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The maîtresse-en-titre (French: [mɛtʁɛs ɑ̃ titʁ]) was the official royal mistress of the King of France.^[1] The title was vaguely defined and used in the Middle Ages but finally became an acknowledged, if informal, position during the reign of Henry IV (r. 1589–1610), and continued through the reign of Louis XV (r. 1715–1774). It was a semi-official position which came with its own apartments, estates and a title if the woman did not have any.^[2]

Some individuals having this position acquired significant power and more influence than the Queen of France, as some mistresses were known to advise the King of France in state affairs if he was so infatuated, broker favors for clients, elevate others in social mobility, forge alliances and negotiate with foreign diplomats.^[3]

From the reign of Louis XIV, the term has often been applied, both in translation ("official mistress") and in the original French, to refer to the main mistress of any monarch or prominent man when his relationship with her is not clandestine, e.g. Vibeke Kruse, Nell Gwynn, Jeanne Baptiste d'Albert de Luynes, Lola Montez, Magda Lupescu.

Petite maîtresse

In contrast, the title Petite maîtresse was the title of a mistress who was not officially acknowledged.

French royal mistresses with the position of Maîtresse-en-titre

While the King may have many mistresses, there was normally only one official Maîtresse-en-titre. Below are examples of those with this position. For a full list of all the mistresses of a French King, regardless of their position as official or not, please see List of French royal mistresses.

Charles V of France (1338 – 1380)

Biette de Cassinel (c. 1340 – c. 1380)

Charles VI of France (1368 – 1422)

Odette de Champdivers (c. 1384–1424)

Charles VII of France (1403 – 1461)

Agnès Sorel (c. 1422–1450)
Antoinette de Maignelais (c. 1430 – c. 1461)

Louis XI of France (1423 – 1483)

Phélise Regnard (1424–1474)
Marguerite de Sassenage (c. 1449–1471)

Francis I of France (1494 – 1547)

Françoise de Foix (1495–1537), countess of Châteaubriant
Anne de Pisseleu d'Heilly (1508–1580), duchess of Étampes

Henry II of France (1519 – 1559)

Diane de Poitiers (1499–1566)

Henry III of France (1551 – 1589)

Louise de La Béraudière du Rouhet (1530–1611)
Renée de Rieux de Châteauneuf (fl. 16th C.)
Marie of Cleves, Princess of Condé (1553–1574)

Henry IV of France (1553 – 1610)

Diane d'Andoins "La Belle Corisandre" (1554–1621)
Françoise de Montmorency (1562–1614)
Esther Imbert (1570 – c. 1593)
Antoinette de Pons (1570–1632)
Gabrielle d'Estrées (c. 1571–1599)
Catherine Henriette de Balzac d'Entragues (1579–1633), marquise de Verneuil
Jacqueline de Bueil (c. 1580–1651)
Charlotte des Essarts (c. 1580–1651)

Louis XIV of France (1638 – 1715)

Louise Françoise de la Baume le Blanc de la Vallière (1644–1710), duchesse de la Vallière and duchesse de Vaujours
Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, marquise de Montespan (1640–1707)
Françoise d'Aubigné, marquise de Maintenon (1635–1719), married the King in 1683
Isabelle de Ludres (1647–1722)
Marie Angélique de Scoraille de Roussille (1661–1681), duchess of Fontanges

Louis XV of France (1710 – 1774)

Louise Julie de Mailly (1710–1751), comtesse de Mailly
Pauline-Félicité de Mailly (1712–1741), marquise de Vintimille
Diane-Adélaïde de Mailly (1713–1760), duchess de Lauraguais
Marie-Anne de Mailly (1717–1744), duchess de Châteauroux
Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson (better known as Madame de Pompadour) (1721–1764), marquise de Pompadour
Marie-Jeanne Bécu (better known as Madame du Barry) (1743–1793), comtesse de Barry