Marie Thérèse, Madame Royale

Marie Thérèse (2 January 1667 – 1 March 1672) was the fourth child and only legitimate surviving daughter of King Louis XIV of France and his wife; Maria Theresa of Spain.

As the daughter of a reigning French Monarch, she was Fille de France and was known at court by the traditional honorific style of Madame Royale.

Upon her parents' request, the following year after her birth, they had her baptised promptly alongside her godfather; Henri Jules, Prince of Condé and her paternal aunt; Margaret of Lorraine.

Her mother wanted her to become the queen of Spain and it was proposed via Charles II, the heir presumptive to the Spanish Throne.

She watched as Marie Thérèse struggled to utter the words "Maman... peux plus..."[4] Shortly afterwards she succumbed to tuberculosis at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

Portrait of Charles II as a child, c. 1673
Cropped image of family portrait [ 11 ]