Even though Louis XIV never permitted his mistresses to openly insult his wife, the Queen, he himself did nothing to prevent his consort from feeling miserable. The most dominating of the King's mistresses was Madame de Montespan whose magnificence was never matched by any other mistress at Versailles.
Meanwhile the Queen had to be contend with seeing her husband when he decided to fulfil his conjugal duties. This had been the case in when Louis XIV dragged the entire court to the front-line - at this time Madame de Montespan was heavily pregnant.
But when Madame de Montespan had finally gained complete ascendancy she travelled with the King in his carriage. The Queen was from then on travelling alone or with her ladies in her carriage - behind the King's. Once Versailles was finally completely finished the difference once again became painstakingly obvious. The Queen was given eleven rooms to make up her apartment on the second floor. Meanwhile, Madame de Montespan could dance around in no less than twenty rooms on the first floor.
Madame de Montespan Whenever the Queen and the maitresse-en-titre was out promenading their elaborate gown made it necessary to have someone carry their trains. The Queen had to make due with a simple non-titled page but Madame de Montespan had the honour of having her's carried by the Duc de Noailles. It did not take long before Madame de Montespan even to take control over the Queen's closest circle.
Madame de Montespan worried that having 12 beautiful ladies swirling beneath the King's eyes would be too great a temptation. Madame de Montespan agreed to letting the Queen keep her friend but the signal was obvious: the mistress outranked the Queen. Despite these obvious humiliations the Queen never complained to the King. Her complete submission to the King's infidelities resulted in an odd kind of respect from Louis.
