Charles François de Broglie,

Marquis A marquess (; ) is a nobleman of high hereditary rank in various European peerages and in those of some of their former colonies. The German-language equivalent is Markgraf (margrave). A woman with the rank of a marquess or the wife (or wido ...

of Ruffec (19 August 1719 – 16 August 1781), was a French soldier and diplomat from the

House of Broglie The House of Broglie (, also ; , or ) is a distinguished French noble family, originally Piedmontese, who migrated to France in the year 1643. Members of this family bore the title of Prince of the Holy Roman Empire, granted to them in 1759 by ...

. He served in the

French Army The French Army, officially known as the Land Army (, , ), is the principal Army, land warfare force of France, and the largest component of the French Armed Forces; it is responsible to the Government of France, alongside the French Navy, Fren ...

and was one of the foremost diplomats in the service of

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), 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 maturity (then defi ...

. He is chiefly remembered in connection with the ''

Secret du Roi The King's Secret ( or in French) refers to the secret diplomatic channels used by King Louis XV of France during his reign. For a period of over twenty years, Louis XV split his diplomacy into official and secret channels, the latter designed ...

''.

Biography

As second son of François-Marie, duc de Broglie, he was accorded the

courtesy title A courtesy title is a title that does not have legal significance but is rather used by custom or courtesy, particularly, in the context of nobility, the titles used by children of members of the nobility (cf. substantive title). In some context ...

of ''marquis de Ruffec''. After serving as a French military officer, he was seconded to the diplomatic service of King

. He served as Ambassador Extraordinary to

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

(1752–56), was recalled at the outbreak of the

Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War, 1756 to 1763, was a Great Power conflict fought primarily in Europe, with significant subsidiary campaigns in North America and South Asia. The protagonists were Kingdom of Great Britain, Great Britain and Kingdom of Prus ...

, was appointed '' Chevalier des Ordres du Roi'' (1757),

Lieutenant-General Lieutenant general (Lt Gen, LTG and similar) is a military rank 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 battlefield, who was normall ...

(1760), Commandant of

Franche-Comté Franche-Comté (, ; ; Frainc-Comtou dialect, Frainc-Comtou: ''Fraintche-Comtè''; ; also ; ; all ) is a cultural and Provinces of France, historical region of eastern France. It is composed of the modern departments of France, departments of Doub ...

(1761–62), then after the Peace,

Governor A governor is an politician, administrative leader and head of a polity or Region#Political regions, political region, in some cases, such as governor-general, governors-general, as the head of a state's official representative. Depending on the ...

of Saumurois (1770). He is best remembered in connection with the ''

'', the private—as distinct from the official—diplomatic service of Louis XV, of which he was the ablest and most important member. He held the post of ''Premier

Colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), 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 colon ...

'' of

Grenadier A grenadier ( , ; derived from the word ''grenade'') was historically an assault-specialist soldier who threw hand grenades in siege operation battles. The distinct combat function of the grenadier was established in the mid-17th century, when ...

s. The Marquis organized the famous ''Diner de Metz'' (8 August 1775), when the young

Marquis de La Fayette Marie-Joseph Paul Yves Roch Gilbert du Motier de La Fayette, Marquis de La Fayette (; 6 September 1757 – 20 May 1834), known in the United States as Lafayette (), was a French military officer and politician who volunteered to join the Conti ...

was convinced by the guest of honour, the visiting

Duke of Gloucester Duke of Gloucester ( ) is a British royal title (after Gloucester), often conferred on one of the sons of the reigning monarch. The first four creations were in the Peerage of England and the last in the Peerage of the United Kingdom; the curre ...

, brother of King George III, that the insurgents' revolt in

America The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

was in some measure justified. Broglie-Ruffec was involved with

Beaumarchais Pierre-Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (; 24 January 1732 – 18 May 1799) was a French playwright and diplomat during the Age of Enlightenment. Best known for his three Figaro plays, at various times in his life he was also a watchmaker, invent ...

in devising a scheme to offer secret support to the

American Revolution The American Revolution (1765–1783) was a colonial rebellion and war of independence in which the Thirteen Colonies broke from British America, British rule to form the United States of America. The revolution culminated in the American ...

in its early stages. His funeral monument is in the Angouleme Cathedral and a portrait of him, painted by Norman-Michel-Hubert Descours in 1762, is at the

Château de Bourdeilles A château (, ; plural: châteaux) is a manor house, or palace, or residence of the lord of the manor, or a fine country house of nobility or gentry, with or without fortifications, originally, and still most frequently, in French-speaking reg ...

Marriage

He married, 21 March 1759, Louise Augustine de Montmorency (1735–1817); they had three daughters.

Children

# Louise (1760–1827) #Philippine de Broglie (1762–1843) #Adelaide Charlotte de Broglie 1763–1847.

Notes

References

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Broglie, Charles-Francois, marquis de Ruffec 1719 births 1781 deaths 18th-century French diplomats Charles Francois Marquesses of Ruffec Diplomats from Paris Ambassadors of France to Poland Ambassadors of France to Great Britain French generals French military personnel of the Seven Years' War French spies Military personnel from Paris French marquesses

Biography

Marriage

Children

See also

Notes

References