ran oro ▁and ▁a ▁nie ce ▁of ▁Ran aval ona ▁III . ▁She ▁was ▁an ▁il leg it imate ▁child , ▁as ▁her ▁mother ▁had ▁conce ived ▁her ▁with ▁an ▁unknown ▁French ▁soldier . ▁She ▁was ▁born ▁while ▁the ▁royal ▁family ▁was ▁in ▁ex ile ▁in ▁French ▁territory ▁after ▁the ▁Mal ag asy ▁mon archy ▁was ▁abol ished ▁due ▁to ▁French ▁colonial ▁rule . ▁Her ▁mother ▁died ▁five ▁days ▁after ▁giving ▁birth . ▁Although ▁the ▁royal ▁family ▁were ▁Protest ant , ▁Marie - Lou ise ▁was ▁bapt ized ▁in ▁the ▁Catholic ▁faith ▁at ▁the ▁C athedral ▁of ▁St . ▁Den is ▁to ▁appe ase ▁the ▁French . ▁She ▁was ▁later ▁adopted ▁by ▁Queen ▁Ran aval ona ▁and ▁was , ▁according ▁to ▁the ▁traditional ▁rules ▁of ▁succession , ▁the ▁he ir ▁apparent ▁to ▁the ▁abol ished ▁throne ▁of ▁Mad agas car . ▁ ▁Within ▁a ▁month ▁of ▁arriv ing ▁in ▁Saint - D enis , ▁the ▁royal ▁family ▁were ▁moved ▁into ▁a ▁house ▁owned ▁by ▁Madame ▁de ▁Vill ent roy ▁on ▁the ▁corner ▁of ▁rue ▁de ▁l ' Ar sen al ▁and ▁rue ▁du ▁Rem part ▁near ▁the ▁French ▁government ▁offices . ▁Al ong ▁with ▁the ▁queen ▁and ▁prin cess es , ▁the ▁royal ▁household ▁included ▁two ▁secret aries , ▁a ▁cook , ▁a ▁ma id , ▁and ▁servants . ▁They ▁lived ▁in ▁the ▁house ▁for ▁almost ▁two ▁years ▁before ▁they ▁were ▁moved ▁by ▁the ▁French ▁government . ▁With ▁t ensions ▁between ▁France ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁over ▁conflict ▁in ▁Sud an , ▁French