At the end of War of the Polish Succession in 1737, the duchies of Lorraine and Bar were ceded to the landless ex-king of Poland, Stanislas Leszczyński, father of Marie Leszczyńska, Louis XV's Queen consort.

As Stanislas moved into the Château de Lunéville, the Principality of Commercy was given to the widow of Léopold, the dowager duchess of Lorraine, Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans niece of Louis XIV and sister of the deceased Philippe II, Duke of Orléans.

[3] When the Dowager Duchess of Lorraine died of a stroke, at Commercy, on 23 December 1744, ownership of the château reverted to Stanislas Leszczyński, under whom it had its golden age.

Neglected, the gardens quickly became overgrown; the once great parterre and the Grand Canal were destroyed, and their original site is today occupied by small buildings.

The 20th century saw the building being used as lodgings for soldiers in 1940 during World War II; on 31 August 1944, the château was heavily damaged by fire; and, in 1957, the city of Commercy acquired the ruins from the State in order to carry out its restoration.