Louis de Bourbon (15 June 1709 – 16 June 1771) was a member of the cadet branch of the then reigning

House of Bourbon The House of Bourbon (, also ; ) is a European dynasty of French origin, a branch of the Capetian dynasty, the royal House of France. Bourbon kings first ruled France and Navarre in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Spanis ...

. He is known for leading French forces in Germany during 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� ...

where he took command in 1758 following the failed French Invasion of Hanover. He was unable to break through

Ferdinand of Brunswick Ferdinand is a Germanic name composed of the elements "protection", "peace" (PIE "to love, to make peace") or alternatively "journey, travel", Proto-Germanic , abstract noun from root "to fare, travel" (PIE , "to lead, pass over"), and "co ...

's Anglo-German army and capture

Hanover Hanover (; german: Hannover ; nds, Hannober) is the capital and largest city of the German state of Lower Saxony. Its 535,932 (2021) inhabitants make it the 13th-largest city in Germany as well as the fourth-largest city in Northern Germany ...

. He was '' Count of Clermont'' from birth.

Biography

Louis was born on 15 June 1709 at the

Palace of Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, Yvelines, Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 19 ...

. A prince of the blood, he was the third and youngest son of Louis de Bourbon, "Duke of Bourbon", Prince of Condé (1668–1710) and Louise Françoise de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Nantes (1673–1743), a legitimated daughter of King

Louis XIV of France , house = Bourbon , father = Louis XIII , mother = Anne of Austria , birth_date = , birth_place = Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France , death_date = , death_place = Palace of Versa ...

and his

maîtresse-en-titre ''maîtresse-en-titre'' () was the chief royal mistress of the King of France. The title came into use during the reign of Henry IV and continued through the reign of Louis XV. It was a semi-official position which came with its own apartme ...

Madame de Montespan Madame may refer to: * Madam, civility title or form of address for women, derived from the French * Madam (prostitution), a term for a woman who is engaged in the business of procuring prostitutes, usually the manager of a brothel * ''Madame'' ( ...

. He was also the great-grandson of

Louis, Grand Condé Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé (8 September 1621 – 11 December 1686), known as the Great Condé (French: ''Le Grand Condé'') for his military exploits, was a French general and the most illustrious representative of the Condé branc ...

, who died in 1687. A possible bride was his first cousin, Mademoiselle du Maine, but a union never materialised. From 1730, he was a lover of

Duchess of Bouillon There have been duchesses of Bouillon, Belgium, Bouillon, in present-day Belgium, since the tenth century. Lady of Bouillon Ardennes-Bouillon dynasty, ?-1100 :''Sold to the Bishopric of Liège'' House of La Marck, ?-1588 House of La Tour ...

, wife of Emmanuel Théodose de La Tour d'Auvergne, mother of the future Princess of Beauvau. His eldest brother,

Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon (Louis Henri Joseph; 18 August 1692 – 27 January 1740), was a French nobleman and politician who served as Prime Minister of France from 1723 to 1726. As a member of the reigning House of Bourbon, he was a '' pr ...

, was the head of Condé family from 1710 until his death in 1740, and was

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 ...

's ''Premier Ministre'' (prime minister) from 1723 to 1726. He raised his nephew

Louis Joseph, Prince of Condé Louis Joseph de Bourbon (9 August 1736 – 13 May 1818) was Prince of Condé from 1740 to his death. A member of the House of Bourbon, he held the prestigious rank of '' Prince du Sang''. Youth Born on 9 August 1736 at Chantilly, Louis J ...

who was an orphan from 1741. "He was a curious character: prince of the blood, abbé f_Saint-Germain-des-Prés.html" ;"title="Saint-Germain-des-Prés.html" ;"title="f Saint-Germain-des-Prés">f Saint-Germain-des-Prés">Saint-Germain-des-Prés.html" ;"title="f Saint-Germain-des-Prés">f Saint-Germain-des-Prés military officer, libertine, man of letters (or at least a member of the Academy), anti-Parlement, religious during his final years, he was one of the most striking examples (and one of the most amusing on certain days) and also one of the most shocking (although not at all odious), of the abuses and disparities pushed to scandal, under the Old Order, of pleasure and privilege." (Charles Augustin Sainte-Beuve). Louis_de_Bourbon-Condé_de_Clermont_-_Versailles_MV_2996

Louis_de_Bourbon-Condé_de_Clermont_-_Versailles_MV_2996

The Comte de Clermont is perhaps best known to history as the fifth Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of France, the supreme

Masonic Freemasonry or Masonry refers to Fraternity, fraternal organisations that trace their origins to the local guilds of Stonemasonry, stonemasons that, from the end of the 13th century, regulated the qualifications of stonemasons and their inte ...

authority in France, which existed from 1728/29 to c.1773. According to some sources, the comte was elected and installed in that office in 1743 and retained the position until his death, and was succeeded by his cousin, Louis Philippe d'Orléans, known as the Duke of Chartres, afterwards

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 ...

. But another source claims he was designated Grand Master in 1744 "but soon left the organization, abandoning his title to Lacorne, his dancing master."Dictionnaire de biographie française, eds. Prevost & d'Amat, Paris: Letouzey, 1959, vol. 8, p. 1491 Both the Cousin biography and the

Académie française An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary education, secondary or tertiary education, tertiary higher education, higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membershi ...

biography omit all reference to his Masonic activities. On 16 June 1771, Louis died at the age of 62, in

Paris Paris () is the capital and 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), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, France.

Ancestry

References

* Biographical file on th
Académie française website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Louis, Count Of Clermont 1709 births 1771 deaths House of Bourbon-Condé Counts of Clermont People from Versailles 18th-century peers of France Members of the Académie Française