Madame de Pompadour was born Jeanne-Antionette Poisson. Her father had left the family in 1725, when she was four, to escape his creditors. When Jeanne-Antionette was nine years old, her mother had taken her to a fortune teller and was told that one day she would become the mistress of a king. Her mother insisted on giving her the best education because of her belief that she would marry a rich man. When Jeanne reached the age of marriage, an arrangement was made by Normant de Tornehem for her to marry his nephew, Charles Guillaume le Normant d'Etoiles. In 1741 they were married and in 1744 she gave birth to a girl named Alexandrine. She began to plan ways to gain access into the most exlusive circles. Soon she was entertaining a great deal of men like Voltaire and Montesquieu in her chateau d'Etoiles. It did not take a long time for her name to be known all over Paris and even by the King himself. After the death of the Duchess de Chateauroux in 1744, Jeanne got a chance to become the King's mistress. On September 15, 1745, she was legally separated from her husband and pronounced the Marquise de Pompadour, the King's official mistress. She was very successful in finding ways to amuse and entertain the King. The Marquise de Pompadour has widely been known as a patron of the arts and literature. She had a huge library of thousands of books and had given her patronage to the writer Voltaire. She was also very successful in her artistic creations. She loved new buildings and decorative arts.She also planned the building of the palace of Compeigne and the Petit Trianon Palace at Versailles. On October 12, 1752 the King made her a duchess, the greatest favor he could bestow on her. Madame de Pompadour did not stay mistress to the king for long, in fact she stayed the king's lover for only five years. Nevertheless, she stayed a true and close friend to Louis XV until her death.

Madame de Pompadour was born Jeanne-Antionette Poisson. Her father had left the family in 1725, when she was four, to escape his creditors. When Jeanne-Antionette was nine years old, her mother had taken her to a fortune teller and was told that one day she would become the mistress of a king. Her mother insisted on giving her the best education because of her belief that she would marry a rich man. When Jeanne reached the age of marriage, an arrangement was made by Normant de Tornehem for her to marry his nephew, Charles Guillaume le Normant d'Etoiles. In 1741 they were married and in 1744 she gave birth to a girl named Alexandrine. She began to plan ways to gain access into the most exlusive circles. Soon she was entertaining a great deal of men like Voltaire and Montesquieu in her chateau d'Etoiles. It did not take a long time for her name to be known all over Paris and even by the King himself. After the death of the Duchess de Chateauroux in 1744, Jeanne got a chance to become the King's mistress. On September 15, 1745, she was legally separated from her husband and pronounced the Marquise de Pompadour, the King's official mistress. She was very successful in finding ways to amuse and entertain the King. The Marquise de Pompadour has widely been known as a patron of the arts and literature. She had a huge library of thousands of books and had given her patronage to the writer Voltaire. She was also very successful in her artistic creations. She loved new buildings and decorative arts.She also planned the building of the palace of Compeigne and the Petit Trianon Palace at Versailles. On October 12, 1752 the King made her a duchess, the greatest favor he could bestow on her. Madame de Pompadour did not stay mistress to the king for long, in fact she stayed the king's lover for only five years. Nevertheless, she stayed a true and close friend to Louis XV until her death.

Bio by: Jelena