Author Talk: 'The King's Mistress' With Professor Elizabeth Goldsmith

The French Cultural Center welcomes Boston University French professor Elizabeth Goldsmith to launch her latest biography of two of the most scandalous women in 17th century Europe: Marie Mancini and her sister, Hortense.  

During their childhoods, Marie and Hortense were whisked away to the court of Louis XIV in France and strategically married off by their uncle, Cardinal Jules Mazarin. Marie and Hortense, however, had a different lifestyle in mind. Miserable in their arranged marriages, the sisters abandoned their husbands to travel across Europe.  

On the road, Marie and Hortense won the affection of noblemen and kings alike and continued to defy social norms by gambling and cross-dressing. Their rebellious behavior became a frequent topic of conversation in salons throughout Europe and journalists followed Marie and Hortense closely, waiting to see what they would dare to do next.

Drawing from the sisters' personal letters and public newsletters of the era, Goldsmith will recount the lives of these free-spirited women who shocked European society with their efforts to live as independent women at a time when male dominance was written into law.

Talk will be followed by a wine reception. "The Kings' Mistresses: The Liberated Lives of Marie Mancini, Princess Colonna, and her sister Hortense, Duchess Mazarin" will be available for sale at the event.   

Event info, text, and photo provided by the French Cultural Center.