Licentious Facts About Marie-Louise O’Murphy, King Louis XV’s Little Mistress
Long before Meghan Markle, there was Marie-Louise O’Murphy. The low-born beauty rose from the gutters of France to the highest ranks of the nobility. But O’Murphy did it with her looks—and her body. From scavenging battlefields to usurping courtiers, these are the most licentious facts about Marie-Louise O’Murphy, the petite maîtresse.
1. She Started At The Bottom
If ever there was an opportunistic social climber or enterprising mistress, it was Marie-Louise O’Murphy. She was born to Daniel Morfi and Marguerite Iquy in the town of Rouen in October 1737.
Although she would eventually rub shoulders—and bump uglies—with the noblest families of France’s Ancien Regime, her own breeding was anything but noble.
2. Her Family Were Rebels
Marie-Louise came from an impoverished Irish Catholic family who had left Ireland for France following the failed Jacobite uprising.
The records aren’t entirely clear but it was either Marie-Louise’s grandfather or father who settled in the region of Normandy. From there, however, historical records paint a clear picture of poverty, depravity, and thievery.
3. Her Father Was A Spook
Marie-Louise’s father, Daniel Morfi, officially worked as an impoverished shoemaker—but he was hiding a twisted secret. He also moonlighted as a rogue international spy. Documents from the infamous Bastille show that Morfi had abandoned his family’s Jacobite allegiances in favor of personal gain. Unfortunately for Morfi, there was no honor among double agents.
4. Her Father Stayed At The Bastille
In late February of 1735, French authorities nabbed Morfi and threw him into a cell in the Bastille for seven months.
One of his co-conspirators had sold him out and confessed that Morfi had intercepted diplomatic communications between the deposed Stuarts and the French crown in an effort to extort money. Marie-Louise’s mother was off even worse.
