Claude de Vin des Œillets

Who was Claude de Vin des Œillets?

Claude de Vin des Œillets, known as Mademoiselle des Œillets, was a mistress of Louis XIV of France and the companion of the official royal mistress and favourite Madame de Montespan.She was known for her involvement in the famous Affair of the Poisons.

Daughter of the actors Nicolas de Vin and Louise Faviot, considered the best tragic actress of the 1660s, during which created the leading roles in several tragedies of Pierre Corneille and Jean Racine. She became the trusted companion of Montespan. She had a child by the king, Louise de Maisonblanche. During the Affair of the Poisons, she was said to have made more than fifty visits to the poisoners. she was pointed out as the replacement of Montespan in the black masses. She was protected from any persecution by the monarch and Colbert, but the affair implicated Montespan and ruined the latter's relationship with the king. Œillets retired from court in 1678 to a comfortable life in her Paris residence and country estate.