria Karolina Katarzyna Leszczynska Princess of Poland ¹⁵⁷⁰

  General Notes:

Maria Karolina Katarzyna Leszczynska (1703-1768) was a queen consort of France and a Polish princess. She was a daughter of King Stanislaw Leszczynski of Poland (later Duke of Lorraine) and Katarzyna Opalinska. She married King Louis XV of France and was a grandmother of Louis XVI, Louis XVIII, and Charles X.

Marie's early life was troubled by her father's political misfortune. Ironically, King Stanislaw's hopeless political career was eventually the reason that his daughter Marie became queen of France. Cardinal Fleury, Louis XV's Prime Minister, wanted to find his king a royal bride who would not drag France into any complicated political alliances. Since Stanislaw's royal power no longer existed, Marie was chosen to marry the young French king.

Their marriage was initially happy and they had many children, most of whom were incredibly loyal to their mother. However, Louis was a notorious womaniser and several of his mistresses-particularly the glamorous Madame de Pompadour-eventually eclipsed Queen Marie's social status at Versailles.

Marie was a devout Roman Catholic. Her major contribution to life at Versailles was the weekly event of Polish Choral Concerts. She also met the young Mozart, whom she found very charming.

Marie died in 1768, six years before her husband. His new mistress was a former prostitute, Madame du Barry. Marie's children and grandchildren sincerely grieved at Marie's death. Two years later, her grandson Louis-Auguste (Louis XVI) was married to a young Austrian archduchess, Marie Antoinette, who was destined to become the last legitimate queen of France.

Two of Marie's grandchildren met their deaths on the guillotine during the French Revolution: Princess Elisabeth and Louis XVI (as well as his wife Marie Antoinette). Another two grandchildren, Louis XVIII and Charles X, became kings of France (after the restoration of the monarchy in 1814). ¹⁵⁷⁰

Maria married Louis XV King of France, son of Louis Duke of Burgundy and Marie-Adélaïde of Savoy, on 4 Sep 1725.¹⁵⁷⁰ (Louis XV King of France was born on 16 Feb 1710 in Versailles, Île-de-France, France and died on 10 May 1774.)