Louis-Charles de Bourbon, comte d'Eu

Louis-Charles de Bourbon, comte d'Eu (October 15 1701 - July 13 1775) was a grandson of Louis XIV of France and his "Maîtresse-en-titre" Françoise-Athénaïs de Montespan. He was a member of the legitimised house of Bourbon du Maine. He was the last surviving member of the house.

Life

Born at his parents famous Château de Sceaux near Versailles on October 15 1701, he was the yongest and last surviving son of Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, the "duc du Maine" and his wife, the salon hostess Anne-Louise-Bénédicte de Bourbon-Condé.

He grew up with his elder brother, Louis-Auguste (known as the "prince de Dombes" and was very close to him and his younger sister Louise Françoise de Bourbon (b1707 - 1743), known as "Mademoiselle du Maine".

Like his siblings he remained unmarried and childless all his life. On his fathers death in 1736 he gained the title of "duc d'Aumale". He was also made the "Grand Maître de l'artillerie de France" (Grand Master of the Artillery of France) which was a post that his father had also held.

It was his elder brother who was his fathers main heir. On his brothers death in 1755 as a result of a duel, Louis-Charles was his brothers heir and thus became the head of the House of Bourbon du Maine. He inherited the family titles; prince de Dombes [This title was sold to the crown when his cousin, Louis XV of France offered to buy it; the payments were never made so it was returned to Louis-Charles] (1755-1762), prince d'Anet, duc de Gisors, comte de Dreux and baron de Sceaux. From his brothers death he also inherited the famed Governorship of Languedoc and his brothers many Châteaux. Like his elder brother he was little seen at court and preferred to hunt on his estate of the Château d'Anet.

In March 1762 he exchanged with Louis XV the very profitable principality of the Dombes for the duchy of Gisors and lands of Gretz-Armainvilliers et de Pontcarré.

Like his cousin, the famously generous and wealthy duc de Penthièvre, Louis-Charles was popular with the people of France as a result of his charitable doings. Again in 1773, he offered the Duchy of Aumale, County of Eu and the lands of Anet. The sum agreed was a vast 12 Million Livres. [This payment was never made as a result of the death of Louis XV in 1774; the lands were given back to Louis-Charles and the deal was disregarded by [Louis XVI of France. They were later inherited bt the duc de Penthièvre] .

It was at Sceaux that Louis-Charles died at the age of 73 in October 1775. As he never had any children, he did not have an heir to the large Bourbon du Maine fortune. As a result, his chosen heir was his younger cousin the duc de Penthièvre -son of the comte de Toulouse, the youngest brother of the duc du Maine.

Footnotes

Ancestry

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1= 1. Louis-Charles de Bourbon, comte d'Eu
2= 2. Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine
3= 3. Anne-Louise-Bénédicte de Bourbon-Condé
4= 4. Louis XIV of France
5= 5. Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan
6= 6. Henry III Jules de Bourbon, prince de Condé
7= 7. Countess Palatine Anne-Henriette of Simmern
8= 8. Louis XIII of France
9= 9. Anne of Austria
10= 10. Gabriel de Rochechouart, duc de Mortemart
11= 11. Diane de Grandseigne
12= 12. Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé
13= 13. Claire Clémence de Maillé Brézé
14= 14. Edward, Count Palatine of Simmern
15= 15. Anna Gonzaga
16= 16. Henry IV of France
17= 17. Marie de' Medici
18= 18. Philip III of Spain
19= 19. Margaret of Austria
20= 20. Gaspard de Rochechouart, Marquis of Mortemart
21= 21. Louise de Maure, Countess of Maure
22= 22. Jean de Grandseigne, Marquis of Marsillac
23= 23. Catherine de La Béraudière, Lady of Villenon
24= 24. Henry II de Bourbon, prince de Condé
25= 25. Charlotte-Marguerite de Montmorency
26= 26. Urbain de Maillé, Marquis of Brézé
27= 27. Nicole du Plessis de Richelieu
28= 28. Frederick V, Elector Palatine
29= 29. Elizabeth Stuart
30= 30. Charles I, Duke of Mantua
31= 31. Catherine of Lorraine