Angélique Victoire, Comtesse de Chastellux

Who was Angélique Victoire, Comtesse de Chastellux?

Angélique Victoire de Durfort-Civrac, Countess of Chastellux by marriage, was a courtier at Versailles and the Château de Bellevue. In 1786 she succeeded her mother as dame d'atour to Madame Victoire, daughter of King Louis XV.

She was born to Aymeric Joseph de Durfort, duc de Civrac, and his wife, Anne-Marie de La Faurie de Monbadan; her elder siblings were Jean-Laurent de Durfort-Civrac, duc de Lorges, and the Marquise de Donnissan, mother of the memoirist Victoire de Donnissan, marquise de La Rochejaquelein.

Mlle de Durfort's godmother was the princess Victoire of France, and she was raised and educated at the famous school at Saint-Cyr. In 1773 she was married at Saint-Cyr to Henri Georges César, comte de Chastellux. Madame de Chastellux bore her husband a son and heir, César Laurent, marquis de Chastellux, and two daughters: Louise Pauline de Chastellux, who married Joseph Élisabeth Roger, comte Damas d'Antigny; and Gabrielle Joséphine Simone de Chastellux, the wife of Jean Baptiste Auguste Madeline de Percin, marquis de la Valette Montgaillard.

The comtesse succeeded her mother as dame d'atour to Princess Victoire in 1786, whilst her husband was named gentleman-in-waiting. With her court appointments the comtesse had expected to be created a duchess, and considered resigning her post when she learned otherwise. However, due to the entreaties of Victoire and her elder sister, the Princess Adélaïde, the comtesse de Chastellux agreed to continue in the royal service, and remained with the princess.