Marie Angélique de Scorailles (; July 1661 – 28 June 1681) was a French noblewoman and one of the many mistresses of Louis XIV. A lady-in-waiting to his sister-in-law Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine, the Duchess of Orléans, she caught the attention of the Sun King and began an affair with him in 1679. She died two years later, most probably as a result of complications arising from childbirth. Royal mistress Marie Angélique de Scorailles was born in 1661 at the Château de Cropières in Upper Auvergne. She came from a very old aristocratic family; her father was the Comte de Rousaille, and the King's Lieutenant. Her family realized that her beauty was a great asset and raised enough money to send her to court, with the aim of restoring the family fortunes. Marie arrived at the court of Louis XIV in 1678 and became maid of honor to the Duchess of Orléans. At the time Louis XIV had appeared to be losing interest in his longtime established mistress Marquise de Montespan and turning to the governess of their children, Madame de Maintenon. Infatuated by the beauty of the young girl, the king suddenly abandoned both women, and the stand-off between the two was suddenly eclipsed by a new passion which appeared to threaten them both equally. Despite her physical charms, Marie Angélique was said by the court to be "as stupid as a basket." The Duchess of Orleans wrote "[she is] a stupid little creature, but she [has] a very good heart" but described her as "lovely as an angel, from head to foot". Louis XIV, however, suddenly felt young again. He wore diamonds, ribbons and feathers, and presented her with a pearl grey carriage with eight horses. During a hunt in the forest of Fontainebleau, her hair clung to a branch and she appeared before the king with her hair loosely tied in a ribbon, tumbling in curls to her shoulders. The king found this rustic style delightful, and the next day many courtiers adopted the new "fontange" hairstyle, except the Marquise de Montespan, who thought it was in "bad taste". Two pet bears belonging to Montespan escaped from their menagerie and managed to find, and destroy, Marie's apartment in Versailles. This event made both women comical at court. Soon it appeared she was pregnant, further angering Montespan, who had thought their affair was a passing fancy, easily controlled