Saturday 24 June 2017

The Execution of the Comtesse d'Ossun

Geneviève de Gramont, Comtesse d'Ossun served as Marie Antoinette's dame d'amours since 1781. During her service to the queen she was often included in the inner circle of the royal family; for instance she was one of the few ladies permitted to be present at the birth of the second Dauphin.

During the queen's imprisonment she sent a note to the Comtesse on 20 June 1791; the note allegedly mentioned the planned escape of the royal family. Following this exchange Geneviève leaves Paris in favour of her château.
Marie Antoinette had also expressed a keen wish to see her friend again. It is quite likely that this is what caused the Comtesse to return to Paris.

Geneviève was arrested due to her connection with the royal family and particularly with the queen.  Her final days of freedom had been very fearful for the loyal Comtesse. She had been surrounded by spies and could trust very few people. Finally, she was taken from her house on the Rue de la Varenne as a conspirator against the revolution.
The crimes of which she was accused were very vague. The main accusation was that she had failed to report on the queen's "illegal" activities. The note of 1791 was produced as key evidence during the trial. It would eventually prove lethal. During her imprisonment she was kept at the Hôtel de La Force. 

The final appeal for her life was heard on 25 July. The usher who came to collect the prisoners did not seem to know exactly who it was he was collecting. According to another prisoner, M. d'Hornoy, he called for a "Gramont d'Orsan". Unperturbed, the Comtesse stood up and said: "It can only be me". The hearing did not spare her a death on the scaffold; she was sentenced to die the next day. 

The Comtesse was executed on 26 July 1794 - the same evening that Robespierre fell from power. Little is known for sure about the execution itself but Geneviève is said to have conducted herself with the courage and dignity "of a martyr".

Thursday 22 June 2017

Charles de Bourbon-Condé, Comte de Charolais

Charles was born on 19 June 1700 to the Prince de Condé and Louise-Francoise de Bourbon; as such he was a grandson of Louis XIV. At the age of 20 he was made governor of Tournai. By this time he was not considered to be unattractive. He had long, curly hair which unfortunately made his neck look rather short. On the other hand his waist was still slender.

He was sent to Hungary where he participated in the on-going war against the Turks. Here, he managed to distinguish himself in the Battle of Belgrade.

With military honour and a direct connection to the royal family he made a good match. However, any plans his family may have had of arranging a marriage were dashed. Instead, he married Jeanne de Valois-Saint-Rémy in secret. She herself had ties to French royalty; she was a descendant of Henri II through an illegitimate line. They had a son together, Louis-Thomas, but he was never recognized as legitimate by the king.

Charles also had a mistress by the name of Marguerite Caron de Rancurel. He had two children by her; both were legitimized and both married into the aristocracy.

At the age of 40 Charles' brother died which left Charles as governor of his nephew, Louis-Joseph de Bourbon, Prince de Condé.

Charles' character is reputed to have been very bad. Not merely common debauchery but also a violent temper and sadistic tendencies were attributed to him. His rank had completely gone to his head which led him to believe himself immune from public criticism. It did not help that Louis XV ordered the police reports concerning him to be kept secret. Apparently, Charles besieged the king for help the fourth and fifth time he had been found guilty of murder.

Billedresultat for comte de charolais
Charles de Bourbon-Condé

At the age of 20 he had already killed a man; allegedly the man, Anet, was shot in the streets by the Comte de Charolais "for his entertainment". This resulted in the Regent commenting that although he could not personally punish Charles (due to his rank) he would gladly pay another person to do it. The depravities of Charles knew little boundaries if the contemporary sources are to be believed. He was widely believed to have abducted women and young girls to be kept for his "sadistic orgies".
These orgies he quite likely enjoyed with the infamous Marquis de Sade; the two were connected by interests as well as relations. Charles' sister was the mistress of the Marquis de Sade.

His sadism would leave a trail of victims behind. Besides Anet the Comte was well-known for firing at peasants and workmen for no apparent reason. In a vicious prank he tied explosives to the skirt of the Marquise de Saint-Sulpice. Beforehand he had gotten her drunk enough to prevent her from untying them. The poor lady suffered severe burns to her legs.

Not everything about Charles' character was bad. It would seem that he was rather good at keeping his economy in order and had a talent for organization. It was he who settled the debts of his nephew when he took charge of his household.
The two appeared to have developed quite a good relationship. It was the Prince de Condé who managed to ensure the legitimization of Charles' two daughters. Charles himself had been dead for nine years when this took place.

Charles would die at the age of 60 on 23 July 1760.

Prince-Bishop de Rohan-Soubise's Tabourets



Folding stools - tabourets - delivered to the Prince de Rohan-Soubise, 1740



The Prince-Bishop de Rohan-Soubise ordered these folding taburets in 1740; they are most likely the surviving two of a larger set. These taburets would have been reserved for Duchesses and Princesses to sit on. The taburets were a part of the Prince-Bishop's furniture at the Palais Rohan in Strasbourg. It is possible that they also formed a part of the decoration of the Château de Saverne.
The style is reflective of that in the king's bedchamber which is not a coincidence. The X-shape made by the legs became the most popular way of supporting a tabouret.

Dames du Palais of Marie Leszczynska

The twelve positions of dames du palais to the Queen were coveted due to the privileges and prestige they carried with them. They gave the holder direct access to the Queen and in extension the King. Some used this position to get closer to the King; the Mailly-sisters' mother was a dame du palais to Marie Leszczynska and as such had excellent contact with the monarchs.

The position was not coveted merely for one person's sake; as was often the case it was passed on within the family. Naturally, there was the added bonus of a salary which few court ladies could boast of. Marie Leszczynska was the longest reigning Queen-consort of France which brings with it a good deal of dames du palais.

I have compiled the following list of serving dames du palais; they are arranged alphabetically. In order to give a clearer image of the women involved their families, tenure and interesting bits of information are described as well.

Agnès Berthelot de Pléneuf, Marquise de Prie
Tenure: 1725-26

Born: 13 August 1698
Mistress to the Prime Minister; she was the most powerful woman in France for a few years due to her massive influence over her lover
She was forced to vacate her position when she was sent into exile following an attempted coup against Cardinal de Fleury


Marquise de Prie


Alise-Tranquille de Clermont-Tonnerre, Marquise de Montoison
Tenure: 1749-52

Born: 3 January 1724

Married to Louis-Claude de Clermont, Marquis de Montoison in 1724
Marie Leszczynska wished for her to become one of her dames du palais and she was made as such supernumerary



Amable-Gabrielle de Noailles, Duchesse de Villars
Tenure: 1727-42

Born: 18 February 1706
Married to Armand-Honoré, Duc de Villars in 1721
She became the Queen's dame d'atours in 1742 and as such had to vacate her position as dame du palais. Later she would become dame d'atours to Dauphine Marie Antoinette on the king's nomination

Duchesse de Villars

Anne-Madeleine-Francoise d'Auxy de Monceaux, Duchesse de Fleury
Tenure: 1740-68

Born: 1721
Married to André-Hercule de Rosset, Duc de Fleury
She requested a place as dame du palais in 1739, but there were already twelve, so she was granted the title of supernumerary dame du palais
Consequently, she took the place of the Duchesse de Biron upon her death
She wished to retire when she was married to her second husband, the Duc de Beauvilliers in 1763


Duchesse de Fleury


Anne-Marguerite-Gabrielle de Beauvau-Craon, Duchesse de Mirepoix
Tenure: 1753-59

Born: 28 April 1707
She was first married to the Prince de Lexin who died in 1734; then she married Charles-Pierre-Gaston de Lévis, Duc de Mirepoix
She retired in favour of the Comtesse de Saulx-Tavannes who was a relative of her husband


Catherine-Éleonore-Eugénie de Béthisy de Mézières, Princesse de Montauban
Tenure: 1729-57

Born: 2 December 1707
Succeeded the Duchesse de Tallard as Governess to the Children of France

Princesse de Montauban as a child


Edmée-Charlotte de Brenne, Marquise de Matignon
Tenure: 1725-40

Born: about 1702
She requested permission to retire in 1740 in favour of her daughter, Victoire-Louise-Sophie


Félice-Armande de La Porte-Mazarini, Marquise de Nesle
Tenure: 1725-29

Born: 3 September 1691
She only served four years before dying; her daughter (the Comtesse de Mailly) succeeded her
She was the granddaughter of Hortense Mancini - Louis XIV's first real love
Was famous for her numerous affairs including with the Prince de Condé and the Duc de Richelieu

Marquise de Nesle


Francoise-Gilette de Montmorency-Luxembourg, Duchesse d'Épernon
Tenure: 1725-57

Born: 1 July 1704
She requested to be retired in 1757 and was succeeded by the Comtesse de Clermont-Tonnerre


Gabrielle-Pauline Bouthillier de Chavigny, Marquise de Valbelle (later Comtesse d'Adhémar)
Tenure: 1766-68

Born: about 1735
She was initially made a supernumerary dame du palais in 1763 but requested the standard salary of 6000 livres in 1765 which was granted
She succeeded the Marquise de Flavacourt


Garcie-Joséphine-Pétronille de Salcedo, Comtesse de Mérode
Tenure: 1725-46

Born: around 1675
Was actually from the Spanish Netherlands - todays Belgium


Jeanne-Angélique Rocque de Varengeville, Duchesse de Villars
Tenure: 1725-27

Born: around 1675
She retired in favour of her daughter-in-law, the Marquise de Villars


Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour
Tenure: 1756-64

Appointed supernumerary dame du palais as a consequence of her position as the king's maitresse-en-titre
Unlike the previous mistresses of Louis XV, she had a good relationship with Marie Leszczynska because she never tried to humiliate the queen


Madame de Pompadour


Julie-Christine-Régine Gorge d'Antraigues, Duchesse de Béthune-Charost
Tenure: 1725-37

Born: 22 September 1688
Married to Paul-Francois de Béthune, Marquis d'Ancenis (later Duc de Béthune-Charost) in 1709


Hélène-Francoise-Angélique Phélypeaux de Pontchartrait, Duchesse de Nivernais
Tenure: 1745-48

Born: May 1715
Married to Louis-Jules-Barbon Mazarini-Mancini in 1730
Her husband was made Grandee of Spain in 1738
She had to vacate her position when her husband was sent to Rome as ambassador


Henriette-Julie de Durfort de Duras, Comtesse d'Egmont
Tenure: 1726-28

Born: 30 October 1696
Married to Procope-Charles-Nicolas-Léopold d'Egmont-Pignatelli in 1717
She was succeeded by the Marquise de Renel


Henriette Fitzjames, Marquise de Renel
Tenure: 1728-37

Born: 16 September 1705
Married to Jean-Baptiste-Louis de Clermont-d'Amboise in 1724
Her health declined dramatically causing her to ask the king to retire in favour of her daughter, Madame de Bouzols


Hortense-Félicité de Mailly de Nesle, Marquise de Flavacourt
Tenure: 1742-66

Born: 11 February 1715
She married Francois-Marie de Fouilleuse, Marquis de Flavacourt in 1739
Succeeded her sister, Madame de Mailly
She would eventually resign due to health issues which came as a surprise to Marie Leszczynska. The queen had been very appreciative of her service

Marquise de Flavacourt


Laure Fitzjames, Marquise de Bouzols
Tenure: 1737-63

Born: 1713
Married to Timoléon-Joachim-Louis de Montagu-Beaune in 1732
She requested to retire in favour of her daughter-in-law, the Marquise de Beaune


Laure-Auguste Fitzjames, Princesse de Chimay
Tenure: 1762-68

Born: 7 December 1744
Married to Philippe-Gabriel-Maurice-Joseph d'Alsace d'Hénin-Liétard, Prince de Chimay in 1762
Succeeded her mother (the Duchesse de Fitzjames)


Princesse de Chimay


Louise-Charlotte-Henriette-Philippine de Noailles, Marquise de Duras (later Duchesse de Durfort)
Tenure: 1767-1768

Born: 23 August 1745
Married to Emmanuel-Céleste-Augustin, Marquis de Duras (later elevated to Duc)
She was named dame du palais by appointment although there were already the required twelve


Louise-Félicité de Bréhan de Plélo, Duchesse d'Agénois (later Duchesse d'Aiguillon)
Tenure: 1748-68

Born: 30 November 1726
Married to Armand-Emmanuel du Plessis de Richelieu, Duc d'Agenois (later Duc d'Aiguillon) in 1740 who was a Secretary of State
She succeeded the Duchesse de Nivernais

Duchesse d'Agénois


Louise-Julie de Mailly de Nesle, Comtesse de Mailly
Tenure: 1729-1742

Born: 16 March 1710
She succeeded her mother and would eventually resign in favour of her sister, the Marquise de Flavaourt. She became Louis XV's mistress in 1733.

Comtesse de Mailly


Marie-Adélaide de Gramont, Duchesse de Gontaut (later Duchesse de Biron)
Tenure: 1725-40

Born: 1 March 1700
She was nominated in 1725 although she had not yet married the Duc de Gontaut. She took her position the following year when the marriage had taken place


Marie-Angélique de Neufville de Villeroy, Duchesse de Boufflers (later Duchesse de Luxembourg)
Tenure: 1734-50

Born: October 1707
Married to Joseph-Marie, Duc de Boufflers in 1721
She became a widow in 1747 and then married Charles-Francois de Montmorency, Duc de Luxembourg in 1750


Marie-Anne de Mailly de Nesle, Marquise de La Tournelle (later Duchesse de Châteauroux)
Tenure: 1742-44

Born: 5 October 1717
Married to Jean-Louis, Marquis de La Tournelle
She succeeded the Duchesse de Villars
She became Louis XV's maitresse-en-tire; he would declare her Superintendent of


Marie-Anne-Julie Le Tonnelier de Breteuil, Comtesse de Clermont-Tonnerre
Tenure: 1757-68

Born: October 1716
Married to Charles-Henri-Jules de Clermont in 1741
She took the place of the Duchesse d'Antin


Marie-Anne-Philippine-Thérèse de Montmorency-Logny, Duchesse de Boufflers
Tenure: 1750-68

Born: 1730
Married to Charles-Joseph-Marie, Duc de Boufflers in 1747
She succeeded her mother-in-law


Marie-Chrétienne-Christine de Garment, Comtesse de Rupelmonde
Tenure: 1741-50

Born: 15 May 1721
Succeeded her mother-in-law, the Marquise de Rupelmonde
She retired to become a nun under the name of Thaïs de Jesus


Marie-Éléonore-Eugénie de Lévis de Châteaumorand, Comtesse de Tavannes
Tenure: 1759-68

Born: 12 February 1739
Married to Charles-Francois-Casimir de Saulx in 1759
Succeeded the Duchesse de Mirepoix
She managed to keep her position at court even after she was separated from her husband in 1772; by this point she was in the service of Marie Antoinette

Comtesse de Tavannes


Marie-Élisabeth Chamillart, Marquise de Talleyrand
Tenure: 1740-68

Born: 8 February 1713
Succeeded her mother, the Princesse de Chalais


Marie-Elisabeth-Angélique-Gabrielle de Rohan-Soubise, Duchesse de Tallard
Tenure: 1725-29

Born: 17 January 1699
Married to Joseph d'Hostun de La Baume, Duc de Tallard in 1713
Succeeded her grandmother, Madame de Ventadour, as Governess to the Children of France in 1732


Marie-Émile Fitzjames, Marquise d'Escars
Tenure: 1757-68

Born: 9 October 1715
Married to Francois de Pérusse, Marquis d'Escars
She succeeded the Princesse de Montaubun


Marie-Francoise de Rochechouart-Mortemart, Princesse de Chalais
Tenure: 1725-40

Born: 1 January 1686
Married to Jean-Charles de Talleyrand-Périgord in 1722
She retired in favour of her daughter, the Marquise de Talleyrand

Possibly the Princesse de Chalais


Marie-Francoise de Talleyrand, Comtesse de Périgord
Tenure: 1744-68

Born: 10 August 1727
She was the half-sister of the Marquise de Talleyrand
She was appointed on order of Louis XV despite Marie Leszczynska's opposition
Her husband was made Grandee of Spain in 1757


Marie-Francoise-Casimire de Froulay de Tessé, Comtesse de Saulx
Tenure: 1746-53

Born: about August 1714
Married to Charles-Michel-Gaspard, Comte de Saulx-Tavannes in 1734
Marie Leszczynska was eager to have her appointed following the death of Madame de Mérode


Marie-Hélène-Charlotte Caillebot de La Salle, Vicomtesse de Beaune
Tenure: 1763-66

Born: 21 December 1739
Married to Joachim-Charles-Laure de Montage-Bouzols (son of the Marquise de Bouzols)


Marie-Josèphe de Boufflers, Duchesse d'Alincourt
Tenure: 1726-34

Born: 10 September 1704
Married to Francois-Camille de Neufville de Villeroy in 1720
She took the place of the disgraced Madame de Prie


Marie-Louise-Sophie de Faoucq de Garnetot, Comtesse de Gramont
Tenure: 1751-68

Born: 14 June 1732
Married to Antoine-Adrien-Charles de Gramont in 1748
Succeeded her sister-in-law, the Comtesse de Rupelmonde


Marie-Marguerite de Tourzel d'Alégre, Marquise de Rupelmonde
Tenure: 1725-41

Born: 1688
She retired in favour of her daughter-in-law, the Comtesse de Rupelmonde
Had also been a part of Marie Adélaide of Savoy's entourage


Marquise de Rupelmonde


Marie-Paule-Angélique d'Albert de Luynes, Duchesse de Picquigny (later Duchesse de Chaulnes)
Tenure: 1766-68

Born: 7 September 1744
Married to Marie-Joseph-Louis d'Albert d'Ailly in 1758
She was appointed just two years before the queen's death


Duchesse de Chaulnes


Marthe-Élisabeth de La Rochefoucauld de Roye, Duchesse d'Ancenis
Tenure: 1737-45

Born: 13 December 1720
Married to Francois-Joseph de Béthune, Marquis d'Ancenis
She was the daughter-in-law of the Duchesse de Béthune-Charost whom she succeeded as dame du palais
She would eventually retire; her alleged reasons for retiring was that the gambling and spectacles at court went against her piety


Victoire-Louise-Joseph Doyon de Matignon, Duchesse de Fitzjames
Tenure: 1740-62

Born: 9 August 1722

Succeeded her mother, the Marquise de Matignon
She retired in favour of her daughter, the Princesse de Chimay


Wednesday 21 June 2017

Marie Leszczynska's Household of 1726

The Queen was served by twelve dames du palais besides a Superintendant, a dame d'atour and dames d'honneurs. The dames du palais had an internal hierarchy; those who were married to a peer of France or a Grandee of Spain ranked higher than those who did not. The Superintendant - as the name suggests - had the overall responsibility of the Queen's household. Consequently, she would have a great deal of influence on the Queen's daily life. The dame d'atours was responsible for the royal wardrobe and the expenses connected with it.

When Marie Leszczynska married Louis XV she was given a household befitting her new title. This is how the Queen's immediate household looked as of 1726 - each woman's family ties and age is listed:

Superintendant:
Marie-Anne de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Clermont: grand-daughter of Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan through the Prince de Condé, (29 years old)

Dame d'honneur:
Catherine-Charlotte de Gramont, Duchesse de Boufflers: widow of Louis-Francois, Duc de Boufflers, (39 or 49 years old)

Dame d'atours:
Anne-Marie-Francoise de Sainte-Hermine: widow of Louis, Comte de Mailly and former dame d'atours to Marie Adélaide of Savoy, (59 years old)

Dames du Palais:

  • Marie-Isabelle-Gabrielle de Rohan, Princesse de RohanWife of Marie-Joseph d'Hostun, Duc   de Tallard, (27 years old)
  • Jeanne-Angélique Rocque de VarangevilleWife of Claude-Louis-Victor, Duc de Villars. The next year she would resign in favour of her daughter-in-law
  • Julie-Christine Gorge d'Antraigues, Duchesse de BéthuneDaughter of one of the king's secretaries and wife to Paul-Francois de Béthune, (unknown birth-year)
  • Henriette de Duras, Comtesse d'EgmontGreat-niece to Madame de Ventadour and wife to Procope-Charles Pignatelli, (30 years old)
  • Marie Francoise de Rochechouart, Princesse de ChalaisWife to Louis-Jean-Charles de Talleyrand, Prince de Chalais and Grandee of Spain. She had previously been married to Michel Chamillard, Marquis de Cany (41 years old)
  • Francoise Gilette de Montmorency-Luxembourg, Marquise de Gondrin and Duchesse d'EpernonWife to Louis Pardaillan de Gondrin, (22 years old)
  • Agnes Berthelot de Pléneuf, Marquise de PrieWife to Louis, Marquis de Prie who was godfather to Louis XV, (28 years old)
  • Marie-Marguerite d'Allègre, Comtesse de RupelmondeShe had previously been a dame d'atours to Marie Adélaide of Savoy and wife to Maximilien-Philippe Joseph de Boulogne de Licques, (38 years old)
  • Marie Adelaide de Gramont, Marquise de Gontaut: Wife to Francois-Armand de Gontaut, (26 years old)
  • Armande-Félicite de La Porte de La Meilleraye, Marquise de NesleWife to Louis de Mailly and mother to the infamous Mailly-sisters who were mistresses to Louis XV, (35 years old)
  • Comtesse de MérodeWife to Alexandre-Maximilien de Gànd de Mérode, (unknown birth-year)
  • Edme-Charlotte de Brenne, Marquise de Matignon: Wife to Thomas-Auguste de Gouyon. She would later resign in favour of her daughter, (unknown birth-year)

So, what were this group of women like?

First of all, a lot of the Queen's women owed their position to their relationship to the then-reigning Prime Minister, the Duc de Bourbon. The Superintendent - for example - was his sister. The Comtesse d'Egmont was a part of his inner circle as was the Princesse de Chalais. Both were from pro-Spanish families which must have caused some tension considering that Marie Leszczynska had replaced the Spanish Maria Anna Victoria as Louis XV's bride.
Of course, the one most intimately connected with the Prime Minister was his mistress, the Marquise de Prie. She tried in vain to gain the title of Duchesse.

While the Duchesse de Boufflers was widely recognized as a virtuous and wise lady, others had a very different reputation. Actually, several of the dames du palais were linked to rather more scandalous behaviour. For instance, the Marquise de Nesle was infamous for her affairs one of which she had with Louis-Henri, Prince de Condé. It was even rumoured that her daughter, Marie-Anne, was the result of this liaison. Another one of her famous affairs was with the Duc de Richelieu.

It can only be imagined that Marie Leszczynska had some difficulties coming to terms with the more lively of her ladies. After all, the Queen herself was a devout woman who appreciated traditional values.

Luckily for the new Queen, there were those who preferred a more virtuous style of living. Mademoiselle de Clermont had previously been employed in the household of her cousin, the Duchesse de Berry, but had resigned due to the Duchesse's extremely scandalous behaviour. She remained Superintendent until her death in 1741 so it is quite likely that she developed a good relationship with Marie Leszszynska.



At this early stage the Queen had still to learn the dynamics of the court. She could not have known of the intrigues and alliances of those closest to her.

Thursday 15 June 2017

House of La Rochefoucauld

The House of La Rochefoucauld belonged to the oldest ranks of nobility in France; the family held a patent of nobility since 1019. Until the 15th century the family held the ranks of Lord or Baron de Rochefoucauld. It was Francis I who elevated the barony into a county in April 1528. The holder of the title Comte de Rochefoucauld was then Francois I de Rochefoucauld. His successor, Francois II, was further honoured with the titles of Prince de Marillac and Baron de Verteuil.

Surprisingly, both Francois III and Francois IV were Protestants. The former had married the sister-in-law to the Prince de Condé and was killed in the St. Bartholomew Day's Massacre. The latter was also killed but at Saint-Yrieix by the French Catholic League.

These would be the last Protestant Lords Rochefoucauld. Francois V was raised into Duc de La Rochefoucauld by Louis XIII in 1622; his Catholicism may well have been the reason for the elevation since his predecessors had been denied the title.

The male line died out in 1721; by patent of Louis XV the title was permitted to be carried by Marie-Louise de La Rochefoucauld's male children (she was the daughter of Alexandre I). However, there was a condition. In order for Marie-Louise to obtain the title for her sons she would have to marry one of her Rochefoucauld-relations. She chose Jean Baptiste de La Rochefoucauld de Roye.

The son of Marie-Louise and Jean Baptiste had inherited no less than two ducal titles: Duc de La Rochefoucauld and Duc d'Anville. He would be known as the Duc de La Rochefoucauld-d'Anville. He would meet a grisly end in 1792 when he was assassinated in the massacre of September that year.  His cousin, Francois XII, has gone down in history for his comment to Louis XVI on 12 July 1789. When the King asked if it was a revolt, Francois answered "No, sire, it is a revolution".

The family line is still in existence with the Francois de La Rochefoucauld claiming the unofficial title of the 14th Duc de La Rochefoucauld.

Alliances of the Ducs de La Rochefoucauld:
Francois V - Gabrielle du Plessis-Liancourt
Francois VI - Andrée de Vivonne
Francois VII - Jeanne du Plessis-Liancourt
Francois VIII - Magdaleine Charlotte de le Tellier de Louvois (daughter of Louis XIV's minister)
Alexandre I - Elisabeth-Marie-Louise-Nicole de Caylard de Toiras d'Amboise
Marie-Louise - Jean Baptiste de La Rochefoucauld
Louis Alexandre - Alexandrine de Rohan-Chabot
Francois XIII - Marie-Francoise de Tott

Family members:

Billedresultat for duc of la rochefoucauld
Duc de La Rochefoucauld-d'Anville -
son of Marie-Louise and Jean Baptiste
Billedresultat for de la rochefoucauld
Francois VI - wrote his memoirs of the Fronde


Billedresultat for de la rochefoucauld
Cardinal de La Rochefoucauld


Billedresultat for duchesse de la rochefoucauld
Alexandrine de Rohan-Chabot,
Duchesse de La Rochefoucauld


Francois XII - who answered Louis XVI

Buste of Félicité Sophie
de Lampion,
Duchesse de
La Rochefoucauld