What is the meaning of fille du roi?

King’s Daughters
Definition. The Filles du Roi (King’s Daughters) were unmarried women and sometimes widows who were sponsored by the king to immigrate to New France between 1663 and 1673.

Did the Filles du Roi work?

The program was a resounding success. It was reported that in 1670, most of the girls who had arrived the previous year, 1669, were already pregnant and by 1671, a total of nearly 700 children were born to the filles du roi. The colony was expected to gain population self-sufficiency soon afterward.

Why are the Filles du Roi important?

Not to be taken in a literal sense, the filles du roi were a group of some 700 unmarried women who were sent to New France between 1663 and 1673 by King Louis XIV to solve a gender imbalance problem, and ultimately help to populate the new colony.

How many filles du roi did France send?

They were poor, abandoned, with no future in France. The King bestowed upon them a dowry of between 50 and 300 livres. “The 100 girls sent over by the king this year have only just arrived,” wrote Mother Marie de l’Incarnation, on October 29, 1665, ” and already they are almost all accommodated.

How long did it take the Filles du Roi to get to New France?

From 1663 to 1673, some 800 young women came to New France at the King’s expense, to marry and start families. Within six months of landing in the port of Québec, 80 percent of them were married.

What dowry was given to the Filles du Roi?

Some were given a royal gift of a dowry of 50 livres for their marriage to one of the many unmarried male colonists in Canada. These gifts are reflected in some of the marriage contracts entered into by the Filles du roi at the time of their first marriages.

What challenges did the filles du roi face?

A scene from Canada: The Story of Us of one Filles du Roi after becoming a wife and mother. With these unforgiving realities came childbirth in a time without proper hygiene, medical care, or painkillers. These women usually had many children to repopulate New France.

Why were the Filles du Roi important to New France?

The Filles du roi were part of King Louis XIV’s program to promote the settlement of his colony in Canada. Some 737 of these women married and the resultant population explosion gave rise to the success of the colony.