Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse

Infobox Military Person
name="Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse"


caption=Portrait by Hyacinthe Rigaud
born=June 6 1678
died=December 1 1737
placeofbirth=Palace of Versailles, France
placeofdeath= Château de Rambouillet, France
allegiance=France
branch=Navy, Military
serviceyears=1683–1737
rank=Admiral of France Marshal of France Governor of Bretagne Governor of Guyenne Secretary of State Minister of the Navy
unit=
commands=
battles=War of the Spanish Succession, Battle of Vélez-Málaga
awards="Chevalier des Ordres du roi ", "Chevalier de la Toison d’or"
relations=
laterwork=

Louis Alexandre de Bourbon, "comte de Toulouse" (1681), "duc de Penthièvre" (1697), "d'Arc", "de Châteauvillain" and "de Rambouillet" (1711), was born in the Palace of Versailles on June 6, 1678 and died in Rambouillet on December 1, 1737. He was the son of Louis XIV and his mistress Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan. At the age of five, he became "Amiral de France" (Admiral of France). He was also the founder of the House of Bourbon-Toulouse.

Life

Early life

Born at the Palace of Versailles, Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon was the third son and youngest child of Louis XIV and the king's mistress, Françoise-Athénaïs de Montespan.

He was put in the care of Mme de Monchevreuil along with his older sister Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, later duchesse d'Orléans.

comte de Toulouse

He was created comte de Toulouse in 1681 after he was legitimised, and, in 1683, at the age of five, an admiral of France. In February 1684, he became colonel of an infantry regiment named after him and in 1693 "mestre de camp" of a cavalry regiment. During the War of Spanish Succession, he was given the task of defending the island of Sicily.

In January 1689, he was named governor of Guyenne, a title which he exchanged for that of governor of Bretagne six years later. On January 3 1696, he was created a Marshal of France, becoming commander of the Royal Armies the following year. In March 1714, he obtained the title of Grand Huntsman of France.

Military

During the War of the Spanish Succession he commanded the French fleet at the Battle of Málaga in 1704. After the death of his father in 1715, he kept aloof from the intrigues of his sister-in-law Anne-Louise-Bénédicte, duchesse du Maine.

Though his father had legitimised him and his three surviving siblings, and even declared his two sons by Madame de Montespan fit to eventually succeed him to the throne of France, this was not to be, as immediately after Louis XIV's death the Parlement of Paris reversed the king's will.

Unlike his brother, the duc du Maine, who was barred from the "Conseil de Régence", Toulouse was not kept from a political role, and soon after, he was named "Ministre de la Marine" (Minister of the Navy) (more or less equivalent to the United States Secretary of the Navy), inheriting a seasoned staff in the ministry headed up by Joseph Pellerin.

He remained in this capacity until being succeeded by Joseph Fleuriau d'Armenonville in 1722, the same Fleuriau d'Armenonville who had sold him the castle of Rambouillet in 1706 [G. Lenotre, "Le Château de Rambouillet : six siècles d'histoire," Calmann-Lévy, collection « Châteaux : décors de l'histoire », Paris, 1930, 256 p. Réédition : Denoël, Paris, 1984, 215 p. ] .In 1717, the ministry erected a fort on the eastern border of the Louisiana Colony in North America and named it Fort Toulouse in honor of the comte. (That fort has been partially reconstructed adjacent to its original site near the city of Wetumpka, Alabama, in the United States.)

Marriage and Children

The wife of the comte de Toulouse was Marie Victoire de Noailles, a daughter of Anne Jules de Noailles, duc de Noailles. They were married on February 2, 1723 in Paris [ [http://versailles.forumculture.net/ce-que-l-on-appelle-la-cour-de-france-mme-de-sevigne-f8/marie-victoire-sophie-de-noailles-comtesse-de-toulouse-t1036.htm?highlight=noailles Marie Victoire Sophie de Noailles, comtesse de Toulouse ] ] . She was the widow of his elder half-brother's grandson, the marquis de Gondrin. They had one son:

*Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, duc de Penthièvre (1725-1793). Apart from this one legitimate child, the comte had two illegitimate children born before his marriage to Mlle de Noailles.

*Louis-Alexandre de Sainte Foy (1720-1723)
*Philippe-Auguste de Sainte Foy (1721-1795).

Later life

In 1693, he became a "Chevalier des Ordres du roi" (Order of the King) and a decade later in 1704 he became a "Chevalier de la Toison d’or" (Holder of the Golden fleece). He also later took full control of the French navy under his father.

After his mother's departure from court, the two often saw each other. His older sister Louise-Françoise de Bourbon, also made an attempt to become closer to their mother at the same time. Although Louise-Françoise and his younger sister, Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, were bitter rivals, the comte was close to both. All three tried to avoid the court of their brother, the duc du Maine, and his ambitious and manipulative wife at château de Sceaux.

When his mother died in 1707, he and his sisters mourned in private as any public display at court was forbidden by his father and Mme de Maintenon, who had replaced their mother in the king's affections.

Close to death in 1714, Louis XIV made a point in his will to state that if the line of his legitimate children died out the throne of France could be inherited by his illegitimate sons, the duc du Maine and the comte de Toulouse. This also meant that the two could assume the role of regent for the new five year old king, Louis XV, if necessary Fact|date=May 2008.

The decision was reversed after the death of Louis XIV when Louis-Alexandre's cousin, Philippe II, duc d'Orléans, had the Parlement de Paris void the will. The duc d'Orléans as a result became the sole regent of France.

Death

The comte de Toulouse died at the château de Rambouillet on December 1, 1737. He was buried in the village 12th century Saint-Lubin church. On September 30, 1766, the comtesse died at the Hôtel de Toulouse, the Parisian mansion the comte had bought from Phélypeaux, marquis de La Vrillière, in 1712 [The mansion had been built in 1635 by the royal architect François Mansart. It is now the seat of the "Banque de France".] . She too was buried in the family crypt in the Rambouillet church.

On November 25 1783, after having sold Rambouillet to his cousin Louis XVI, their son, the duc de Penthièvre, in a long procession, transferred the bodies of his parents, his wife and their six children to the Collégiale Saint-Étienne de Dreux [http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapelle_royale_de_Dreux] , [ [http://radiointensite.free.fr/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=863 Chroniques paroissiales - DREUX - DREUX (2eme partie) ] ] . [In 1793, the duc de Penthièvre was also buried in the "Collégiale Saint-Étienne" family crypt, which was violated by a revolutionary mob the following November. Rebuilt in 1816 by his daughter, the duchesse d'Orléans, the new chapel was named "Chapelle royale de Dreux" after her son, Louis-Philippe became "King of the French" in 1830. It is now the necropolis for the royal Orléans family.]

Legacy

Upon the comte's death, the duc de Penthièvre, succeeded his father in his posts and titles. He was the founder of the House of Bourbon-Penthièvre, which followed that of "Bourbon-Toulouse". Because of the marriage of Mlle de Penthièvre to the duc de Chartres, the future duc d'Orléans, the comte de Toulouse is an ancestor of the modern House of Orléans, which also descends from Toulouse's two surviving full sisters.

iblings

* Louise Françoise (1669-1672) - died in childhood.
* Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine (1670-1736) married Anne-Louise-Bénédicte de Bourbon-Condé.
* Louis César de Bourbon, comte de Vexin, abbot of Saint-Germain-des-Prés (1672-1683)
* Louise Marie Anne de Bourbon, "Mademoiselle de Tours" (1674-1681) - died in childhood
* Françoise-Marie de Bourbon, "Mademoiselle de Blois" (1677-1749), married in 1692 the future regent Philippe II, duc d'Orléans (1674-1723)
**"duchesse d'Orléans". Through her son, Françoise-Marie became the ancestor of King Louis-Philippe of the French and the modern House of Orléans.
* Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse (1678-1737) married Marie Victoire de Noailles.
**Founder of the House of Bourbon-Toulouse-Penthièvre
**The modern House of Orléans is also related to him through his granddaughter Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon-Penthièvre who married Philippe Egalité and became the mother of Louis-Philippe.

Paternal legitimate half-siblings

*Louis de France (1661 - 1711
**The Dauphin of France from 1661 till his death in 1711.
*Marie-Thérèse de France (1667 - 1672)
**The only legitimate daughter of Louis XIV to live older then the age of four. She was known as "Madame Royale" at court.
*4 other who died before the age 5

Paternal illegitimate half-siblings

*Marie Anne de Bourbon, "Mademoiselle de Blois" (1666 - 1739)
**Eldest surviving daughter of Louis XIV and Louise de la Vallière
**Later wife to Louis Armand I, Prince of Conti and as such the princesse de Conti.
*Louis de Bourbon, comte de Vermandois (1667 - 1683)
**Eldest surviving son of Louis XIV and Louise de la Vallière
*Louise de Maison Blanche (1676-1718)
**Daughter of "Mlle des Oeillets" Married Bernard de Prez and had 11 enfants.

Maternal legitimate half-siblings

*Marie-Christine de Pardaillan de Gondrin (1663 - 1675)
**Died while in the country with her father the marquis de Montespan
*Louis Antoine de Pardaillan de Gondrin, marquis d'Antin (1665 - 1736)
**Louis Antoine later was given the title of duc d'Antin.

Ancestry

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1= 1. Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, Count of Toulouse
2= 2. Louis XIV of France
3= 3. Françoise-Athénaïs, Marchioness of Montespan
4= 4. Louis XIII of France
5= 5. Anne of Austria
6= 6. Gabriel de Rochechouart, Duke of Mortemart
7= 7. Diane de Grandseigne
8= 8. Henry IV of France
9= 9. Marie de' Medici
10= 10. Philip III of Spain
11= 11. Margaret of Austria
12= 12. Gaspard de Rochechouart, Marquis of Mortemart
13= 13. Louise de Maure, Countess of Maure
14= 14. Jean de Grandseigne, Marquis of Marsillac
15= 15. Catherine de La Béraudière, Lady of Villenon
16= 16. Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme
17= 17. Jeanne III of Navarre
18= 18. Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany
19= 19. Johanna of Austria
20= 20. Philip II of Spain
21= 21. Anna of Austria
22= 22. Charles II of Austria
23= 23. Maria Anna of Bavaria
24= 24. René de Rochechouart, Seigneur de Mortemart
25= 25. Jeanne de Saulx de Tavannes
26= 26. Charles, Count of Maure
27= 27. Diane de Pérusse des Cars, Princess of Carency
28= 28. Pierre de Grandsaigne, Seigneur of La Flotte
29= 29. Françoise Baillard
30= 30. François de La Béraudière, Seigneur of Villechèze
31= 31. Anne Adrienne Frotier

References

Notes

*1911
*G. Lenotre, "Le Château de Rambouillet : six siècles d'histoire", Calmann-Lévy, collection « Châteaux : décors de l'histoire », Paris, 1930, 256 p. Réédition : Denoël, Paris, 1984, 215 p. (ISBN 2-207-23023-6).
*http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapelle_royale_de_Dreux
*http://radiointensite.free.fr/articles.php?lng=fr&pg=863 - Scroll down to 41st paragraph to sentence beginning « "Le mardi 25 novembre 1783, S.A.S. Mgr Louis Jean Marie de Bourbon, duc de Penthièvre, prince d’Anet et comte de Dreux, a fait transporter de l’église de Rambouillet dans la collégiale de Saint-Etienne de cette ville le cercueil de S.A.S. Mgr le comte de Toulouse, son père..."»

Titles

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