Françoise-Athénaïs de Rochechouart de Mortemart, Marquise of Montespan, commonly known as Madame de Montespan, was a French noblewoman and the most celebrated royal mistress of King Louis XIV. During their romantic relationship, which lasted from the late 1660s to the late 1670s, she was sometimes referred to as the "true Queen of France" due to the pervasiveness of her influence at court.

The maîtresse-en-titre was the chief royal mistress of the King of France. The title was vaguely defined and used in the Middle Ages but finally became an acknowledged office during the reign of Henry IV and continued through the reign of Louis XV. It was a semi-official position which came with its own apartments, estates and a title if the woman did not have any. The position could come with significant power, even more influence than the Queen of France, as some mistresses were known to advise the King of France sometimes in state affairs if he was so infatuated, broker favors for clients, elevate others in social mobility, forge alliances and negotiate with foreign diplomats all the while supplying the king his emotional and physical needs at the same time enriching themselves in the relationship. In contrast, the title petite maîtresse was the title of a mistress who was not officially acknowledged.