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What compelling reason drives the young widow of
the Constable de Luynes to flee Paris one chilly
evening in April 1622? What advice would she
seek from the strange character she shelters in
her château at Lésigny?
Breathtakingly beautiful, wealthy, intelligent,
witty and ambitious, Marie de Rohan-Montbazon,
Duchess of Luynes, is being pursued by the
rancour of Louis XIII, whom she thought for a
moment she had enslaved to her charm. She now
had to find a way to protect herself as quickly
as possible from a disgrace that would condemn
her to what she feared most: obscurity. A
convent or a prison? She loves the lavish life,
the men, the intense joys of love, but also the
power she will seek all her life, without
worrying about those she leaves along the way.
So she uses all the resources of her seduction
to regain her place with Queen Anne of Austria,
whom she tries to drive into the arms of the
Englishman Buckingham, in order to take revenge
on the King. Now the Duchess of Chevreuse, she
faces a formidable adversary in Cardinal
Richelieu, who she knows desires her.
Under the silk of courtly words, the daggers are
sharpened. It was a time of duels, conspiracies
and ruthless repression, as well as the time of
the Musketeers, whose corps had just been
created. Marie will collect lovers, but perhaps
she will love only one...
♣
Inscription in the Novel :
« Love is nothing if it is not madness, a
senseless cause, defended and an adventure in
evil... »
~
Thomas Mann
~
Love, power and betrayal... The ingredients
that have made Juliette Benzoni such a success
are more present than ever in her latest novel,
which carries a banner: Marie des intrigues (to
be followed by Marie des passions). We will
learn all about Marie de Médicis and her
relationship with the court of Louis XIII.
~
Mohammed Aïssaoui
~
(Le
Figaro)
In the newspaper La Montagne :
Juliette Benzoni vividly portrays an era
teeming with intrigue. Her novelistic quality is
underpinned by a wealth of documentary material.
She revisits history with passion and a sense of
romance.
~
Robert Guinot
~
(La Montagne)
|
ℳarie
des Passions /
Plon 2005
|
After
escaping an assassination attempt, the all too
seductive Marie, Duchess of Chevreuse, sensual
and cunning, sees the end of her period of exile
in Lorraine. She was finally allowed to return
home to Dampierre, on condition that she never
left. This did not prevent her from continuing
to conspire with Queen Anne of Austria, who
considered her to be her best friend.
Taking advantage of a political turnaround, she
returned to the "Court of Louis XIII", stronger
than ever since she had secured the tender
support of the Keeper of the Seals, Châteauneuf.
Unable to resist her taste for intrigue,
obsessed by a power that continues to elude her,
she accumulates faults and lovers. A double game
begins, as strange as it is dangerous, in which
Marie will not be the strongest and will not be
able to avoid the cruelest of wounds striking
her. Will there be no cure?
♣
Summary by publisher France Loisirs
:
After "Marie des intrigues", Juliette
Benzoni, exploring her favourite historical
period, here recounts the continuing adventures
of a heroine who, through ambition and a taste
for seduction, continues to play with fire, even
if her adversaries are named Richelieu or Louis
XIII.
♣
Quotes from the
Novels :
 She
had everything: seduction, radiance, charm,
beauty of course, but also a lively spirit and a
joie de vivre that made her irresistible.
Nonchalant, tender or mocking, her smile opened
hearts, while her cascading laughter was capable
of amusing the most frowning of dowagers.
Demolishing
a reputation has always been a favourite pastime
at court.
The
air of disgrace is the hardest to breathe.
♣ Charles
d'Albert, Duke of Luynes, Constable of France, 'favourite'
of Louis XIII, late husband of Marie de Rohan
♣ Marie Aimée de Rohan,Duchess of Chevreuse -
daughter of Hercule de Rohan, Duke of Montbazon
and of Madeleine de Lenoncourt
♣ Claude de Lorraine - Duke of Chevreuse, Grand
Chamberlain of France, her second husband.
♣ Anne d'Autriche - Queen of France
♣ Louis
XIII - King of France, her husband.
♣ Louise of Lorraine - the Princess of Conti,
best friend of Marie.
♣ François de Bassompierre - Marshal of
France (married secretly to Louise of Lorraine)
♣ Gaston d'Orléans - Monsieur, brother o
the King
♣ Marie de Médicis - Queen mother - widow
of Henri IV, godmother of Marie de Rohan
♣ Marie-Henriette de France - sister of King
Louis XIII, future Queen of England
♣ Armand-Jean du Plessis - Cardinal Richelieu,
French statesman
♣ Henri de Talleyrand Périgord, Count of Chalais,
master of the king's wardrobe.
♣ Henry Rich, 1st Earl of Holland - Member
of the English Parliament - lover of Marie de
Rohan
♣ George Villiers, Duke of Buckingham -
English courtier and statesman
♣ Geoffroy de Laigues, Marquis - captain
of Gaston d'Orléons' guards - Marie's last lover
♣ Gabriel de Motteville, Squire, Musketeer
♣ Herminie de Lénoncourt, Ladies Maid of
Marie de Rohan, Duchess of Chevreuse
♣ Pierre de la Porte, portemanteau, en
service de la Reine Anne d'Autriche
♣ Elen du Latz, Ladies maid of the
duchesses of Chevreuse
♣
French Editions
:
Éditions Plon [2004 - 2005]
Éditions V.D.B [2005 - large letters]
Édition of the Club France Loisirs [2006]
Édition Pocket [2006]
Édition Pocket [2012]
Édition Kindle Plon [2013]
♣ Foreign editions :
The story of
Marie de Rohan, Duchess of Chevreuse has also
been translated in the following countries :
Portugal
Marie, a duquesa
das Intrigas &
Marie, a duquesa das paixões
Bertrand Editoria [2005]
Hungary
Marie I, Az intrikus &
Marie II.A szenvedélyes
Editions Geopen [2006]
Russia
Мария - королева интриг &
Страсти по Марии
Editions Eksmo [2015]
[ Creation © Hélène Rouillé ]
with a portrait of Marie de Rohan, gravure by
James Stow - 1798
Extrait
of « Marie des Intrigues »
text ©
PLON
Introducing Marie de Rohan, the Duchess of
Chevreuse
« "At the age of seventeen, Marie-Aimée de
Rohan-Montbazon was married to the great friend
of the young King Louis XIII, Charles d'Albert,
Duke of Luynes, who was rich with all the gifts
and offices obtained from royal recognition, the
last of which, the sword of Constable, did not
suit him at all because he was absolutely
incapable of assuming the responsibilities.
Among other graces, he had been allowed to marry
the prettiest maiden in the kingdom, capable of
making any man dream, be he king or pope! She
had it all: seduction, radiance, charm, beauty
of course, but also a lively spirit and joie
de vivre that made her irresistible.
Nonchalant, tender or mocking, her smile opened
hearts, while her cascading laughter was capable
of amusing even the most supercilious of customs
officers. What's more, Marie knew how to be an
artist, using her soft, warm voice, the voice of
a siren when it pleased her to sing. This was
not uncommon.
She always dressed her bewitching body to
perfection, adding to her elegance a regal
allure even though she was not tall, and the
enormous 'ruff' « meule de moulin » that
were in fashion at the time, offering their
radiance of tasseled lace to the most ravishing
face, only added to it. The young duchess had
fine, aristocratic features, fresh, full lips,
long, shifting ultramarine eyes beneath a tawny
forehead, her hair done up high - because of the
strawberries - and topped, for the moment, with
an amusingly fashionable hat, the raised brim of
which was adorned with a diamond clasp... »
portrait of Queen Anne of Austria and Marie-Aimée
de Rohan, Duchess of Chevreuse
[ Creation © Hélène Rouillé ]
Chapter : « When
Buckingham lost his head... » text ©
PLON
Marie was ecstatic. After her first meeting with
the Englishman, Anne had called her to her room
without witnesses.
Well, Madame," she exclaimed from the depths of
her reverence, "wasn't I right? Isn't the Duke
the most marvellous man in the world?
Spontaneously, the Queen held out both her hands
which she kissed. :
- Ah, my lamb, you were absolutely right. I've
never met anyone who looks like him. Even in 'Amadis
de Gaule'! No hero comes close.
- And yet he couldn't let his heart speak to
such an audience. It's all yours, this heart
that he opens wide before me, and you should
hear him when he speaks.
- Your Majesty! This man is consumed by a
passion like no other! !
- As much as that?" said Anne, whose face
flushed. Isn't that a bit... excessive? ?
- « Not when it comes to you, Madame. You're
more beautiful than ever! Especially since this
afternoon! You're glowing... proof that you're
not really insensitive to sincere, passionate
love..»
|
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France Télévisions adapts a saga by
Juliette Benzoni into a mini series
I am delighted to announce
that after
Catherine
1986,
Marianne
1983,
Le Gerfaut 1987
and
La
Florentine 1991 by
Juliette Benzoni,
another of her sagas has been selected for a
mini-series on France 2 television! The series
is called "Marie des Intriques & Marie des
Passions", about the friendship between Marie de
Rohan, Duchess of Chevreuse and Queen Anne of
Austria. The chosen title is "A Dangerous
Friendship". A historical drama of intrigue,
plots and everything we love so much about
Juliette's historical novels.
The filming of the series 'Une
Amitié Dangereuse' took place from 17 August to
21 October 2023 in Burgundy (Noyers, Buffon's
Grande Forge, Dijon, the Rue de la Chouette),
Auxerre, the Château de Fontainebleau, Compiègne,
the Château de Bussy-Rabutin, the Château
d'Ancy-le-Franc, the Château de Pierrefonds, the
Château de Rixensart (Belgium), etc...
We can't wait for the
broadcast date of
director
Alain Tasma's new
serie 'A
dangerous friendship'
Do not miss the new
articles
with photos available on the page devoted to
« A dangerous friendship
» |
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See also my
updated page "A Dangerous
Friendship" about the
director Alain Tasma
and the cast. |
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