Henriette Rénard

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Henriette Rénard (b. about 1685 - d. ? after 1724), was a mistress of Augustus the Strong, King of Poland and Elector of Saxony.

[edit] Biography

She was the daughter of André Rénard, a wine merchant from Lyon, and an unknown mother who was perhaps the sister of Henri Duval. This may explain why some sources call her Henriette Rénard-Duval. She had two brothers: Jan Baptiste and Benedict.

In 1706, she met August the Strong in Warsaw, when her father had a saloon. Most historians agree that at first, Henriette didn't know her lover's true identity.

On 26 November 1707, she gave birth to Augustus's daughter, called Anna Karolina. Soon after, Henriette married François Drian. When he died, she married Claude Henri Morel.

During the first sixteen years of Anna Karolina's life, she lived with Henriette in complete obscurity without her father's recognition or support. Nevertheless, in 1723, August finally met her and, on 19 September 1724, recognized her as his daughter, creating her Countess Orzelska. Apparently, Henriette never saw her daughter again after this.

The circumstances of her later life and death are unknown.