Marguerite, Duchess of Rohan

Marguerite
Duchess of Rohan Princess of Léon
Engraving of Madame de Rohan
Spouse	Henri Chabot
Detail Issue
Anne, Princess of Soubise Louis, Duke of Rohan, Prince of Léon Jeanne Pelagie, Princess of Epinoy
Full name
Marguerite de Rohan
Father	Henri de Rohan
Mother	Marguerite de Béthune
Born	1617
Died	9 April 1684 Paris, France[1]

Marguerite de Rohan (1617 – 9 April 1684) was a French noblewoman and Duchess of Rohan in her own right. She married Henri Chabot for love and the couple produced 4 children. A great heiress, she inherited the Duchy (later principlaity) of Soubise which was given to her daughter Anne.^[1]

Biography

She was the only child of Henri de Rohan, Duke of Rohan and Marguerite de Béthune, a daughter of Maximilien de Béthune.

Her family claimed ancestry from the regining Dukes of Brittany and at the French court, were allowed the rank of Foreign Princes. This entitled them to the style of Highness and other privileges at court.

Appealing to the Queen Regent Anne of Austria, in 1645 Louis XIV issued a certificate that willed Marguerite the right to keep her status, her dignity of a princess, should she marry Henri Chabot. When the Marquis of Seneterre interrogated her on these matters, she replied: I do not know if I shall be able to decide to marry him, but I do feel that I could not bear it if he married someone else.^[1]

Her youngest daughter, Jeanne Pelagie from a 19th century engraving

Previously, her hand had been asked by Louis de Bourbon, Count of Soissons and cousin of the King Henri IV; she refused. Other candidates included the Duke of Nemours as well as the Duke of Saxe-Weimar. Eventually, she married Henri in Paris on 6 June 1645. The couple were the parents of six children, four of which would have progeny.^[1]

By her marriage, she brought her dowry to her husband as well as all her possessions and titles, with the condition that the children bear the name and coat-of-arms of Rohan only. Later the children decided to call themselves Rohan-Chabot and thereby did not honour the clauses of the marriage-contract.

The marriage of a Rohan to a meer noble man of no fortune, was seen as a mésalliance for the powerful Rohans who were one of the oldest families in France. Her husband was created Duke of Rohan in 1648.

Titles she held in her own right were; Duchess of Rohan, Princess of Léon, Duchess of Frontenay, Countess of Porhoët, Marquise of Blain, Dame of Lorges, Countess of Porhoët amongst others.^[1]

The Ducal Peerage of Rohan was re-established for Chabot in 1648. Marguerite, Duchess of Rohan in her own right, as a widow was named guardian of her children by royal letters of 10 June 1655.

She died in Paris on 9 April 1684 at the age of 67.^[1]

Descendants

Marguerite has various descendants throughout Europe; Through her son she is a direct male line ancrestress of Josselin de Rohan, a present member of the Senate of France.

Through her daughter Anne, she is an ancestor of the Princes of Guéméné, another line of the House of Rohan as well as the present Prince of Monaco.

Issue

• X de Rohan-Chabot
• Marguerite Gabrielle Charlotte de Rohan-Chabot (d.17 June 1720) married Malo de Coëtquen, Marquis de Coëtquen and had issue;
• Anne Julie de Rohan-Chabot (1648 – 4 February 1709), Princess of Soubise married François de Rohan and had issue; was mistress of Louis XIV;
• Gilone de Rohan-Chabot (?) died in infancy;
• Louis de Rohan-Chabot, Duke of Rohan, Prince of Léon (3 November 1652 – 17 August 1727) married Marie Elisabeth du Bec-Crespin de Grimaldi and had issue;
• Jeanne Pelagie de Rohan-Chabot (d.18 August 1698) married Alexandre Guillaume de Melun, Prince of Epinoy and had issue; was grand mother of Anne Julie de Melun, Princess of Soubise was wife of Jules de Rohan, a grandson of the above Anne.^[1]

Ancestry

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 1617 – 13 April 1639 Her Highness Mademoiselle de Rohan
• 13 April 1639 – 27 February 1655 Her Highness the Duchess of Rohan, Princess of Léon
• 27 February 1655 – 9 April 1684 Her Highness the Dowager Duchess of Rohan, Dowager Princess of Léon

References and notes

1. ^ ^{a b c d e f g} van de Pas, Leo. "Marguerite de Rohan, Duchess of Rohan, Princess of Léon". Genealogics .org. http://www.genealogics.org/getperson.php?personID=I00010402&tree=LEO. Retrieved 2010-04-07. 

Persondata
Name	Marguerite, Duchess Of Rohan
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1617
Place of birth
Date of death	9 April 1684
Place of death	Paris, France