Princess Louise de Broglie
(1818–82)

Biographical

Louise was said to have been rebellious in her youth, and in her memoirs, she declare that her secret dream was 'a life of society, of triumphs, of flirtation', however, she remained a fervent Protestant. She married the comte d'Haussonville at the encouragement of her mother, despite her having no affection for him at the time. Due to her husband's career in foreign affairs, he was posted to various cities in Europe. She followed him to Brussels after their marriage, where her first child was born, but the child died six months later. Her husband was then posted to Naples, but Louise stayed at Geneva, where she had her second child in 1839. Her husband's career continued to progress, and Louise gave birth to a third child in 1843, when Ingres was working on her portrait. Inspired by her grandmother, Madame de Staël, Louise became a prolific and gifted writer. She wrote mostly short romantic novels and studies of historical figures. Her best known works are her biographies of Robert Emmet, published in 1858, and two on the life of Lord Byron (1872, 1874). Ingres had noted that Louise was unhappy, and suspected she that was enduring a loveless marriage. Her appearance was later said to have been affected by smallpox, and the writer, Prosper Mérimée, was to earn her ire after he made comments about her weight and faded beauty.

Place of birth: Paris
Place of marriage: Paris
Place of death: Paris

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