Madame de Chevreuse

Also known as: Chevreuse / Marie Michon / duchesse / old duchesse / the Beguine / the duchesse / the old duchesse · Family: French court · Role: woman of high rank · First appears: Chapter 6

In chapter 6, D’Artagnan identifies the veiled woman as “Madame de Chevreuse!” while she meets Aramis beside a tomb, where he greets her with ceremonious respect. D’Artagnan continues investigating the burial connected with her appearance, asking about the body buried that morning.

By chapter 40, Madame de Chevreuse is living at Brussels with Laicques and receiving a pension from the Jesuit order through Spain. Her long friendship with Aramis is established—“our friendship is by no means of recent date.”—and she offers to secure him the succession to the Franciscan’s post, though he refuses. She possesses letters from Mazarin concerning funds allegedly taken by Fouquet, and declares that she will use them against him as a political weapon; she also says she will not denounce her dear friend Fouquet outright. She is closely allied with Madame de Longueville, relies on Athos for discretion, and says that Anne of Austria has always had grievances against her.

In chapter 41, Madame de Chevreuse gives Colbert the original letters of Mazarin in exchange for payment, and he arranges for her to enter Anne of Austria’s presence disguised as a Beguine. In chapter 43, set in 1620, she reveals to Anne of Austria that Louis XIV has a twin brother, then unmasks herself and is embraced by the queen. In 1644, she retains Anne of Austria’s dangerous letter about the unhappy child, invites her to Dampierre, and later reports that the child and his tutor were recognized alive in Touraine. Around the events of chapter 48, Aramis refuses her offer of Mazarin’s financial letters, after which she takes them to Colbert at the Rue Croix des Petits-Champs; the letters are also said to be among those she holds from Mazarin.