The Creation of the French Royal Mistress: From Agnes Sorel to Madame Du BarryKings throughout medieval and early modern Europe had extraconjugal sexual partners. Only in France, however, did the royal mistress become a quasi institutionalized political position. This study explores the emergence and development of the position of French royal mistress through detailed portraits of nine of its most significant incumbents: Agns Sorel, Anne de Pisseleu dHeilly, Diane de Poitiers, Gabrielle dEstres, Franoise Louise de La Baume Le