Louis Marie Jacques Amalric, comte de Narbonne-Lara (August 1755 - 17 November 1813) was a
French nobleman
Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. The characteris ...
,
soldier
A soldier is a person who is a member of an army. A soldier can be a conscripted or volunteer enlisted person, a non-commissioned officer, or an officer.
Etymology
The word ''soldier'' derives from the Middle English word , from Old French ...
and
diplomat.
Birth and early life
He was born at
Colorno
Colorno (Parmigiano dialect, Parmigiano: ) is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Province of Parma in the Italy, Italian region Emilia-Romagna, located about northwest of Bologna and about north of Parma.
Colorno borders the following municipal ...
, in the
Duchy of Parma. His mother was
Françoise de Chalus (
bap. Château de Châlus-Chabrol,
Châlus,
Haute-Vienne, 24 February 1734 - Paris, 7 July 1821, daughter of Gabriel de Châlus, seigneur de Sansac, and Claire Gérault de Solages), one of the
ladies-in-waiting
A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...
of
Elizabeth, Duchess of Parma and
Chamberlain
Chamberlain may refer to:
Profession
*Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure
People
*Chamberlain (surname)
**Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...
-Major of
Princess Marie Adélaïde of France
Princess is a regal rank and the feminine equivalent of prince (from Latin ''princeps'', meaning principal citizen). Most often, the term has been used for the consort of a prince, or for the daughter of a king or prince.
Princess as a subst ...
.
Her husband was a nobleman of
Spanish
Spanish might refer to:
* Items from or related to Spain:
**Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain
**Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries
**Spanish cuisine
Other places
* Spanish, Ontario, Can ...
descent,
Don
Don, don or DON and variants may refer to:
Places
*County Donegal, Ireland, Chapman code DON
*Don (river), a river in European Russia
*Don River (disambiguation), several other rivers with the name
*Don, Benin, a town in Benin
*Don, Dang, a vill ...
Jean François, 1er duc de Narbonne-Lara. He was a
Grandee of Spain 1st Class,
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 ...
of the
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
, Commander in Name of the King of the
Diocese
In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop.
History
In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associa ...
s of
Castres
Castres (; ''Castras'' in the Languedocian dialect of Occitan) is the sole subprefecture of the Tarn department in the Occitanie region in Southern France. It lies in the former province of Languedoc, although not in the former region of Lan ...
,
Albi
Albi (; oc, Albi ) is a commune in southern France. It is the prefecture of the Tarn department, on the river Tarn, 85 km northeast of Toulouse. Its inhabitants are called ''Albigensians'' (french: Albigeois, Albigeoise(s), oc, albig ...
and
Lavaur, 1st
Gentleman of the House of H.R.H. the
Duke of Parma (
Aubiac, Lot-et-Garonne, 27 December 1718 – 12 August 1806). The father was son of François de Narbonne-Lara, seigneur d' Aubiac, and his second wife Olympie Angélique de Goth.
His parents married on 10 July 1749. They had an older son Philippe, the 2e duc de Narbonne-Lara, who died without issue.
However, it is alleged that
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 reached ...
himself was the real father. The coevals attribute the count's paternity to the King of France Louis XV. According to documents of the Military Archive, the comte Jean François de Narbonne-Lara had been wounded 8 years earlier in the
War of the Austrian Succession
The War of the Austrian Succession () was a European conflict that took place between 1740 and 1748. Fought primarily in Central Europe, the Austrian Netherlands, Italy, the Atlantic and Mediterranean, related conflicts included King George's ...
(1747), becoming from that moment on unable of having any offspring. The
baptism
Baptism (from grc-x-koine, βάπτισμα, váptisma) is a form of ritual purification—a characteristic of many religions throughout time and geography. In Christianity, it is a Christian sacrament of initiation and adoption, almost ...
of Louis, comte de Narbonne-Lara is another indication of that paternity. His wife became thus the King's
mistress
Mistress is the feminine form of the English word "master" (''master'' + ''-ess'') and may refer to:
Romance and relationships
* Mistress (lover), a term for a woman who is in a sexual and romantic relationship with a man who is married to a ...
. Not only was the comte's name also Louis, but his contemporaries always remarked about the similarities between Louis and the King.
He was brought up at
Versailles
The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, ...
with the Princesses of France. His education was princely, inclined mostly towards the
Classical studies and a rigid military formation; he frequented the main
Courts
A court is any person or institution, often as a government institution, with the authority to adjudicate legal disputes between parties and carry out the administration of justice in civil, criminal, and administrative matters in accorda ...
of
Europe
Europe is a large peninsula conventionally considered a continent in its own right because of its great physical size and the weight of its history and traditions. Europe is also considered a subcontinent of Eurasia and it is located entirel ...
, where he was able to familiarize with the foreign languages (
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
and
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
), which also contributed to his diplomatic formation.
He was made
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 o ...
of the
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
at the age of twenty-five.
Marriage and issue
He married Marie Adélaïde (sometimes Adélaïde Marie) de Montholon (
Mâcon
Mâcon (), historically anglicised as Mascon, is a city in east-central France. It is the prefecture of the department of Saône-et-Loire in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. Mâcon is home to near 34,000 residents, who are referred to in French as ...
, 11 or 16 October 1767 - 1848),
Lady of ''Madame''
Victoire of France Victoire (French, 'victory') or Victoires may refer to:
People
* Victoire of France (1733–1799), daughter of King Louis XV of France
* Victoire Babois (1760–1839), French poet and writer of elegies
* Victoire Conroy (1819–1866), a disliked ...
, daughter of Louis XV, on 16 April 1782 at Paris, France, with whom he had two daughters. She was the daughter of Nicolas de Montholon (son of Pierre de Montholon and Marguerite Baron, married on 11 June 1711) and Marguerite Fournier de la Chapelle (daughter of Charles Fournier de la Chapelle and Marie Louise Dureau). Their daughters were:
* Louise Amable Rion Françoise de Narbonne-Lara (
Nice
Nice ( , ; Niçard dialect, Niçard: , classical norm, or , nonstandard, ; it, Nizza ; lij, Nissa; grc, Νίκαια; la, Nicaea) is the prefecture of the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department in France. The Nice urban unit, agg ...
, 25 May 1786 -
Lisbon, 28 March 1849),
Dame of Honour of Her Majesty Queen
Mary II of Portugal
, image = Queen Maria II by John Simpson.jpg
, caption = Portrait by John Simpson, 1835
, succession = Queen of Portugal
, reign =
, predecessor = Pedro IV
, successor = Miguel I
, reg-type = Regents
, regent ...
(with right to the
Grandeeship of Spain for being representative of her paternal uncle the 2e duc de Narbonne-Lara), who married at
Agen
The commune of Agen (, ; ) is the prefecture of the Lot-et-Garonne department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, southwestern France. It lies on the river Garonne southeast of Bordeaux.
Geography
The city of Agen lies in the southwestern department ...
on 17 February 1806 the
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
of
Dutch
Dutch commonly refers to:
* Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands
* Dutch people ()
* Dutch language ()
Dutch may also refer to:
Places
* Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States
* Pennsylvania Dutch Country
People E ...
descent
Hermano José Braamcamp de Almeida Castelo-Branco, 5th Lord, 2nd Baron, 1st Viscount and 1st Count of Sobral (16 September 1775 - Lisbon, 2 February 1846), and had two daughters
* Marie Adélaïde Charlotte de Narbonne-Lara (
Belleville, 11 May 1790 -
Champgrenon, 31 May 1856), who married at Agen on 7 March 1808
Claude-Philibert Barthelot, comte de Rambuteau
Claude-Philibert Barthelot, comte de Rambuteau () (Mâcon, 9 November 1781 – Château de Rambuteau, 11 April 1869) was a French senior official of the first half of the 19th century. He was Préfet of the former Départment of the Seine, w ...
(Mâcon, 9 November 1781 -
Château de Rambuteau, 11 April 1869), and had two daughters
Out of wedlock he had by Jeanne Pitrot-Verteil one son:
* Louis Jean Amalric de Narbonne-Lara, born in
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
, unmarried and without issue
And by
Louise-Françoise Contat (16 June 1760 – 9 March 1813), actress with the
Comédie-Française
The Comédie-Française () or Théâtre-Français () is one of the few state theatres in France. Founded in 1680, it is the oldest active theatre company in the world. Established as a French state-controlled entity in 1995, it is the only state ...
, one daughter:
* Louise Amalrique Bathilde Isidore Contat de Narbonne-Lara (
Saint Pierre de Chaillot, Paris, 21 September 1788 - ?), who married in Paris on 2 December 1811 Jan Frederik Abbema (born in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the capital and most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population of 907,976 within the city proper, 1,558,755 in the urban ar ...
on 13 June 1773) and had one son:
** Émile-Léon, vicomte Abbéma, who had an only daughter by his wife Henriette Anne d' Astoin:
***
Louise Abbéma (
Étampes
Étampes () is a commune in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located south-southwest from the center of Paris (as the crow flies). Étampes is a sub-prefecture of the Essonne department.
Étampes, together with the neighboring ...
, 30 October 1853 - Paris, 4 August 1927), unmarried and without issue
Early career
He is found in 1785 as a Colonel of the Army and Honorary
Chamberlain
Chamberlain may refer to:
Profession
*Chamberlain (office), the officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign or other noble figure
People
*Chamberlain (surname)
**Houston Stewart Chamberlain (1855–1927), German-British philosop ...
of Princess ''Madame'' Marie Adélaïde of France. In 1786 he was the
Commander of an
Infantry
Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and mar ...
Regiment
A regiment is a military unit. Its role and size varies markedly, depending on the country, service and/or a specialisation.
In Medieval Europe, the term "regiment" denoted any large body of front-line soldiers, recruited or conscript ...
, and remained in that post until the evenings of 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 coup of 18 Brumaire, November 1799. Many of its ...
.
French Revolution
His
liberal
Liberal or liberalism may refer to:
Politics
* a supporter of liberalism
** Liberalism by country
* an adherent of a Liberal Party
* Liberalism (international relations)
* Sexually liberal feminism
* Social liberalism
Arts, entertainment and m ...
ideas soon made him be one of the first inscribed in the Club de Valois, where the
Duke of Orléans presided. He was afterwards appointed Commander of the
National Guard
National Guard is the name used by a wide variety of current and historical uniformed organizations in different countries. The original National Guard was formed during the French Revolution around a cadre of defectors from the French Guards.
Nat ...
in
Franche-Comté. His friendship with
Talleyrand brought him an appointment to command a special guard, composed of the most disciplined soldiers of the National Guard of
Paris
Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), ma ...
.
The comte de Narbonne-Lara always maintained his fidelity towards the King; a true idealist, he hoped for a
Constitutional Monarchy
A constitutional monarchy, parliamentary monarchy, or democratic monarchy is a form of monarchy in which the monarch exercises their authority in accordance with a constitution and is not alone in decision making. Constitutional monarchies dif ...
.
He became
maréchal de camp in 1791, and, through the influence of
Madame de Staël, was appointed
Minister of War
A defence minister or minister of defence is a cabinet official position in charge of a ministry of defense, which regulates the armed forces in sovereign states. The role of a defence minister varies considerably from country to country; in som ...
of
Louis XVI
Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...
. In this office he tried at all cost to impose his constitutional project, helped by the
Bishop of Autun,
Baumetz and
Chapelier. But he showed incapacity in this post, and gave in his resignation. Despite his efforts, he did not carry his point, for in March 1792 the King, moved by intrigues and by the intransigence of those who surrounded him, thought right to dismiss him from that Ministry. His resignation was the result of his disagreements with the
Feuillants on the question of foreign war. Narbonne-Lara and his friends hoped to bring on the war with Austria, by which they hoped to restore the prestige of the monarchy. Narbonne-Lara made an alliance with the
Marquis de Lafayette
Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette (6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (, ), was a French aristocrat, freemason and military officer who fought in the American Revolutio ...
, but their schemes were defeated. After his resignation, he joined the Army of the North and, in May 1792, he was elevated to
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 ...
of the Army. After less than six months from his dismissal, the French Monarchy was agonizing, the French Republic was proclaimed and the Royal Family was incarcerated. Later, Narbonne actually incurred suspicion as a Feuillant. The comte de Narbonne-Lara also had on him a prison warrant. Due to this, and also to questions about his policy at the war office, he managed to seek refuge at the
Embassy
A diplomatic mission or foreign mission is a group of people from a state or organization present in another state to represent the sending state or organization officially in the receiving or host state. In practice, the phrase usually den ...
of
Sweden, emigrated after
10 August 1792, and later evaded to
London
London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...
and from there to Germany, having visited
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
,
Switzerland and
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
. During the
Consulate
A consulate is the office of a consul. A type of diplomatic mission, it is usually subordinate to the state's main representation in the capital of that foreign country (host state), usually an embassy (or, only between two Commonwealth c ...
, his friends Talleyrand and
Fouché managed to remove his name from the list of the wanted, and returned to France in 1801, where he was retired with the patent of
Divisional General.
In Napoleon's service
In 1809
Napoleon
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 who ...
remembered him and called him into his service. Brilliant, cultivated and perfectly aware of the uses of 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
''Ancien'' may refer to
* the French word for ...
, ''persona grata'' with the main Courts of Europe, skilled diplomat and military, he was the ideal person to be at Napoleon's side. As such, he was reintegrated and re-entered the
Army
An army (from Old French ''armee'', itself derived from the Latin verb ''armāre'', meaning "to arm", and related to the Latin noun ''arma'', meaning "arms" or "weapons"), ground force or land force is a fighting force that fights primarily on ...
with his former post of Lieutenant General and appointed
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
Raab
Raab is a market town (''Marktgemeinde'') in the district of Schärding in Upper Austria in Austria.
History
The village historically belonged to the Duchy of Bavaria until the Treaty of Teschen transferred the area to Austria in 1780. During ...
, with the command of the whole part of
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...
occupied by the
imperial troops. After the signed peace with Hungary, he was appointed
Divisional General Commander of the 4th Military Division in
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into prov ...
. In that same year of 1809 he was sent to
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
to arrange the marriage of the Emperor with
Archduchess Marie Louise. In 1810 he was subsequently appointed
Minister Plenipotentiary
An envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary, usually known as a minister, was a diplomatic head of mission who was ranked below ambassador. A diplomatic mission headed by an envoy was known as a legation rather than an embassy. Under the ...
in
Bavaria
Bavaria ( ; ), officially the Free State of Bavaria (german: Freistaat Bayern, link=no ), is a state in the south-east of Germany. With an area of , Bavaria is the largest German state by land area, comprising roughly a fifth of the total lan ...
at
Munich
Munich ( ; german: München ; bar, Minga ) is the capital and most populous city of the German state of Bavaria. With a population of 1,558,395 inhabitants as of 31 July 2020, it is the third-largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Ha ...
, next to King
Maximilian I, whom he knew very well before the Revolution, and in 1811 ''
aide-de-camp'' to Napoleon. He was created an Officer of the
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
and
Grand Cross
Grand Cross is the highest class in many orders, and manifested in its insignia. Exceptionally, the highest class may be referred to as Grand Cordon or equivalent. In other cases, there may exist a rank even higher than Grand Cross, e.g. Grand ...
of the
Order of Saint Hubert
The Royal Order of Saint Hubert (german: Sankt Hubertus Königlicher Orden), or sometimes (german: Königlicher Orden des Heiligen Hubertus) is a Roman Catholic dynastic order of knighthood founded in 1444 or 1445 by Gerhard VII, Duke of Jülic ...
.
In 1812 he went on diplomatic mission to
Prussia
Prussia, , Old Prussian: ''Prūsa'' or ''Prūsija'' was a German state on the southeast coast of the Baltic Sea. It formed the German Empire under Prussian rule when it united the German states in 1871. It was ''de facto'' dissolved by an ...
; this mission had the purpose of ascertaining King
Frederick William III
Frederick William III (german: Friedrich Wilhelm III.; 3 August 1770 – 7 June 1840) was King of Prussia from 16 November 1797 until his death in 1840. He was concurrently Elector of Brandenburg in the Holy Roman Empire until 6 August 1806, wh ...
towards his attitude in case
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
went to war with
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eig ...
. In returning to Paris, de Narbonne-Lara advised Napoleon not to invade Russia, but his advice was not followed; and so he reassumed his place in the Imperial Army on the Russian border. When he arrived there, he was sent by Napoleon to the city of
Wilna
Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the munic ...
, where the
Tsar
Tsar ( or ), also spelled ''czar'', ''tzar'', or ''csar'', is a title used by East and South Slavic monarchs. The term is derived from the Latin word ''caesar'', which was intended to mean "emperor" in the European medieval sense of the ter ...
was; the comte de Narbonne-Lara was the bearer of an ultimatum, to which
Alexander I Alexander I may refer to:
* Alexander I of Macedon, king of Macedon 495–454 BC
* Alexander I of Epirus (370–331 BC), king of Epirus
* Pope Alexander I (died 115), early bishop of Rome
* Pope Alexander I of Alexandria (died 320s), patriarch of ...
categorically refused.
The tragic outcome of the
Russian Campaign
The French invasion of Russia, also known as the Russian campaign, the Second Polish War, the Army of Twenty nations, and the Patriotic War of 1812 was launched by Napoleon Bonaparte to force the Russian Empire back into the continental block ...
did not minimize the action of the
Officers
An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," f ...
of the Imperial Army. Among them, he was outstanding for his military uprightness and exemplary behaviour; in the whirl of the retreat, he appeared dauntless and serene, his presence imposed confidence and respect to the demoralized troops. Mounted on his horse beside the carriage of the defeated Napoleon, he was the personification of the dignity and honour of the ''Ancien Régime''.
In 1813 he was appointed and sent as French
Ambassador at Vienna, where he was engaged in an unequal diplomatic duel with
Metternich
Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar, Prince of Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein ; german: Klemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar Fürst von Metternich-Winneburg zu Beilstein (15 May 1773 – 11 June 1859), known as Klemens von Metternich or Prince Metternic ...
during the fateful months that witnessed the defection of Austria from the cause of Napoleon to that of the Allies, to confirm the alliance between France and
Austria
Austria, , bar, Östareich officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in the southern part of Central Europe, lying in the Eastern Alps. It is a federation of nine states, one of which is the capital, Vienna, the most populous ...
, objective he was not able to fulfill; the Empire had its days cut short. In that same year he was appointed Governor of the stronghold of
Torgau
Torgau () is a town on the banks of the Elbe in northwestern Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district Nordsachsen.
Outside Germany, the town is best known as where on 25 April 1945, the United States and Soviet Armies forces first ...
(
Saxony
Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...
), one of the main strategic points for the defense of the Empire. On 17 November 1813, after reviewing the troops on horse, he died of
typhus
Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure. ...
.
[This garrison suffered an outbreak of ]typhus
Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure. ...
, and of the 26,000 men that constituted it, 17,000 died of the epidemic. His aide-de-camp,
Captain comte de Rohan-Chabot, brought his heart back to France, and afterwards the name of the comte de Narbonne-Lara was inscribed on the east side of the
Arc de Triomphe.
Ancestry
Sources
See
AF Villemain, ''Souvenirs contemporains'' (Paris, 1854), Domingos de Araújo Afonso
et alii, ''Le Sang de Louis XIV'' (Braga, 1961), Tome I, p. 276 and Filipe Folque de Mendoça, ''A Casa Loulé e Suas Alianças'', Livraria Bizantina, 1.ª Edição, Lisboa, 1995, pp. 171–172.
Notes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Narbonne-Lara, Louis, Comte De
1755 births
1813 deaths
18th-century French military personnel
19th-century French military personnel
18th-century French politicians
19th-century French diplomats
Military personnel from the Province of Parma
French Ministers of War
Counts of France
Illegitimate children of Louis XV
French lieutenant generals
Officiers of the Légion d'honneur
Deaths from typhus
Names inscribed under the Arc de Triomphe
Sons of kings