The Grand Dignitaries of the French Empire (

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

: ''Grands Dignitaires de l'Empire Français'') were created in 1804 by the

Constitution of the Year XII The Constitution of the Year XII (), also called the Organic Sénatus-consulte of 28 Floréal, year XII (), was a national constitution of the First French Republic adopted during the Year XII of the French Revolutionary Calendar (1804 in the G ...

, which established

Napoleon Bonaparte Napoleon Bonaparte ; it, Napoleone Bonaparte, ; co, Napulione Buonaparte. (born Napoleone Buonaparte; 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821), later known by his regnal name Napoleon I, was a French military commander and political leader wh ...

, previously First Consul for Life, as

Emperor of the French Emperor of the French (French: ''Empereur des Français'') was the title of the monarch and supreme ruler of the First and the Second French Empires. Details A title and office used by the House of Bonaparte starting when Napoleon was procla ...

. The seven Grand Dignitaries broadly paralleled the Great Officers of the Crown which had existed under the ''

Ancien Régime ''Ancien'' may refer to * the French word for " ancient, old" ** Société des anciens textes français * the French for "former, senior" ** Virelai ancien ** Ancien Régime ** Ancien Régime in France {{disambig ...

'' and were essentially

honorific An honorific is a title that conveys esteem, courtesy, or respect for position or rank when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term "honorific" is used in a more specific sense to refer to an honorary academic title. It ...

, although several limited functions were ascribed to them in the new

constitution A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed. When these pr ...

of the

Empire An empire is a "political unit" made up of several territories and peoples, "usually created by conquest, and divided between a dominant center and subordinate peripheries". The center of the empire (sometimes referred to as the metropole) ex ...

. In the Imperial nobility the Grand Dignitaries ranked in status directly behind the Princes of France, although in practice, most Grand Dignitaries also held the title of Prince. In 1807 two new dignitaries were created, a further two in 1809, and another in 1810, raising the final number to twelve. Many of the dignitaries were also members of the Imperial Family, with those that were not being high-ranking figures in the Imperial administration. The Grand Dignitaries were abolished along with the

First Empire First Empire may refer to: *First British Empire, sometimes used to describe the British Empire between 1583 and 1783 *First Bulgarian Empire (680–1018) *First French Empire (1804–1814/1815) * First German Empire or "First Reich", sometimes use ...

in 1814 upon the

Bourbon Restoration Bourbon Restoration may refer to: France under the House of Bourbon: * Bourbon Restoration in France (1814, after the French revolution and Napoleonic era, until 1830; interrupted by the Hundred Days in 1815) Spain under the Spanish Bourbons: * Ab ...

, the Great Officers of the Crown being reinstated, and were not restored under the Second Empire.

Grand Dignitaries of the Empire

Appointed in 1804

* Jean de Cambacérès, Archchancellor of the Empire *

Eugène de Beauharnais Eugène Rose de Beauharnais, Duke of Leuchtenberg (; 3 September 1781 – 21 February 1824) was a French nobleman, statesman, and military commander who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. Through the second ma ...

, Archchancellor of State * Charles-François Lebrun, Archtreasurer *

Joseph Bonaparte it, Giuseppe-Napoleone Buonaparte es, José Napoleón Bonaparte , house = Bonaparte , father = Carlo Buonaparte , mother = Letizia Ramolino , birth_date = 7 January 1768 , birth_place = Corte, Corsica, Republic ...

, Grand Elector *

Louis Bonaparte Louis Napoléon Bonaparte (born Luigi Buonaparte; 2 September 1778 – 25 July 1846) was a younger brother of Napoleon I, Emperor of the French. He was a monarch in his own right from 1806 to 1810, ruling over the Kingdom of Holland (a French ...

, Grand Constable *

Joachim Murat Joachim Murat ( , also , ; it, Gioacchino Murati; 25 March 1767 – 13 October 1815) was a French military commander and statesman who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and Napoleonic Wars. Under the French Empire he received the ...

, Grand Admiral

Appointed in 1805

Joseph Fesch Joseph Fesch, Prince of France (3 January 1763 – 13 May 1839) was a French priest and diplomat, who was the maternal half-uncle of Napoleon Bonaparte (half-brother of Napoleon's mother Laetitia). In the wake of his nephew, he became Archbishop ...

, Grand Almoner

Appointed in 1807

* Charles de Talleyrand-Périgord, Vice-Grand Elector *

Louis-Alexandre Berthier Louis-Alexandre Berthier (20 November 1753 – 1 June 1815), Prince of Neuchâtel and Valangin, Prince of Wagram, was a French Marshal of the Empire who served during the French Revolutionary Wars and the Napoleonic Wars. He was twice Minis ...

, Vice-Grand Constable

Appointed in 1809

* Camillo Borghese, Governor-General of the Departments Beyond the Alps * Elisa Bonaparte,

Grand Duchess of Tuscany The Grand Duchy of Tuscany was founded in 1569. It succeeded the Duchy of Florence. The grand duchy was initially ruled by the House of Medici, until their extinction in 1737. The grand duchy passed to the House of Lorraine, and then, to its c ...

Jackson-Laufer, Guida Myrl:''Women Rulers Throughout the Ages: An Illustrated Guide'', ABC-CLIO, 1999, , p 142

Appointed in 1810

*Charles-François Lebrun, Governor-General of the Departments of Holland

Gallery

File:Maurin - Cambaceres.png, Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès File:Eugène de Beauharnais, vice-roi d'Italie.jpg,

File:Charles François Lebrun prince architrésorier de l'Empire.jpg, Charles-François Lebrun File:Joseph Bonaparte Portrait.jpg,

File:Louis Napoléon peint par François Gérard.jpg,

File:Murat2.jpg,

File:Joseph Fesch (Ecole française - XIXe siècle).jpg,

File:Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord - Pierre-Paul Prud'hon.jpg,

Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (, ; 2 February 1754 – 17 May 1838), 1st Prince of Benevento, then Prince of Talleyrand, was a French clergyman, politician and leading diplomat. After studying theology, he became Agent-General of the ...

File:Louis-Alexandre Berthier.png,

File:Camille Borghèse.jpg, Camillo Borghese File:Guillaume Guillon-Lethière - Elisa Bonaparte.jpg, Elisa Bonaparte

References

Bibliography

* * *{{Cite book, url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x3BzmTdQLioC, title=Women Rulers Throughout the Ages: An Illustrated Guide, author=Guida Myrl Jackson-Laufer, publisher=ABC-CLIO, date=1999, isbn=978-1-57607-091-8

External links

Constitution of the Year XII – Grand Dignitaries of the Empire
First French Empire French Empire