Charles, Count of Armagnac

Charles of Lorraine (22 February 1684 – 29 December 1751) was a member of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine. Succeeding his father as the Count of Armagnac, he also succeeded to being the Count of Brionne as well as the Grand Squire of France.

Biography

Born to Louis of Lorraine, comte d'Armagnac and his wife Catherine de Neufville, he was the couples last child.

His father Louis, was the Grand Squire of France, one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France and a member of the King's Household. The position was roughly equivalent to the United Kingdom positions of Master of the Horse and the Crown Equerry. This entitles his father to be addressed as Monsieur le Grand, a style which Charles would later use, after succeeding his father in his posts (at Charles' death, it was given to Louis' grandson, the prince de Lambesc).

Henri's mother was Catherine de Neufville, youngest child of the Maréchal de Villeroy, governor of the young Louis XIV. Henri's first cousin was the next Duke of Villeroy and the future governor of Louis XV.

His sister, Marie was the mother of Louise Hippolyte Grimaldi, only Princess of Monaco to this day. His older brother Henri, Count of Brionne was expected to succeed to the Armagnac titles but died in 1713, five years before his father.

On 22 May 1717 during the Regency of Philippe d'Orléans (1715–1723)^[2] Charles married Françoise Adélaide de Noailles,^[1] the eldest daughter of Adrien Maurice de Noailles, duc de Noailles and his wife Françoise Charlotte d'Aubigné, the niece and heiress of Madame de Maintenon. The couple had no issue, and divorced in 1721.

His father died in 1718, becoming the Grand Squire of France. During his time as Grand Squire, he known as le prince Charles by many. He died in Paris aged 67.

Ancestry

References and notes

See also