Victor-Marie d'Estrées, Duke of Estrées count then duke (1723) of Estrées (30 November 1660,

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 ...

– 27 December 1737,

) was a

Marshal of France Marshal of France (french: Maréchal de France, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1 ...

and subsequently known as the ''"Maréchal d'Estrées''".

Biography

Son of Marshal Jean d'Estrées, Count of Estrées (1624–1707), Victor Marie began his military career in the infantry in 1676, but joined the Navy one year later. In the

Franco-Dutch War The Franco-Dutch War, also known as the Dutch War (french: Guerre de Hollande; nl, Hollandse Oorlog), was fought between France and the Dutch Republic, supported by its allies the Holy Roman Empire, Spain, Brandenburg-Prussia and Denmark-Nor ...

(1672–1678), he commanded a ship in the Battle of Tabago (3 March 1677) and fought afterwards in the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the e ...

. At the beginning of the War of the Grand Alliance, he volunteered in the army and was wounded in the siege of

Philippsburg Philippsburg () is a town in the district of Karlsruhe, Baden-Württemberg, Germany. History Before 1632, Philippsburg was known as "Udenheim". The city was a possession of the Bishop of Speyer from 1371–1718. The town is named after ...

in 1688. In 1690, he commanded 20 ships in the Battle of Beachy Head. Then, on command of

Louis XIV , 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 Vers ...

, he took charge of the Mediterranean fleet and supported the

Duke of Vendôme Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ranke ...

in the conquest of

Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...

in 1697. In 1698, he married Lucie Félicité de Noailles (°1683), daughter of Marshal Anne Jules de Noailles, Duke of Noailles. They had no children. At the beginning of the War of Spanish Succession, he was ordered to sail

Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724, and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign of 45 years is the longest in the history of the Spanish mon ...

Naples Naples (; it, Napoli ; nap, Napule ), from grc, Νεάπολις, Neápolis, lit=new city. is the regional capital of Campania and the third-largest city of Italy, after Rome and Milan, with a population of 909,048 within the city's adminis ...

to claim the throne of the Two Sicilies. The success of this mission earned him the title of

Grandee of Spain Grandee (; es, Grande de España, ) is an official aristocratic title conferred on some Spanish nobility. Holders of this dignity enjoyed similar privileges to those of the peerage of France during the , though in neither country did they ha ...

. He received the title of

in 1703, and commander in the

Order of the Holy Spirit The Order of the Holy Spirit (french: Ordre du Saint-Esprit; sometimes translated into English as the Order of the Holy Ghost), is a French order of chivalry founded by Henry III of France in 1578. Today, it is a dynastic order under the House of ...

in 1705. In 1704, Estrées was appointed mentor to the

Count of Toulouse The count of Toulouse ( oc, comte de Tolosa, french: comte de Toulouse) was the ruler of county of Toulouse, Toulouse during the 8th to 13th centuries. Originating as vassals of the kingdom of the Franks, Frankish kings, the hereditary counts ru ...

, illegitimate son of Louis XIV and admiral of France. Together they fought the tactically indecisive Battle of Vélez-Málaga (24 August 1704). During the Regency of Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Regent of France, he was member of the council and minister, but he had no political skills. After the death of his father he inherited the title of Viceroy of the American Islands and received the island of

Saint Lucia Saint Lucia ( acf, Sent Lisi, french: Sainte-Lucie) is an island country of the West Indies in the eastern Caribbean. The island was previously called Iouanalao and later Hewanorra, names given by the native Arawaks and Caribs, two Amerindian ...

as his private property. He gathered an enormous fortune. He spent his fortune buying art and books, accumulating it in his Paris house and castles, never unpacking a large proportion of the collection. He was elected member of 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 ...

in 1715. He became

Duke of Estrées Duke of Estrées ( Fr.: ''duc d'Estrées'') was a title of nobility in the peerage of France that was created for François Annibal d'Estrées in 1663 by Louis XIV of France. This title became extinct in 1771. In 1892, Alfonso XIII of Spain revived ...

and

Peer of France The Peerage of France (french: Pairie de France) was a hereditary distinction within the French nobility which appeared in 1180 in the Middle Ages. The prestigious title and position of Peer of France (french: Pair de France, links=no) was ...

in 1723, after the death of his uncle. He died in 1737. The cruiser ''Destrées'' and D'Estrees Bay in South Australia was named in his honour.

References

External links

Notice sur le site de l'École nationale des chartes

Notice biographique de l'Académie française
{{DEFAULTSORT:Estrees, Victor Marie Duc D' 1660 births 1737 deaths Military personnel from Paris 5 Marshals of France Grandees of Spain Members of the Académie Française Members of the French Academy of Sciences Members of the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres French military personnel of the Nine Years' War French naval commanders in the War of the Spanish Succession Secretaries of State of the Navy (France) Knights of the Golden Fleece of Spain 18th-century French people 17th-century French people People of the Regency of Philippe d'Orléans People of the Ancien Régime 18th-century peers of France