Bourbon-Vendôme

House of Bourbon-Vendôme (Légitimé de France)

Country	France
Parent house	House of Bourbon (legitimised royal branch)
Titles	duc de Vendôme, duc de Beaufort duc d'Étampes duc de Mercœur comte de Penthièvre later duc
Founded	1595
Founder	César de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme
Dissolution	1727

The Bourbon-Vendôme family was an illegitimate branch of the senior line of the House of Bourbon, being thus part of the Capetian dynasty. It was founded by César de Bourbon (1594–1665), the illegitimate son of King Henry IV of France and his mistress, Gabrielle d'Estrées.

History

Born in 1594, César de Bourbon was legitimised, and created Duke of Vendôme by his father, the king, in 1598. The title of duc de Vendôme was chosen because it had previously been used by the father of Henry IV of France, and from 1537 to 1562 the title had been held by Antoine of Navarre. After the creation of 1598, the title continued to be used by César de Bourbon's family for over a century.

In 1599, César de Bourbon also inherited the titles of Duke of Beaufort and Duke of Étampes upon the death of his mother. After César de Bourbon's death in 1665, he was succeeded as Duke of Vendôme by his first son Louis (1612–1669), while the title of Duke of Beaufort passed to his second son François (1616–1669).

After the death of the 4th Duke of Vendôme in 1727, the title reverted to the Crown. It continued to be used as a courtesy title by the Comte de Provence, the younger brother of Louis XVI.

Genealogy

César de Bourbon, 1st Duke of Vendome, 2nd Duke of Beaufort (1594–1665). In 1608, he married Françoise de Lorraine, duchesse de Mercœur et de Penthièvre (1592–1669), daughter and heiress of Philippe Emmanuel, duc de Mercœur, a rival of his father Henry IV's. They had three children.
1. Louis II de Bourbon-Vendôme, 2nd Duke of Vendôme (1612–1669). He married Laura Mancini, niece of Cardinal Mazarin, and had three children.
  1. Louis Joseph de Bourbon-Vendôme, 3rd Duke of Vendôme (1654–1712). He was appointed Marshal of France. He married Marie Anne de Condé (1678–1718), a daughter of Henry III Jules de Bourbon, prince de Condé and granddaughter of Le Grand Condé. They had no children. After his death, the titles passed to his younger brother, Philippe.
  2. Philippe de Bourbon-Vendôme, 4th Duke of Vendôme (1655–1727), called le prieur de Vendôme. A Grand Prior for France in the Order of Malta, he was also a French army commander. He held the title until his death in 1727.
  3. Jules César (1657–1660)
2. Elisabeth, Mlle de Vendôme (1614–1664), who married Charles Amadeus of Savoy, 6th Duke of Nemours.
3. François de Bourbon-Vendôme, 1st Duke of Beaufort (1616–1669), who never married and had no children.