Courtiers at Versailles
Athénaïs, Madame de Montespan – Louis XIV’s maîtresse-en-titre
Louis XIV – the Sun King
Gabrielle de Thianges – Athénaïs’ older sister
Angelique de Fontanges – a young lady, new to court
Marie-Therese – the Queen of France
Madame de Maintenon – former governess of Athénaïs and Louis’ children
Comtesse de Soissons – high ranking courtier accused of poisoning her husband
Colbert – Louis XIV’s closest advisor
And one no longer at Versailles…
Louise de la Valliere – once friend of Athenais & mistress of Louis XIV, now Sister Louise de la Misericorde living in a Carmelite convent in Paris.
In the Parisian Underworld
Lesage – self-styled magician and fortune-teller
Catherine Montvoisin – also known as La Voisin, a leading fortune-teller, provider of ‘inheritance powders’, aphrodisiacs and more.
Abbe Guiberg – a wayward priest
Marie Montvoisin – daughter of La Voisin
The Investigation
Nicholas La Reynie – Chief of the Paris Police. Lead investigator in the Affair of the Poisons
Philippe Bezons – La Reynie’s assistant
Jean Sargot – La Reynie’s secretary and record-keeper
Servants
Claudette des Oeillets – personal maid to Athenais, Madame de Montespan
Image attribution:
All images are from Wikimedia commons. Click on images to find link & attribution.
Kate Braithwaite 