Louis, Duke of Rohan

Louis de Rohan-Chabot (3 November 1652 – 17 August 1727) was a member of the House of Rohan-Chabot and Duke of Rohan. He married an heiress and acted as Louis XIV's representative in Brittany. He was styled as the Prince of Léon prior to becoming Duke of Rohan. His direct descendant is today's Josselin de Rohan (born 5 June 1938) a member of the Senate of France, representing the Morbihan department.

Biography

Born at the Hôtel de la rue du Temple in Paris to Henri Chabot and his wife Marguerite de Rohan, she was the fifth of six children. Louis was their only surviving son^[2] His parents marriage had caused a scandal; his mother Marguerite was a Foreign Princess as a member of the House of Rohan^[3] had caused Louis XIV to issue a decree that she was able to marry Henri and still hold her high rank at court.

His family were allowed to bear the name of Rohan-Chabot, the Rohans being his maternal family.^[4]

He was close to his older sister Anne, future Princess of Soubise and mistress of Louis XIV. His youngest sister, Jeanne Pelagie, married the Prince of Epinoy, the paternal grandfather of Louis de Melun and Anne Julie de Melun, a future Princess of Soubise.^[5]

His godparents were the infant Louis XIV and his mother Anne of Austria, Queen Regent.^[1] He was very rich, with an annual income of 50,000 ecus, but he was a miser and greedy.^[1] His greed caused him to fall out with his sister Anne which led to bad relations with the king himself.

His nephews included Hercule Mériadec, Duke of Rohan-Rohan and the Cardinal de Soubise.

He campaigned in Flanders in 1667, and in the same year he became head of the nobility in Brittany and was the king's representative there. He was also involved in sieges at Tournai, Douai and Lille.

He married Marie Élisabeth de Bec-Crespin de Grimaldi, marquise de Vardes, a grand daughter of Jacqueline de Bueil, mistress of King Henri IV. Louis and Marie Élisabeth were married on 18 July 1678 at the Château de Saint-Cloud, residence of Philippe de France, Monsieur (brother of Louis XIV) and his wife Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate, Madame.

His wife bought a considerable dowry and was the sole heiress of her father François René du Bec-Crespin, marquis de Vardes, comte de Moret, and Catherine Nicolaï, marquise de Goussainville. Louis and Jacqueline had eleven children of whom two sons and a daughter would have progeny.

Around 1700 Louis was at Court. The Guéméné branch of the House of Rohan wanted him to abandon the name and coat-or-arms of his mother's family. However, King Louis XIV confirmed his rights to the name, title and coat-or-arms, to which his father had been entitled since 19 September 1646, part of the marriage contract of his parents.

Louis died in Paris on 17 August 1727, aged 74; Marie Élisabeth survived him until 27 March 1743, when she too died in Paris, aged 81. He was buried at the Château de Blain.

Issue

• Louis Bretagne Alain de Rohan-Chabot, Duke Rohan, Prince of Léon (26 September 1679 – 10 August 1738) married Françoise de Roquelaure (daughter of Antoine Gaston de Roquelaure) and had issue;
• Marie Marguerite Françoise de Rohan-Chabot, Mademoiselle de Rohan (25 December 1680 – 28 January 1706) married Louis Pierre Engelbert de La Marck, Count of Schleiden
• Anne Henriette Charlotte de Rohan-Chabot, Mademoiselle de Léon (18 June 1682 – 12 May 1751) married Alphonse François Dominique, 2.Prince de Berghes, no issue;
• Guy Auguste de Rohan-Chabot, Count of Maillé-Seizploue (18 August 1683 – 13 September 1760) married Yvonne Sylvie du Breil de Rays and had issue; married again to Mary Apolonia Scolastica Stafford-Howard, had no issue;
• Charlotte de Rohan-Chabot, Mademoiselle de Porhoëtt (c.1684 – Jun 1710) never married;
• Françoise Gabrielle de Rohan-Chabot (5 October 1685 – ?) never married;
• Charles Annibal de Rohan-Chabot, Count of Jarnac (14 June 1687 – 5 November 1762) married Henriette Charlotte Chabot, suo jure Countess of Jarnac, no issue;
• Julie Victoire de Rohan-Chabot (3 December 1688 – 10 October 1730) never married;
• Constance Eléonore de Rohan-Chabot (14 February 1691 – 1733) never married;
• Marie Armande de Rohan-Chabot (4 October 1692 – 29 January 1742) never married;
• Marie Louise de Rohan-Chabot (24 October 1697 – ?) never married.

Ancestry

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

• 3 November 1652 – 27 February 1655 His Highness the Prince of Léon
• 27 February 1655 – 17 August 1727 His Highness the Duke of Rohan

References and notes