Prince Du Sang - Legitimised Royal Offspring

Legitimised Royal Offspring

Legitimised children of the King of France, and of other males of his dynasty, took surnames according to the branch of the House of Capet to which their father belonged, e.g. Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine, was the elder son of Louis XIV by his mistress, Mme de Montespan. After the legitimisation occurred, the child was given a title. Males were given titles from their father's lands and estates and females were given the style of Mademoiselle de X. Examples of this are (children of Louis XIV and Mme de Montespan):

• Louise Françoise de Bourbon (1669–1672);
• Louis-Auguste de Bourbon (1670–1736), titled duc du Maine – later married Anne-Louise-Bénédicte de Bourbon-Condé.
• Louis César de Bourbon (1672–1683), titled comte de Vexin;
• Louise-Françoise de Bourbon (1673–1743), titled Mademoiselle de Nantes – later wife of Louis III de Bourbon-Condé, prince de Condé
• Louise Marie Anne de Bourbon (1674–1681), titled Mademoiselle de Tours;
• Françoise-Marie de Bourbon (1677–1749), titled Mademoiselle de Blois – wife of Philippe II d'Orléans, duc d'Orléans.
• Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon (1678–1737), titled comte de Toulouse – later married to Marie Victoire de Noailles.

Also the child would be referred to as Légitimé de Bourbon; such as Marie Anne légitimée de Bourbon, mademoiselle de Blois daughter of Louis XIV and Louise de La Vallière. Her full brother was Louis de Bourbon, later given the title of comte de Vermandois.