Maîtresse-en-titre


The maîtresse-en-titre was the chief Royal mistress of the king of France. The title came into use during the reign of Henry IV and continued through the reign of Louis XV. It was a semi-official position which came with its own apartments. In contrast, the title petite maîtresse was the title of a mistress who was not officially acknowledged.
From the reign of Louis XIV, the term has been applied, both in translation and in the original French, to refer to the main mistress of any monarch or prominent man when his relationship with her is not clandestine, e.g. Vibeke Kruse, Nell Gwynn, Jeanne Baptiste d'Albert de Luynes, Lola Montez, Magda Lupescu.

French royal mistresses with the position of ''Maîtresse-en-titre''

While the King may have many mistresses, there were normally only one official Maîtresse-en-titre. Below are examples of those with this position. For a full list of all the mistresses of a French King, regardless of their position as official or not, please see List of French royal mistresses.
Charles V of France
Charles VI of France
Charles VII of France
Louis XI of France
Francis I of France
Henry II of France
Henry III of France
Henry IV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XV of France
Louis XVIII of France