Marie Casimire Louise de La Grange d'Arquien

Marie Casimire Louise de La Grange d'Arquien
Queen consort of Poland Grand Duchess consort of Lithuania
Tenure	1676–1696
Coronation	2 February 1676
Born	(1641-06-28)28 June 1641
Died	30 January 1716(1716-01-30) (aged 74)
Spouse	John Zamoyski John III Sobieski
Issue	Jakub Ludwik Sobieski Teresa Teofila Sobieska Adelaide Luise Sobieska Maria Teresa Sobieska Teresa Kunegunda Sobieska Aleksander Benedykt Sobieski Konstanty Władysław Sobieski Jan Sobieski
Father	Henri de la Grange d'Arquien
Mother	Françoise de la Châtre
Signature

Marie Casimire Louise de La Grange d'Arquien (Polish: Maria Kazimiera d’Arquien), known also by the diminutive form "Marysieńka" (28 June 1641, Nevers – 30 January 1716, Blois^[1]) was queen consort to King John III Sobieski, from 1674 to 1696.

Biography

Queen Marie Casimire on horseback.

Marie Casimire and her sister were the only surviving children of Henri de la Grange d'Arquien, a French nobleman. She came to Poland at the age of five years as a lady in waiting to Marie Louise Gonzaga, the French-born Queen of Poland from 1645 to 1672, wife and consort to two Polish kings — Władysław IV Vasa and later his brother (who succeeded him) John II Casimir Vasa. At the court she met John Sobieski, who arrived there in 1656, but she was first married to Jan "Sobiepan" Zamoyski in 1658, with whom she had five children, all died in infancy. Zamoyski died in 1665 and the widowed Marie Casimire eventually married Sobieski on the 14 July the same year. The couple had fifteen children together, but only four of them survived until adult age — Jakub, Aleksander, Konstanty and Teresa (who later became Kurfürstin of Bavaria and mother to Emperor Karl VII).

John Sobieski was elected King of Poland in 1672, not without the influence of his wife. As the Queen of Poland, Marie Casimire quickly became unpopular, as she supported the proposed Polish–French alliance, while at the same time striving to gain privileges for her family from the French king Louis XIV. She had poor health, with a persistent cough and recurring fever.

The Royal couple became famous for their love letters, most of which were written from 1665 to 1683, when they were parted either due to John III Sobieski's military engagements or her travels to Paris. The letters give insight not only into the authentic feelings of the loving couple, but also their reflections on contemporary issues and difficulties, as well as down-to-earth matters concerning the royal household and little day-to-day decisions made by the monarch, who often consulted his wife about them.^[2] Published long after the death of both of them, they can be credited with popularizing the King's way of addressing the Queen by the very diminutive form of her first name — "Marysieńka". She is widely remembered and referred to in Poland that way.

Issue

Marie Casimire first married Jan "Sobiepan" Zamoyski (1627–1665) on March 3, 1658 in Warsaw. They had five children, all of whom died in infancy or childhood:

• Ludwika Maria (April 1659 – May 1659).
• Son (born and died January 1660).
• Katarzyna Barbara (5 December 1660 – December 1662).
• Jan (January 1663- December 1665)
• Daughter (May 1664 – August 1664).

Zamoyski himself died April 2, 1665. Marie Casimire remarried in July of that year to the future Jan III Sobieski. This marriage was famously happy and the couple had fifteen children, though many did not survive to adulthood:

• Maria Karolina (2 January 1666- 10 March 1674)
• Jakub Ludwik Henryk (2 November 1667 – 19 December 1737), Crown Prince of Poland, married Countess Palatine Hedwig Elisabeth of Neuburg and had issue.
• Twin Daughters (9 May 1669), stillborn or died shortly after birth.
• Teresa Teofila (October 1670), was a frail child and failed to survive for more than a month.
• Adelajda Ludwika (15 October 1672 – 10 February 1677), called "Barbelune", died at the age of four.
• Maria Teresa (18 October 1673 – 7 December 1675), called "La Mannone", died at the age of two.
• Daughter (October 1674), stillborn or died shortly after birth.
• Teresa Kunegunda (4 March 1676 – 10 March 1730), married Maximilian II Emanuel, Elector of Bavaria and had issue.
• Aleksander Benedykt (6 September 1677 – 19 November 1714), died unmarried.
• Daughter (13 November 1678), stillborn or died shortly after birth.
• Konstanty Władysław (1 May 1680 – 28 February 1726), married Maria Józefa Wessel but had no issue.
• Jan (4 June 1682 – 1 January/12 April 1685), died at the age of two.
• Son (April 1683), died at birth
• Daughter (20 December 1684), stillborn or died shortly after birth.

Ancestors

Gallery

• 
  Queen Marie Casimire with Children.
• 
  John III Sobieski with his family.
• 
  Marysieńka as the penitent Magdalene.
• 
  The Queen's Chinese Palace.

See also

• Marywil and Marymont, two places named after Marysieńka.
• Wilanów Palace

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Maria Kazimiera Sobieska.

• Maria Kazimierza de la Grange d'Arquien at the Wilanow Palace Museum