Florimond Claude, Comte de Mercy-Argenteau

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Florimond Claude, comte de Mercy-Argenteau (1727–1794), Austrian diplomat, son of Antoine, comte de Mercy-Argenteau, entered the diplomatic service of Austria, going to Paris in the train of Reichsfürst Kaunitz. He became Austrian minister at Turin, at St Petersburg, and in 1766 atParis, where his first work was to strengthen the alliance between France and Austria, which was cemented in 1770 by the marriage of the dauphin, afterwards Louis XVI, with Marie Antoinette, daughter of the empress Maria Theresa. When four years later Louis and Marie Antoinette ascended the throne, Mercy-Argenteau became one of the most powerful personages at the French court. He was in Paris during the turbulent years which heralded the Revolution, and his powerful aid was given first to Loménie de Brienne, and then to Necker. In 1792 he became governor-general of the Austrian Netherlands, which had just been reduced to obedience by Austria, and here his ability and experience made him a very successful ruler. Although at first in favor of moderate courses, Mercy-Argenteau supported the action of Austria in making war upon his former ally after the outbreak of the French Revolution, and in July 1794 he was appointed Austrian ambassador to Britain, but he died a few days after his arrival in London.

[edit] Fictional Portrayal

Played by Henry Stephenson in the W.S. Van Dyke 1938 film Marie Antoinette.

In Sofia Coppola's 2006 film, Marie-Antoinette, Mercy-Argenteau was played by British comedian Steve Coogan.

[edit] See also

T. Juste, Le Comte de Mercy-Argenteau (Brussels 1863)
A. von Arneth and A. Geoff roy, Correspondances secretes de Marie Therese avec le comte de Mercy (Paris 1874)
A. von Arneth and J. Flammermont, Correspondance secrete de Mercy avec Joseph II et Kaunitz (Paris 1889-1891)
Mercy-Argenteau's Correspondances secretes de Marie Terese has been condensed and translated into English by Lilian Smythe under the title of A Guardian of Marie Antoinette (2 vols., London 1902)