By Defne Akçakayalıoğlu (St Andrew’s School ’23)
Letter (detail) from Marie Antoinette to Ignazio Boncompagni Ludovisi 12 December 1775, congratulating him on his recent appointment as Cardinal. Collection †HSH Prince Nicolò and HSH Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, Rome.
In summer 2010, HSH Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi discovered hidden within a large trunk in a storage area of the Casino dell’Aurora some of the most valuable documents of the private Archivio Boncompagni Ludovisi, most of which in 1947 was given to the Vatican Apostolic Archive. At the top of the trunk’s contents were 13 letters of French king Louis XVI (1754-1793) and 12 of queen Marie Antoinette (1755-1793), none previously known, spanning the years 1775 to 1787.
The French monarchs came to the throne on 10 May 1774, and so the series starts in the second year of their reign. All are addressed to Ignazio Boncompagni Ludovisi (1743-1790), who was created a Cardinal by Pope Pius VI in 1775, and then Vatican Secretary of State on 29 June 1785. Cardinal Ignazio held the latter post for four years before he had to step down in September 1789 because of poor health. He moved to the healing center of Bagni di Lucca, famous for its thermal baths, where he died in August 1790, aged just 47.
Funerary monument of Cardinal Ignazio Boncompagni Ludovisi, recording his career and untimely death at Bagni di Lucca in 1790, aged 47. Set up in 1791 by his elder sister Marianna at the church of St Ignazio, Rome. Photo: T.C. Brennan
Of the 25 recovered letters from Louis XVI (1754-1793) and Marie Antoinette (1755-1793), the first two, each from 1775, congratulate Ignazio on his election as Cardinal. In the rest of the letters, Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette thank Cardinal Ignazio Boncompagni Ludovisi for New Year’s wishes that he had sent them. They always write from their palace at Versailles, and address him as “Mon Cousin”, because of his status as a prince, not because of actual family ties.
The timing of the letters raises interesting speculations. The 1775 letters are both dated 12 December 1775, which is almost exactly one month after Ignazio Boncompagni Ludovisi’s appointment as Cardinal on 13 November 1775. The lateness with which Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette chose to congratulate him may display their lack of immediate concern for the Cardinal, who in fact may have initiated the correspondence. It seems that they are writing out of formality and the structure of social expectations rather than any genuine excitement about his appointment. The archive at the Casino dell’Aurora contains another letter of congratulation to the Cardinal on his appointment, from Marie Antoinette’s mother, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. That is dated 7 December 1775.
Medal commemorating the marriage of the future Louis XVI to Marie Antoinette on 16 May 1770. Credit: Jean Elsen & ses Fils S.A., Auction 124, Lot 1849, 14 March 2015.
As noted, each of the letters from the French royals that date between 1776 and 1787 are acknowledgements of New Year’s wishes, responding to the Cardinal’s original letter. New Year’s was one of the most important days of the year in the French court of the time, and was the occasion for the exchange of gifts, rather than Christmas. The fact that the Cardinal was the first to write in all twelve years again shows how the royal family was not much concerned with being overly deferential to the Cardinal. Rather, they perhaps expected him to write first.
This is reiterated by the dates on the letters. Every letter from Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in the years 1776 through 1786 was written on the 31st of January, with one exception: in 1779 Marie Antoinette writes on 30 January. To send someone New Year’s wishes, and particularly to respond to previously-sent New Year’s regards, the end of January would be the last socially acceptable date to respond, as the new year is well underway by February. This appears to demonstrate that, for the French royals, the Cardinal was of less significance to them compared to others with whom they had personal ties, who must have received letters much earlier, or maybe even received an initiating letter as opposed to a response to a letter.
Letter (detail) from Marie Antoinette to Ignazio Boncompagni Ludovisi 31 January 1787, noting that he had rushed his traditional New Year’s greetings. Collection †HSH Prince Nicolò and HSH Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, Rome.
From this, it can be inferred that Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette considered their social and political position far enough above the Cardinal to warrant such a late response, fearing no negative repercussions. In fact, the royals may have allotted the last day of January to write all such routine letters to Cardinals. A recently auctioned letter from 1791 addressed by Marie Antoinette to Cardinal Stefano Borgia (1731-1789-1804) is very close in content to the impersonal letters in the Boncompagni Ludovisi collection, and is similarly dated to the 31st of January of that year.
Etching by Angelo Campanella of Cardinal Ignazio Boncompagni Ludovisi (1743-1775-1790). Credit: Creative Commons.
Because of this social hierarchy, Cardinal Ignazio Boncompagni Ludovisi wrote his New Year’s letters relatively early. Louis XVI mentions in four letters from four different years (1777, 1779, 1780, and 1783) that the Cardinal’s letter was dated the 25th of November of the previous year. It may be assumed that the Cardinal would write to both king and queen on the same date, although Marie Antoinette never specifically mentions this in her letters. Ergo, it may be inferred that, for the Cardinal, the royal family was of considerable significance given how early he chose to send them letters, even though he, by the third of fourth year of correspondence, could certainly expect their late responses.
Interestingly, we can tell from Louis XVI’s 1787 letter of response that in the previous year, Cardinal Ignazio Boncompagni Ludovisi wrote even earlier—on the 22nd of November 1786 now under his new title as Vatican Secretary of State. It is possible that, due to his heightened position, he was awaiting an earlier response from the royal family. Unfortunately for him, this was not the case.
Not only do the king and queen again respond late, but Marie Antoinette actually questions him for his quickness: “you seem to be in a rush.” In the same year, Louis XVI responds not on the final day of January, but on the final day of February.
Letter (detail) from Louis XVI to Ignazio Boncompagni Ludovisi 28 February 1787, sent a full month later than any other letter in the long series of New Year’s greetings between monarchs and cardinal. Collection †HSH Prince Nicolò and HSH Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, Rome.
Following the 1787 exchange, there are no further letters in the Archivio Boncompagni Ludovii between Marie Antoinette, Louis XVI, and the Cardinal. This may suggest that the French royal family was pushing the Cardinal out of their social circle, perhaps for being too pushy with his new position. In any case, the thirteen year series of letters 1775-1787 reveals a previously unknown connection between the French court of Louis XVI and this important Cardinal, and also sheds fascinating light on the official personalities of the monarchs.
Melis Akçakayalıoğlu and I have transcribed below, with translation, the 1786 and 1787 letters from king and queen to the Cardinal which end the long series of their correspondence:
MARIE ANTOINETTE 31 JANUARY 1786
Vous ne pouvez douter que je ne reçoive votre sentiment à l’occasion de la nouvelle année avec autant de satisfaction que j’en ai à me persuader que votre attachement à ma personne est une suite de/du sentiment que vous avez toujours eu pour moi. Je saisirai avec plaisir l’occasion de vous en témoigner ma sensibilité en vous (donnant) la marque de ma bienveillance. Sur ce je prie Dieu qu’il vous ait, Mon Cousin, en sa Sainte digne grâce. Écrit à Versailles le 31 Janvier 1786
Do not doubt that I received your sentiment for the new year with the same satisfaction that I have when I convince myself that the attachment you have for me is the continuation of feelings you always had for me. I would gladly seize the opportunity to show you my affection by giving you tokens of my kindness. Thereupon I pray God has you, my Cousin, in his holy worthy grace. Written at Versailles on the 31st of January 1786. Marie Antoinette. [Countersigned by her secretary Nicolas-Joseph Beaugeard]
LOUIS XVI 31 JANUARY 1786
Mon cousin, les vœux que vous formez pour moi à l’occasion du renouvellement de l’ année me flattent autant que le sentiment que vous me témoignez pour ma satisfaction et ma prospérité. Je suis aussi persuadé de leur sincérité que vous devez l’être du désir que j’ai de vous faire ressentir les effets de mon estime et de mon affection. Sur ce je prie Dieu qu’il vous ait, Mon Cousin, en sa sainte digne grâce. Écrit à Versailles le 31 Janvier 1786
My cousin, the wishes you wrote to me for the renewal of the year are very flattering, as well as the feelings that you show for my wellness and prosperity. I am convinced of their sincerity as much as you should be convinced of my wish to make you feel my affection and the high esteem. Thereupon I pray God that he has you in his holy worthy grace. Written at Versailles on the 31st of January 1786. Louis. [Countersigned by his secretary Charles Gravier de Vergennes]
MARIE ANTOINETTE 31 JANUARY 1787
Mon cousin, votre empressement à me faire parvenir les vœux que vous formez pour moi à l’occasion de la nouvelle année ne me permet pas de douter de la sincérité de votre attachement à ma personne. Je désire bien véritablement de trouver l’occasion de vous en témoigner ma sensibilité en vous donnant des preuves de ma bienveillance. Sur ce je prie Dieu qu’il vous ait, mon cousin, en sa sainte et digne grâce. Ecrit à Versailles le 31 Janvier 1787
My Cousin, the rush you are in to send me good wishes for the new year do not allow me to doubt your sincere attachment towards me. I truly wish to find the opportunity to show you my affection by giving you tokens of my kindness. Thereupon I pray God that he has you in his holy worthy grace. Written at Versailles on the 31st of January 1787. Marie Antoinette. [Countersigned by her secretary Nicolas-Joseph Beaugeard]
LOUIS XVI 28 FEBRUARY 1787
Mon Cousin, J’ai reçu la lettre que vous m’avez écrite le 22 Novembre (dernier) j’y vois avec plaisir la sincérité de vos sentiments pour moi et les vœux que vous formez pour ma personne à l’occasion du renouvellement de l’année. Je vous en sais gré (et) vous devez compter sur les assurances que je vous donne bien volontier de ma parfaite estime et de mon affection particulière. Sur ce je prie Dieu qu’il vous ait, Mon Cousin, en sa sainte digne grâce. Écrit à Versailles le 28 Février 1787
My cousin, I received the letter that you wrote to me on the (last) 22nd of November, I see with pleasure the sincerity of your feelings for me and the wishes you formulated for my person upon the renewal of the year. I am grateful for you and you should count on the proofs that I gladly give you of my unique affection and the perfect esteem I hold you in. Thereupon, I pray God that he has you, My Cousin, in his holy worthy grace. Written at Versailles on the 28th of February 1787. Louis. [Countersigned by his secretary Count Armand Marc de Montmorin]
Defne Akçakayalıoğlu, a native of Istanbul, is a senior at St. Andrew’s School in Boca Raton FL where she is enrolled in the International Baccalaureate program. In summer 2022 she was a member of the internship program of the Archivio Digitale Boncompagni Ludovisi. She thanks Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi for the opportunity to study the materials in the Casino dell’Aurora archive, as well as Professor T. Corey Brennan (Rutgers University) for his guidance in the internship and suggestions on this article, which he made in consultation with Professor Catriona Seth (Oxford University), though emphasizing that she is not responsible for the views offered here.
Letter (detail of address) from Marie Antoinette to Ignazio Boncompagni Ludovisi, 31 January 1780. All the letters in the 1775-1787 series in the Casino dell’Aurora archive still preserve their original seals as here. Collection †HSH Prince Nicolò and HSH Princess Rita Boncompagni Ludovisi, Rome.
Archivio Digitale Boncompagni Ludovisi 
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