Do you think Louis XIV's "distancing" with Athenaïs de Montespan was due to the fact that he found her to be too similar to him? I read it somewhere and I find this hypothesis quite interesting, but i suppose the truth is more complex and we should take into account other factors: time, Montespan growing old and losing her physical attractive, the Poisons Affair, religion... Ok the other hand, wasn't this "sinilarity of their personalities" what drew him to her and made him forget the less demanding, less pleasure-loving, less political La Valière? Thanks

The thing that rubs me the wrong way with the idea that they were too similar is that it doesn't take into account what the standard for 'popular' was at the time. Wit was in, demure was out. Of course Montespan shone brighter than anyone at a time where her wits were appreciated and glamorized. Both of them were a product of that era specifically so it kind of cancels the whole 'i recognize you and you recognize me' idea. Popular kids are popular because they conform to a norm, and eventually excel at it. There's also a significant aspect of her life as a royal mistress and her way to it that's overlooked more often than not, and it's that Athénaïs was a package deal. Her sister, Thianges, and her brother, Vivonne, were arguably two of the closest friends of Louis and Philippe's since childhood, if such thing ever existed. I'm not saying that Athénaïs was groomed to become a royal mistress, but she had significant (and suitable, mind you) connections already in place when the opportunity presented itself.

Overall I'm more of a mind that he genuinely thought himself to have outgrown her, which is rich considering he likely brought out the worst in her in some way. She grew more and more neurotic as the years went on and it was largely because he wasn't faithful to her (let alone the queen) and she couldn't handle being the butt of the joke. She also grew more and more distant with the kids at a time he became more and more involved in their life, which prompted her to overcompensate at the end when she realized it was a turn off for Louis, not to mention her multiple dalliances with domestic and foreign policy, which frankly annoyed him (all of which later blowing up in her face during the Affaire des Poisons). To me it's at best unlikely Montespan truly ever was involved in the Affaire des Poisons, so i don't believe it was the reason Louis finally broke up with her; i think if anything the way she reacted to Fontanges was the real deal breaker for him, assuming the way she treated everyone including their children wasn't already, and the Affaire was the right time to make it official.

'Hate me, but fear me'

Athenaïs de Montespan (1740-1707).

Can bring the lover to a royal be a title?

Most royal lovers were offered titles. Athenaïs Rouchencourt was created the Marquis de Montespan. Jeanne de Poisson was created Madame de Pompadour. Numerous mistresses of Charles II were made Duchesses. George Villers was created Duke of Buckingham.

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Anna Brewster, in Versailles, as Athenaïs de Montespan (Tarot Deck Style, for Graphtober)

A diferencia de la mayoría de los hombres nobles cuyas esposas eran favorecidas por Luis XIV de Francia, acumulando así fortuna y prestigio, el Marqués de Montespan se mostró absolutamente ofendido con la actitud de su esposa, Françoise-Athenaïs. El incómodo marido se apareció en palacio con un enorme par de cuernos de venado balanceándose sobre el techo de su carruaje, que estaba pintado de negro, se despidió de la corte, y emprendió un lúgubre cortejo fúnebre en honor a su "difunta" esposa. Apodado "el cornudo más grande de Francia", estaba furioso, y celebró funerales en memoria de Athénaïs, en los que lloró desconsoladamente, y se negaba a pasar por puertas que le parecían demasiado angostas porque aseguraba que los cuernos no le permitían pasar por ella. En pocas palabras, se puso tan pesado que Luis XIV lo invitó a alejarse de la corte. #secretoscortesanosfrancia http://bit.ly/2IE8jNO

Barbara Villiers or Athenaïs de Montespan?

Barbara! No offence to Athenaïs of course, I love her too, but Barbara was so formidable and yet weirdly admirable for her achievements.

Athenaïs de Montespan

Louis + Montespan in the palace of Versailles