The French

lordship A lordship is a territory held by a lord. It was a landed estate that served as the lowest administrative and judicial unit in rural areas. It originated as a unit under the feudal system during the Middle Ages. In a lordship, the functions of econ ...

of Montpensier (named after the village of

Montpensier The French lordship of Montpensier (named after the village of Montpensier, département of Puy-de-Dôme), located in historical Auvergne, became a countship in the 14th century. It changed hands from the House of Thiern, to the House of Beauj ...

département In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level ("territorial collectivity, territorial collectivities"), between the regions of France, admin ...

Puy-de-Dôme Puy-de-Dôme (; oc, label=Auvergnat, lo Puèi de Doma or ''lo Puèi Domat'') is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the centre of France. In 2019, it had a population of 662,152.Auvergne Auvergne (; ; oc, label=Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Auverg ...

, became a

countship Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...

in the 14th century. It changed hands from the House of Thiern, to the House of Beaujeau, to the House of Drieux, to the House of Beaujeau again, and finally to the House of Ventadour, before it was sold in 1384 by Bernard and Robert de Ventadour to

John, Duke of Berry John of Berry or John the Magnificent ( French: ''Jean de Berry'', ; 30 November 1340 – 15 June 1416) was Duke of Berry and Auvergne and Count of Poitiers and Montpensier. He was Regent of France during the minority of his nephew 1380-1388 ...

, whose sons Charles and John were the first two to hold the title of ''Count of Montpensier''. After their deaths without issue, their younger sister Marie brought the countship to her third husband,

John I, Duke of Bourbon John of Bourbon (1381–1434) was Duke of Bourbon, from 1410 to his death and Duke of Auvergne since 1416. He was the eldest son of Louis II and Anne of Auvergne. Through his mother, John inherited the County of Forez. During the Armagnac–B ...

(1381–1434). The countship was subsequently held by

Louis de Bourbon Louis de Bourbon may refer to: * Louis I, Duke of Bourbon (1279 – 1342), Count of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis and La Marche, and the first Duke of Bourbon * Louis II, Duke of Bourbon, called the Good (1337 – 1410), third Duke of Bourbon * Louis de B ...

, the younger son of John and Marie, and by his descendants up to Charles de Bourbon-Montpensier, the famous constable, who became duke of Bourbon by his marriage with his cousin, Suzanne de Bourbon, in 1505. In 1384–1434 and 1505–27, Montpensier followed the succession in

Duchy of Auvergne This is a list of the various rulers of Auvergne. History In the 7th century Auvergne was disputed between the Franks and Aquitanians. It was later conquered by the Carolingians, and was integrated for a time into the kingdom of Aquitaine. The ...

, and from 1434 onwards that of Dauphinate of Auvergne. Confiscated by King

Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...

, the countship was restored in 1538 to

Louise de Bourbon Louise de Bourbon (2 February 1603 – 9 September 1637) called ''Mademoiselle de Soissons'' was the wife of Henri d'Orléans, Duke of Longueville. She was the mother of the famous Marie de Nemours. Life The eldest daughter of Charles de ...

, sister of the

Constable of France The Constable of France (french: Connétable de France, from Latin for 'count of the stables') was lieutenant to the King of France, the first of the original five Great Officers of the Crown (along with seneschal, chamberlain, butler, and ...

, and widow of the prince de

La Roche-sur-Yon La Roche-sur-Yon () is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France. It is the capital of the department. The demonym for its inhabitants is ''Yonnais''. History The town expanded significantly after Napo ...

, and to her son

Louis Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis ( ...

, and was erected into a

duchy A duchy, also called a dukedom, is a Middle Ages, medieval country, territory, fiefdom, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess, a ruler hierarchically second to the king or Queen regnant, queen in Western European tradition. There once exis ...

in the

peerage A peerage is a legal system historically comprising various hereditary titles (and sometimes non-hereditary titles) in a number of countries, and composed of assorted noble ranks. Peerages include: Australia * Australian peers Belgium * Belgi ...

of France (''duché-pairie'') in 1539.

Marie Marie may refer to: People Name * Marie (given name) * Marie (Japanese given name) * Marie (murder victim), girl who was killed in Florida after being pushed in front of a moving vehicle in 1973 * Marie (died 1759), an enslaved Cree person in Tr ...

, daughter and heiress of Henry, Duke of Montpensier, brought the duchy to her husband

Gaston, Duke of Orléans '' Monsieur'' Gaston, Duke of Orléans (Gaston Jean Baptiste; 24 April 1608 – 2 February 1660), was the third son of King Henry IV of France and his second wife, Marie de' Medici. As a son of the king, he was born a '' Fils de France''. He lat ...

, brother of

Louis XIII Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown ...

, whom she married in 1626, and their daughter and heiress, known as ''

La Grande Mademoiselle LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

'' was duchess of Montpensier. When Mademoiselle Anne died childless, her heir (but an ancestress' Huguenot marriage after being a nun may have been regarded invalid) was

Elisabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine Princess Elizabeth Charlotte of the Palatinate (german: Prinzessin Elisabeth Charlotte von der Pfalz), (french: Princesse Élisabeth-Charlotte du Palatinat); known as Liselotte von der Pfalz, 27 May 1652 – 8 December 1722) was a German m ...

, the then wife of

Duke of Orléans Duke of Orléans (french: Duc d'Orléans) was a French royal title usually granted by the King of France to one of his close relatives (usually a younger brother or son), or otherwise inherited through the male line. First created in 1344 by King ...

. The title subsequently remained in the

Orléans Orléans (;"Orleans"
(US) and Philippe Egalité Philippe is a masculine sometimes feminin given name, cognate to Philip. It may refer to: * Philippe of Belgium (born 1960), King of the Belgians (2013–present) * Philippe (footballer) (born 2000), Brazilian footballer * Prince Philippe, Count o ...

, and by Antoine Marie Philippe Louis (1824–1890), son of King

Louis-Philippe Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate List of French monarchs#House of Orléans, July Monarchy (1830–1848), monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, h ...

and father-in-law of King

Alphonso XII of Spain Alfonso XII (Alfonso Francisco de Asís Fernando Pío Juan María de la Concepción Gregorio Pelayo; 28 November 185725 November 1885), also known as El Pacificador or the Peacemaker, was King of Spain from 29 December 1874 to his death in 1885 ...

. Mademoiselle de Montpensier was a title conferred upon some women of the royal family, namely during the years previous to the

French Revolution The French Revolution ( ) was a period of radical political and societal change in France that began with the Estates General of 1789 and ended with the formation of the French Consulate in November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

Seigneurs of Montpensier (12th century)

Guy of Thiers, Seigneur of Montpensier Guy or GUY may refer to: Personal names * Guy (given name) * Guy (surname) * That Guy (...), the New Zealand street performer Leigh Hart Places * Guy, Alberta, a Canadian hamlet * Guy, Arkansas, US, a city * Guy, Indiana, US, an unincorpo ...

# Agnès of Thiers, Dame of Montpensier - ''daughter who married''

Humbert IV of Beaujeu, Sire of Beaujeu Humbert, Umbert or Humberto (Latinized ''Humbertus'') is a Germanic given name, from ''hun'' "warrior" and ''beraht'' "bright". It also came into use as a surname. Given name ;Royalty and Middle Ages * Emebert (died 710) * Humbert of Maroilles ...

and Seigneur of Montpensier (Humbert I) # Guichard I of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier - ''son'' # Guichard II of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier - ''son'' # Humbert II of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier - ''son'' #

Jeanne of Beaujeu, Dame of Montpensier Jeanne may refer to: Places * Jeanne (crater), on Venus People * Jeanne (given name) * Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc, 1412–1431) * Joanna of Flanders (1295–1374) * Joan, Duchess of Brittany (1319–1384) * Ruth Stuber Jeanne (1910–2004), Ame ...

(Jeanne I) - ''daughter who married'' Jean II of Drieux, Count of Dreux, Seigneur of Montpensier (Jean I) #

Robert V of Dreux, Seigneur of Montpensier The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

- ''son'' #

Jean III of Dreux, Seigneur of Montpensier Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...

(Jean II) - ''brother'' #

Pierre of Dreux, Seigneur of Montpensier Pierre is a masculine given name. It is a French form of the name Peter. Pierre originally meant "rock" or "stone" in French (derived from the Greek word πέτρος (''petros'') meaning "stone, rock", via Latin "petra"). It is a translation ...

''brother'' #

Jeanne I of Dreux, Dame of Montpensier Jeanne may refer to: Places * Jeanne (crater), on Venus People * Jeanne (given name) * Joan of Arc (Jeanne d'Arc, 1412–1431) * Joanna of Flanders (1295–1374) * Joan, Duchess of Brittany (1319–1384) * Ruth Stuber Jeanne (1910–2004), Ame ...

(Jeanne II) - ''daughter'' #

Louis I of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS Louis, HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also

Derived or associated te ...

- ''descendant of a brother of Humbert II of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier #

Marguerite of Beaujeu, Dame of Montpensier Marguerite may refer to: People * Marguerite (given name), including a list of people with the name Places *Marguerite, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community * Marguerite Bay, Antarctic Peninsula * Marguerite Island, Adélie Land, Antarcti ...

- ''daughter who married'' Ebles VIII of Ventadour, Viscount of Ventadour, Seigneur of Montpensier # Bernard of Ventadour, Seigneur of Montpensier (1346–1384) - ''son''

Counts of Montpensier (1384)

Charles de Valois, Count of Montpensier Charles is a masculine given name predominantly found in English and French speaking countries. It is from the French form ''Charles'' of the Proto-Germanic name (in runic alphabet) or ''*karilaz'' (in Latin alphabet), whose meaning was "f ...

(1362–1382) - ''son of John de Valois, Duke of Berry and Auvergne'' #

John de Valois, Count of Montpensier John of Berry (1375/1376–1397), count of Montpensier (1386–1401), was a French nobleman. He was the son of John, Duke of Berry and Joanna of Armagnac. He had no children and predeceased his father. He married twice: #in 1386 at Saint-Ouen to ...

(1363–1401) - ''brother'' # Marie of Valois, Countess of Montpensier (1375–1434) - ''sister of John; in 1400 she married

'' # Louis I de Bourbon, Count of Montpensier (1405–1486) - ''third and younger surviving son'' # Gilbert de Bourbon, Count of Montpensier (1448–1496) - ''son of Louis I'' # Louis II de Bourbon, Count of Montpensier (1483–1501) - ''son of Gilbert'' # Charles III de Bourbon, Count of Montpensier (1490–1527) - ''brother of Louis II''

Dukes of Montpensier (1539)

Louise de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier Louise de Bourbon (1482 – 15 July 1561) was the Duchess of Montpensier, suo jure from February 1538 to 1561. She was the great great great grandmother of ''La Grande Mademoiselle''. Inheritance The eldest daughter of Gilbert, Count of Montpens ...

(1482–1561) - ''sister of Charles III'' # Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier (1513–1582) - ''son of Louise'' # François de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier (1542–1592) - ''son of Louis'' #

Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier, (12 May 1573 – 27 February 1608) was Rulers of Auvergne, Dauphin of Auvergne, Duchy of Montpensier, Duke of Montpensier, Sovereign Prince of the Dombes and Lord of Châtellerault. Henri was born at Mézièr ...

(1573–1608) - ''son of François'' #

Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier Marie de Bourbon (15 October 1605 – 4 June 1627), Duchess of Montpensier, and Duchess of Orléans by marriage, was a French noblewoman and one of the last members of the House of Bourbon-Montpensier. Her parents were Henri de Bourbon, ''Du ...

(1605–1627) - ''daughter of Henri'' #

Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier, (, – ) known as ''La Grande Mademoiselle'', was the only daughter of Gaston d'Orléans with his first wife, Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier. One of the greatest heiresses in ...

Courtesy title

The title Duke of Montpensier has been used as a courtesy title by other members of the House of Orléans: * Antoine Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1775–1807) second son of

Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (Louis Philippe Joseph; 13 April 17476 November 1793), was a major French noble who supported the French Revolution. Louis Philippe II was born at the Château de Saint-Cloud to Louis Philippe I, Duke of Char ...

* Antoine d'Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1824–1890) youngest son of

Louis Philippe, King of the French Louis Philippe (6 October 1773 – 26 August 1850) was King of the French from 1830 to 1848, and the penultimate monarch of France. As Louis Philippe, Duke of Chartres, he distinguished himself commanding troops during the Revolutionary War ...

* Duchess Marie Therese of Württemberg, Duchess of Montpensier (born 1934), wife of Henri, comte de Paris, duc de France

References

*{{EB1911 , wstitle=Montpensier, Counts and Dukes of , volume=18 , page=789