Jeanne de Pompodour

Jeanne de Pompadour married Charles-Guillaume Le Normant d’Étioles, a French financier and family friend, by whom she had one child. After the death of King Louis XV’s mistress in 1744, Jeanne became involved with the king and obtained a legal separation from her husband. While serving as secretary to the king, she made an enduring contribution to French culture as the sponsor of a number of artistic and architectural projects, including the Petit Trianon at Versailles, a new wing at the palace of Fontainebleau, and the Château de Bellevue.