Despite a demanding military career, d’Artagnan also led an active personal life. On March 5, 1659, at around forty years of age, he married Anne-Charlotte de Chanlecy, Lady of Sainte-Croix, a Burgundian noblewoman who brought a substantial dowry to the marriage.
Aware of her husband’s significant expenses at court, she took care to protect her personal fortune, as shown by specific clauses in their marriage contract. The union between d’Artagnan and Anne-Charlotte was far from harmonious. Madame d’Artagnan appears in archival records as a determined, independent woman, strongly attached to defending her rights. Tireless in litigation, she frequently appeared in court accompanied by her lawyer, especially in Mâcon.
Given their strong personalities, marital tensions led to a legal separation of property in 1665. Shortly after, likely wearied by his wife’s character, d’Artagnan requested and obtained from the King a lettre de cachet that forced her to remain on her Burgundian estates. It was only after d’Artagnan’s death that Anne-Charlotte returned to Paris to settle her husband’s estate.
The couple had two sons, both named Louis de Batz de Castelmore (1660-1709 and 1661-1714), named in honour of the King. Their late baptisms in 1674 at Versailles were significant events: the King and Queen served as godparents to the eldest, while the Grand Dauphin and Mademoiselle de Montpensier were sponsors to the younger. This double patronage reflected the official esteem the monarchy held for d’Artagnan, even posthumously.
The King personally covered the costs of their education, providing a tutor for their general instruction and a valet to assist them daily.
Dumas'world
While history remains discreet about d’Artagnan’s romantic life, literature has embellished it. Courtilz de Sandras, author of Mémoires de M. d’Artagnan, attributed many love affairs to him without confirmation. Among these alleged lovers are a mysterious Norman tavern keeper, likely the inspiration for Constance Bonacieux in The Three Musketeers, and a woman identified by some as Lady Carlisle, a possible model for Milady.
However, no concrete evidence—letters or testimonies—supports these claims. D’Artagnan seems to have had a discreet personal life, marked more by a strategic marriage than by public passions.
