On this day, the Duc de Luynes reports that Queen Marie attends mass at the church of Saint-Jacques for the duration of the court’s sojourn in Compiègne, but sometimes attends other services at the church of Saint-Corneille. At Saint-Jacques, the Bishop of Soissons receives her at the door, as he does today, and delivers an address. After mass, which is celebrated by a local priest, M de Soissons gives the Queen a blessing. Later in the day, he is the celebrant at vespers at Saint-Corneille, which both the King and Queen attend. Yesterday there was a Te Deum at Saint-Corneille and it was noted that Mme de Mailly and Mlle de Nesle both attended and sat near the King to his left.
Commentary:
The church of Saint-Jacques in the town of Compiègne is very close to the château and functions as the royal family’s parish church when they are in residence.
Pictured: An exterior view of the church of Saint-Jacques in Compiègne taken by me in July, 2023.
Compiègne is in the diocese of Soissons, which is why the Bishop of Soissons is in attendance on the royal family. Saint-Jacques is not his own church, which is presumably why he does not celebrate mass there.
Pictured: An interior view of Saint-Jacques taken by me in July, 2023.
The Bishop of Soissons at this date is François de Fitz-James, a son of the late 1st Duke of Berwick. Alert readers will realize that he is therefore a grandson of James II and Arabella Churchill. Mgr de FitzJames was only consecrated in Soissons last month.
Pictured: François de FitzJames (1709-1764), Bishop of Soissons and Duc de Fitzjames, 1728- 1730. This miniature by an unknown artist is in the Royal Collection Trust.
If you are wondering why Mgr de Fitz-James is depicted above in armour, it is because he was briefly in the army before his ordainment.
If you have questions that I have not addressed in the commentary, please ask in the comments.