La Comtesse Dubarry was the mistress of King Louis XV. Notorious for her disrespectful behaviour at court and her extravagance with money, she was also profligate in dispensing her charms. Perhaps this bad behaviour originated in her humble beginnings – she was the illegitimate daughter of a seamstress and had to claw her way up in life. She was a countess by virtue of her marriage of convenience to an indigent count. It is clear from contemporary sources that many looked down on this social climber who charmed the rather dull king.
