Charles-François de Broglie, marquis de Ruffec (19 August 1719 – 16 August 1781), was a French soldier and diplomat from the House of Broglie. He served in the

French Army History Early history The first permanent army, paid with regular wages, instead of feudal levies, was established under Charles VII of France, Charles VII in the 1420 to 1430s. The Kings of France needed reliable troops during and after the ...

and was one of the foremost diplomats in the service of

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (french: le Bien-Aimé), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reache ...

. He is chiefly remembered in connection with the '' Secret du Roi''.

Biography

As second son of François-Marie, duc de Broglie, he was accorded the

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but rather is used through custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some con ...

of ''marquis de Ruffec''. After serving as a French military officer, he was seconded to the diplomatic service of King

. He served as Ambassador Extraordinary to

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...

(1752–56), was recalled at the outbreak of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...

, was appointed '' Chevalier des Ordres du Roi'' (1757),

Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a three-star military rank (NATO code OF-8) used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages, where the title of lieutenant general was held by the second-in-command on the ...

(1760), Commandant of

Franche-Comté Franche-Comté (, ; ; Frainc-Comtou: ''Fraintche-Comtè''; frp, Franche-Comtât; also german: Freigrafschaft; es, Franco Condado; all ) is a cultural and historical region of eastern France. It is composed of the modern departments of Doubs, ...

(1761–62), then after the Peace,

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of Saumurois (1770). He is best remembered in connection with the '' Secret du Roi'', the private—as distinct from the official—diplomatic service of Louis XV, of which he was the ablest and most important member. He held the post of ''Premier

Colonel Colonel (abbreviated as Col., Col or COL) is a senior military officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, a colonel was typically in charge ...

'' of

Grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was originally a specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in battle. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when grenadiers were recruited from ...

The Marquis The Marquis (1859 – October 1886) was a British Thoroughbred racehorse. After retiring from racing he became a successful stallion in Australia. Background The Marquis was a bay colt foaled in 1859 and sired by Stockwell. His dam w ...

organized the famous ''Diner de Metz'' (8 August 1775), when the young Marquis de La Fayette was convinced by the guest of honour, the visiting

Duke of Gloucester Duke of Gloucester () is a British royal title (after Gloucester), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the curre ...

, brother of King George III, that the insurgents' revolt in

America The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...

was in some measure justified. Broglie-Ruffec was involved with

Beaumarchais Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (; 24 January 1732 – 18 May 1799) was a French polymath. At various times in his life, he was a watchmaker, inventor, playwright, musician, diplomat, spy, publisher, horticulturist, arms dealer, satirist, ...

in devising a scheme to offer secret support to the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

in its early stages. His funeral monument is in the Angouleme Cathedral and a portrait of him, painted by Norman-Michel-Hubert Descours in 1762, is at the Château de Bourdeilles.

Family

He married, 21 March 1759, Louise-Augustine de Montmorency (1735–1817); they had three daughters, Louise 1760-1827; Philippine 1762-1843; and Adelaide-Charlotte 1763-1847.

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Broglie, Charles-Francois, marquis de Ruffec 1719 births 1781 deaths 18th-century French diplomats Charles-Francois Marquesses of Ruffec Diplomats from Paris Ambassadors of France to Poland Ambassadors of France to Great Britain French generals French military personnel of the Seven Years' War French spies Military personnel from Paris

Biography

Family

See also

Notes

References