Appointed chaplain of the widowed Duchess of Berry in 1718, Girard only exercised this ministry very briefly for the powerful and influential daughter of the Regent, Philippe II, Duke of Orléans.
When Girard became her chaplain, the Duchess of Berry alternated moments of debauchery with prolonged retreats at a Carmelite convent.
She was then in the family way again but kept it a secret and freely indulged in lechery and strong drinks.
At the end of March 1719, the infamous Duchess suffered a harrowing delivery while being denied the sacraments.
[1] The philological works of Girard influenced Vasily Trediakovski, the pioneer of Russian language reform, whom he met in Paris around 1727.