Background
Louise de La Fayette was one of the fourteen children of John, comte de La Fayette, and Marguerite de Bourbon-Busset.
Louise de La Fayette was one of the fourteen children of John, comte de La Fayette, and Marguerite de Bourbon-Busset.
Louise became maid of honour to Anne of Austria, and Richelieu sought to attract the attention of Louisto her in the hope that she might counterbalance the influence exercised over him by Marie de Hautefort.
The affair did not turn out as the minister wished. The king did indeed make her the confidante of his affairs and of his resentment against the cardinal, but she, far from repeating his confidences to the minister, set herself to encourage the king in his resistance to Richelieu's dominion.
She refused, nevertheless, to become Louis's mistress, and after taking leave'of the king in Anne of Austria's presence retired to the convent of the Filles de Sainte- Marie in 1637.
Here she was repeatedly visited by Louis, with whom she maintained a correspondence.
Richelieu intercepted the letters, and by omissions and falsifications succeeded in destroying their mutual confidence.
