Madame de Pompadour Born: Power Behind the French Throne
Madame de Pompadour rose from the Parisian bourgeoisie to become the most powerful woman in France as the official mistress and chief advisor to Louis XV. Her patronage of Voltaire, Diderot, and the porcelain works at Sevres shaped the cultural life of the Enlightenment, while her political influence over foreign policy helped steer France into the Seven Years' War.
December 29, 1721
305 years ago
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