Religion Roman Catholicism Grandchildren Duke of Orleans | Name Margravine of | |
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Tenure 13 July 1724 – 8 August 1726 Born 10 November 1704
Schloss Johannisburg, Bavaria ( 1704-11-10 ) Burial 16 August 1726
Val-de-Grace, Paris Issue
Detail Louis Philippe, Duke of Orleans
Louise Marie, Mademoiselle Father Louis William of Baden-Baden Mother Sibylle of Saxe-Lauenburg Died August 8, 1726, Palais-Royal, Paris, France Spouse Louis d'Orleans, Duke of Orleans (m. 1724) Children Louis Philippe I, Duke of Orleans, Louise Marie d'Orleans Parents Duchess Sibylle of Saxe-Lauenburg, Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden Similar People Louis William - Margrave, Louis Philippe I - Duke of O, Francoise Marie de Bourbon, Philippe II - Duke of Orleans, Louis Philippe II - Duke of O | ||
Auguste of Baden-Baden (Auguste Marie Johanna; 10 November 1704 – 8 August 1726) was born a Princess of Baden-Baden and was later the Duchess of Orleans by marriage to Louis d'Orleans, Duke of Orleans. Her husband was a grandson of her father's former enemy Louis XIV of France. Known in France as Auguste de Bade, she died in childbirth. She is an ancestor of Louis Philippe I and of several members of royal families of Europe such as the Spanish and Italian as well as the present Grand Duke of Luxemburg.
Contents
Infancy
Auguste was born in Aschaffenburg as the ninth child of the imperial army commander Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden, and of his wife Sibylle of Saxe-Lauenburg, who was twenty years younger than her husband. After her father's death in 1707, her mother Sibylle became regent of the Margraviate for Auguste's brother Louis George.
Her mother was a great patron of the arts, making Baden-Baden a centre of architectural culture. Between the years of her mother's Regency (1707–1727) Sibylle ordered the construction of some four palaces in the state as well as two churches. Auguste saw the construction of the Schloss Favorite in Rastatt.
Her aunt Anna Maria Franziska of Saxe-Lauenburg was the Grand Duchess of Tuscany as wife of Gian Gastone de' Medici, her husbands own distant cousin. The Italian born Prince of Carignan was also a distant cousin and was a resident at the French. Auguste was the youngest of nine children and was the only daughter to survive over the age of seven. She had one older brother, Louis George (1702–1761) the future Margrave of Baden-Baden and a younger one, Augustus George who was Margrave of Baden-Baden from 1761–1771 succeeding his brother.
Marriage
As her mother was regent of Auguste's native Baden-Baden, it was her mother who tried to find a suitable candidate for her only daughter. Her mother proposed two candidates; Prince Alexander Ferdinand of Thurn and Taxis, son and heir of Anselm Franz of Thurn and Taxis, a wealthy German noble of the powerful Thurn und Taxis family and the Postmaster General of the Holy Roman Empire. The second was a French prince, Louis d'Orleans, Duke of Orleans.
Her mother preferred the French match as it would strengthen ties with a powerful neighbour who prior to Auguste's birth, had ravaged Baden-Baden. Auguste however preferred the German match due to her roots. Auguste, however gave into her mother and agreed to the match with Louis d'Orleans and there was a proxy ceremony held at the Schloss Rastatt before she was married on 13 July 1724 Louis d'Orleans, the grandson of Louis XIV of France. Chosen for, among other reasons, her family's Catholicism, she brought a comparatively small dowry of 80,000 livres to the Orleans.
At the court of Versailles, she was known alternatively as Jeanne or Auguste de Bade, it was as the latter which she signed. Her marriage to the First Prince of the Blood allowed her to use the style of Madame la Princesse, and made her one of the most important ladies at the court of the young Louis XV of France. At the time of her marriage, the young king Louis was "engaged" to his first cousin the Infanta Mariana Victoria of Spain. The couple were never actually married and in 1725 she was sent back to Spain then making Auguste and her mother in law the Dowager Duchess of Orleans the most senior women at court. She was popular with the court and noted as being very charming. In 1725, Louis XV married Marie Leszczynska, making Auguste one step behind the new queen in terms of rank and etiquette. She and her husband lived in the Chateau de Saint-Cloud, one of the Orleans' residences, and had also an apartment at the chateau of Versailles where her son Louis Philippe was born in 1725.
Expecting to give birth to her second child at Versailles in early August 1726, her mother in law Dowager Duchess of Orleans forced her heavily pregnant daughter in law to return to Paris in order to have the child at the Palais-Royal. Leaving Versailles on 4 August, she had to stop at Sevres due to the extremity of her labour pains. Despite the stop, she returned to Paris.
Auguste died on 8 August 1726, at the age of twenty-two, three days after giving birth to the couple's second child at the Palais-Royal, the Paris residence of the House of Orleans. Despite the shortness of the relationship, many contemporaries said that the couple was well matched and that they had fallen in love at first sight. After her death, her husband went into a long period of mourning. It was said of Auguste that she had all the great qualities of the heart, that she died with the universal regret of France.
She was buried at the Val-de-Grace Convent in Paris. After her death, her aunt by marriage Elisabeth Charlotte d'Orleans suggested that Louis marry one of her daughters namely Elisabeth Therese of Lorraine and Anne Charlotte. Louis refused outright, much to the annoyance of his aunt.
Issue
- Louis Philippe d'Orleans (12 May 1725 – 18 November 1785) married Louise Henriette de Bourbon and had progeny.
- Louise Marie d'Orleans (5 August 1726 – 14 May 1728) died in infancy.