The title of Duke of Gramont (''duc de Gramont'') is a French

dukedom Dukedom may refer to: * The title and office of a duke * Duchy, the territory ruled by a duke * Dukedom, Kentucky and Tennessee, United States * ''Dukedom'' (game), a land management game See also * Lists of dukedoms Lists of dukedoms include: ...

and former

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 * Be ...

. It was created in 1648 for French Marshal Antoine III de Gramont.

History

The family of Gramont was a

Navarrese Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

medieval noble house and owned the chateau of Bidache. They held land in

Lower Navarre Lower Navarre ( eu, Nafarroa Beherea/Baxenabarre; Gascon/Bearnese: ''Navarra Baisha''; french: Basse-Navarre ; es, Baja Navarra) is a traditional region of the present-day French ''département'' of Pyrénées-Atlantiques. It corresponds to the ...

and in neighbouring

Gascony Gascony (; french: Gascogne ; oc, Gasconha ; eu, Gaskoinia) was a province of the southwestern Kingdom of France that succeeded the Duchy of Gascony (602–1453). From the 17th century until the French Revolution (1789–1799), it was part ...

, part of the kingdom of France. As their liege lords, the kings of Navarre, they played an active role in French politics. The last heiress of the house, Claire de Gramont (died in 1534) wed Menaut d'Aure and their son Antoine took the name Gramont rather than d'Aure. Antoine de Gramont was a leading noblemen in south-west France during the

Wars of Religion A religious war or a war of religion, sometimes also known as a holy war ( la, sanctum bellum), is a war which is primarily caused or justified by differences in religion. In the modern period, there are frequent debates over the extent to wh ...

. At first, a Calvinist and lieutenant general to Queen Jeanne d'Albret, he switched sides to Catholicism and King Charles IX's service. He was created Count of Guiche in 1563. Antoine de Gramont was also the first Gramont to claim sovereignty over the

Principality of Bidache The Principality of Bidache was from 1570 to 1793 a small feudal state in the south west of modern-day France. The sovereignty of Bidache was proclaimed by Count Antoine de Gramont in 1570. The counts of Gramont had formerly been vassals of the ...

. His grandson, also named Antoine de Gramont, viceroy of Navarra, was created Duke of Gramont in 1643. Another famous member of the ducal house was

Philibert de Gramont Philibert, Count de Gramont (1621 – 31 January 1707), was a French courtier and soldier, known as the protagonist of the ''Mémoires'' written by Anthony Hamilton (his brother-in-law). He was a younger half-brother of Antoine III of Gr ...

(1621–1707), younger son of the first Duke.

Counts of Guiche

* 1563-1576 : Antoine I de Gramont (1526-1576) * 1576-1580 : Philibert de Gramont (1552-1580) * 1580-1643 : Antoine II de Gramont (1572-1644)

Duke of Gramont, 1st Creation

* 1643-1644 : Antoine II de Gramont (1572–1644). The patent for the creation of the title was not registered in Parliament before his death, so his son had to petition for a new creation.

Dukes of Gramont, 2nd Creation

* 1648-1678 : Antoine III de Gramont-Touloujon, 2nd Duke of Gramont (1604–1678) * 1678-1720 : Antoine Charles IV de Gramont, 3rd Duke of Gramont (1641–1720) * 1720-1725 : Antoine V de Gramont, 4th Duke of Gramont (1671–1725) * 1725-1741 : Antoine VI Louis Armand de Gramont, 5th Duke of Gramont (1688–1741) * 1741-1745 : Louis I de Gramont, 6th Duke of Gramont (1689–1745) * 1745-1790 :

Antoine VII de Gramont, 7th Duke of Gramont Antoine is a French given name (from the Latin ''Antonius'' meaning 'highly praise-worthy') that is a variant of Danton, Titouan, D'Anton and Antonin. The name is used in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, West Greenland, Haiti, French Guiana ...

(1722–1801) * 1815-1836 : Antoine Louis Marie de Gramont, 8th Duke of Gramont (1755–1836) * 1836-1848 ; 1852-1855 : Antoine IX Geneviève Héraclius Agénor de Gramont, 9th Duke of Gramont (1789–1855) * 1855-1880 : Antoine Alfred Agénor de Gramont, 10th Duke of Gramont (1819–1880) * 1880-1925 : Antoine Alfred Agénor de Gramont, 11th Duke of Gramont (1851–1925) * 1925-1962 : Antoine Agénor Armand de Gramont, 12th Duke of Gramont (1879–1962) * 1962-1995 : Antoine Agénor Henri Armand de Gramont, 13th Duke of Gramont (1907–1995) * 1995-2014 : Antoine Armand Odélric Marie Henri de Gramont, 14th Duke of Gramont (1951–2014) * 2014- : Antoine de Gramont, 15th Duke of Gramont (b. 2008)

Gallery

File:Blason Antoine III de Gramont-Touloujon (1604-1678).svg, Antoine III coat of arms File:Blason Antoine VIII Louis-Marie de Gramont.svg, Antoine VIII coat of arms File:Blason Philibert (1621-1707) chevalier puis comte de Gramont.svg, Philibert coat of arms

References

External links

*
Duché de Gramont
''Historia Medieval del Rayno de Navarra'' {{DEFAULTSORT:Duke Of Gramont Gramont Gramont