Portrait of Marie Leszczyńska by François Albert Stiemart
While passing through Metz in 1725 on her way to become Queen of France, Maria Leszczynska received from the Jews of the city a rich gift of gold and silver vases. After admiring them for some moments, the Polish princess ordered them to be delivered to the city’s bishop, then sold, so that the proceeds could be distributed to the poor.
Jacques Necker, Galerie de l’ancienne cour (Maestricht: J. E. Dufour, 1787), Vol. 3, p. 133. (Nobility.org translation.)
Short Stories on Honor, Chivalry, and the World of Nobility—no. 454
