Athenais, the Real Queen of France by Lisa Hilton

Athenais, the Real Queen of France by Lisa Hilton

The reign of Athenais de Montespan as principal mistress of Louis XIV corresponds with the most glorious period of the Grand Siecle. Athenais was "the true Queen of France", symbol of a dazzling French culture in the 17th century. As a lover, she risked the disgrace of double adultery to conduct an affair which scandalized Europe; as a patron she supported many of the leaders of the cultural renaissance including Moliere and Racine; as a mother she is the ancestor of most of the royal houses of Europe. The greatest beauty of her day, Athenais' life was lived publicly and sensationally until accusations of witchcraft forced her from power in the "Affair of the Poisons", a mystery which remains unsolved. She fascinates not only because she achieved power at a time when it was denied to most women, but because she achieved that power through her manipulation of a proscribed role.

Hilton conjures up the arch, self-satisfied world of Paris salons and the Versailles court with considerable panache- TIMES

Worth reading. Athenaïs- The Real Queen of France is lively, perhaps reflecting the character of its subject... It conveys the flavour of the age. - DAILY TELEGRAPH

Lisa Hilton is 27. After leaving New College, Oxford University, she studied Fine Art at Christie's in Paris. In 1999 she was runner-up for the Vogue Young Writer of the Year for Journalism.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9780316858786
ISBN 10	0316858781
Title	Athenais, the Real Queen of France
Author	Lisa Hilton
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Little, Brown & Company
Year published	2002-01-01
Number of pages	352
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.