The Grand Master of France (french: Grand Maître de France) was, during the and

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: * ...

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

, one of the

Great Officers of the Crown of France The Great Officers of the Crown of France (french: Grands officiers de la couronne de France) were the most important officers of state in the French royal court during the ''Ancien Régime'' and Bourbon Restoration. They were appointed by the ...

and head of the "", the king's royal household. The position is similar to that of

Lord Steward The Lord Steward or Lord Steward of the Household is an official of the Royal Households of the United Kingdom, Royal Household in England. He is always a peerage, peer. Until 1924, he was always a member of the Government. Until 1782, the offic ...

in England.

History

The original name of the office was Sovereign Master of the Hotel of the King (French: ''Souverain Maître d'hôtel du Roi), until 1380, then becoming Grand Master of the Hotel of the King (French: ''Grand Maître d'hôtel du Roi''), until 1463, before finally becoming Grand Master of France. The symbol of the Grand Master was a blue

baton Baton may refer to: Stick-like objects *Baton, a type of club *Baton (law enforcement) *Baston (weapon), a type of baton used in Arnis and Filipino Martial Arts *Baton charge, a coordinated tactic for dispersing crowds of people *Baton (conductin ...

charged with golden fleur-de-lis, similar to the royal coat of arms of France, capped with a golden representation of the French royal crown. The Grand Master was entitled to bear this symbol of his office in his

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldry, heraldic communication design, visual design on an escutcheon (heraldry), escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central ele ...

, two being crossed in

saltire A saltire, also called Saint Andrew's Cross or the crux decussata, is a heraldic symbol in the form of a diagonal cross, like the shape of the letter X in Roman type. The word comes from the Middle French ''sautoir'', Medieval Latin ''saltator ...

behind the shield.

Duties

The position was a successor to the earlier positions of Mayor of the Palace and

Seneschal The word ''seneschal'' () can have several different meanings, all of which reflect certain types of supervising or administering in a historic context. Most commonly, a seneschal was a senior position filled by a court appointment within a royal, ...

of France. One of the highest posts in the French court, the "Grand maître" directed the

Maison du Roi The Maison du Roi (, "King's Household") was the royal household of the King of France. It comprised the military, domestic, and religious entourage of the French royal family during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration. Organisation ...

, appointed new officers to the "Maison" (who would swear an oath of service in his hands) and managed the budget of the "Maison". He was also responsible for policing the court and he managed the king's lands (which made him a sort of Minister of the Interior). In practice however, the military branch of the Maison du Roi was frequently run by the

Constable of France The Constable of France (french: Connétable de France, from Latin for 'count of the stables') was lieutenant to the King of France, the first of the original five Great Officers of the Crown (along with seneschal, chamberlain, butler, and ...

or the

Secretary of State for War The Secretary of State for War, commonly called War Secretary, was a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, which existed from 1794 to 1801 and from 1854 to 1964. The Secretary of State for War headed the War Office and ...

. He had numerous ceremonial duties. At the death of the king he would lead the funeral procession and, at the king's tomb, he would break his baton, throw it into the tomb and intone "Gentlemen, the King is dead; you are free from his service"; he would then take a new baton and intone "Gentlemen, the King lives, and gives you your posts." In the Early Modern period, most of the real work of the Grand maître was accomplished by his secretaries, and not by himself personally. His role was thus generally symbolic, although he often took personal charge of his ceremonial duties. Furthermore, with the creation of the

Secretary of State of the Maison du Roi The Secretary of State of the Maison du Roi (french: Secrétaire d'État à la Maison du Roi) was the secretary of state in France during the Ancien Régime and Bourbon Restoration in charge of the Département de la Maison du Roi. The exact com ...

in the 16th century, the Grand maître was forced to share some of his duties: in general the Secretary's oversight was purely formal, as the officers of the "Maison du Roi" were under the direct authority of the Grand Maître of France; yet, the "Secrétaire d'État à la Maison du Roi" was in charge of recruiting officers for the "Maison du Roi", and would receive prospective applications for posts and submit them to the king for his approval.

Officeholders

The position was frequently given to the highest of the

nobility Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy (class), aristocracy. It is normally ranked immediately below Royal family, royalty. Nobility has often been an Estates of the realm, estate of the realm with many e ...

or to the king's close friends.

Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to: * Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407) * Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450 * Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547 * Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...

conferred it upon his former teacher Artus Gouffier, then to his uncle René de Savoie, the "grand bâtard de Savoie", then to his friend Anne, duc de Montmorency. In 1559, with the dismissal of Montmorency, the office fell into the hands of the

Dukes of Guise Count of Guise and Duke of Guise (pronounced �ɥiz were titles in the French nobility. Originally a seigneurie, in 1417 Guise was erected into a county for René, a younger son of Louis II of Anjou. While disputed by the House of Luxembourg ( ...

, who used the position to increase their influence at court to such a point that Henry III forced

Henry I, Duke of Guise Henry I, Prince of Joinville, Duke of Guise, Count of Eu (31 December 1550 – 23 December 1588), sometimes called ('Scarface'), was the eldest son of Francis, Duke of Guise, and Anna d'Este. His maternal grandparents were Ercole II d'Este, Du ...

to reduce his scope of authority. In 1594, the position passed into the control of the

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 ...

and the

Princes of Condé The Most Serene House of Bourbon-Condé (), named after Condé-en-Brie now in the Aisne ', was a French princely house and a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon. The name of the house was derived from the title of Prince of Condé (French: ''prin ...

, who maintained control until 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 November 1799. Many of its ideas are considere ...

(except for the period 1654–1656, when it was held by Thomas of Savoy-Carignano, who had replaced the Guises as foremost of the '' princes étrangers'').

Grand Masters of France

* ca. 1300: Arnould de Wesemal * 1310: Mathieu II de Trie * 1321: Jean de Beaumont (died c. 1344) * 1343:

Gui de Ceriz Gui de Ceriz (+ap.1369), Lord of Ceriz. was a French aristocrat who served as Great Master of France (1343. Heraldics): De Ceriz supervised the Royal House of the King of France. His heraldic shield contained two red sceptre A sceptre is ...

(died 1369) * 1347: Robert III de Dreux (1288–1351) * ca. 1350: Jean I de Châtillon (died 1363) * ca. 1350: Jean II de Melun (died 1381) * ca. 1350: Pierre I de Villiers (died c. 1390) * ca. 1350: Gui IV Damas (1288–1351) * ca. 1380: Jean le Mercier * 1388-1408: Jean de Montagu (died 1409) * 1408-1409:

Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria Louis VII (c. 1368 – 1 May 1447), called the Bearded (German: ''Ludwig der Bärtige'') was the Duke of Bavaria-Ingolstadt from 1413 until 1443. He was a son of Duke Stephen III and Taddea Visconti. Biography As brother of Isabella of Bavari ...

(ca. 1368–1447) * 1409-1413: Guichard II (died 1415) * 1413-1422:

Louis, Count of Vendôme Louis de Bourbon (Louis I, Count of Vendôme) (1376 – December 21, 1446), younger son of John I, Count of La Marche and Catherine de Vendôme, was a French '' prince du sang'', as well as Count of Vendôme from 1393, and Count of Castres from 14 ...

(1376–1446) * 1422-1440: Tanguy du Chastel (died 1449) * 1440-1451: Charles de Culant (died c. 1451) * 1451-1453:

Jacques de Chabannes Jacques de Chabannes (ca. 1400-1453) was a French nobleman and military commander during the reign of King Charles VII. The elder brother of Antoine de Chabannes, he is most notable for his significant role at the Battle of Castillon in 1453. L ...

(died 1453) * 1456-1461:

Raoul de Gaucourt Raoul de Gaucourt, also known as the Sieur de Gaucort or Sire de Gaucourt (c. 1370–1461) was a French soldier and statesman. He fought at the Battle of Nicopolis in 1396 and the Siege of Harfleur in 1415, and spent 10 years as a prisoner in Engl ...

(died 1461) * 1463:

Antoine I de Croÿ Antoine I de Croÿ (''the Great'' or ''Le Grand de Croÿ''), Seigneur de Croÿ, Renty and Le Roeulx, Count of Porcéan (c. 1383/1387 – 21 September 1475), was a member of the House of Croÿ. Antoine was the eldest surviving son and heir of J ...

(1385–1475) * 1465-1467: Charles Ier de Melun (executed on 22 August 1468) * 1467:

Antoine de Chabannes Antoine is a French language, French given name (from the Latin ''Antonius'' meaning 'highly praise-worthy') that is a variant of Danton (name), Danton, Titouan, D'Anton and Antonin. The name is used in France, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada, West ...

(1408–1488) * ca. 1483: François Guy XV, comte de Laval et Monfort (1435–1500) * 1485-ca. 1496 :

Philip II, Duke of Savoy Philip II (5 February 1438 – 7 November 1497), surnamed the Landless, was the Duke of Savoy for a brief reign from 1496 to 1497. Biography Philip was the granduncle of the previous duke Charles II, and the youngest surviving son of Duke Loui ...

(1438–1497) * 1502-1511:

Charles II d'Amboise Charles d'Amboise, Seigneur de Chaumont (1473 – 11 February 1511) was a French nobleman, who acted as French governor of Milan (1503–1511) during the reign of Louis XII and as a French commander during the War of the League of Cambrai. Bio ...

(1473–1511) * 1511-1515: Jacques II de Chabannes-La Palice (ca.1470-1525) * 1515-1519: Artus Gouffier, duc de Roannais (died 1519) * 1519-1525:

René of Savoy René of Savoy (1473 – 31 March 1525) was a French nobleman and soldier. He was count of Villars (1497) and of Tende (1501). Known as "the Great Bastard of Savoy", he was the illegitimate son of Philip II, Duke of Savoy and Libera Portoneri - ...

, comte de Villars (died 1525) * 1526-1558:

Anne de Montmorency Anne, Duke of Montmorency, Honorary Knight of the Garter (15 March 1493, Chantilly, Oise12 November 1567, Paris) was a French soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France and served five kings. Early lif ...

(1492–1567) * 1558-1559:

François de Montmorency François de Montmorency, Duc de Montmorency (17 July 1530 – 6 May 1579) was a French soldier, diplomat and peer who served as governor of Paris. He was Duke of Montmorency, Count of Dammartin, Baron of Châteaubriant and Lord of L'Isle-Adam ...

(died 1579) * 1559-1563: François of Lorraine, duc de Guise (1520–1563) * 1563-1588:

(1550–1588) * 1588-1594:

Charles, Duke of Guise Charles de Lorraine, 4th Duke of Guise and 3rd Prince of Joinville (20 August 1571 – 30 September 1640), was the son of Henry I, Duke of Guise and Catherine of Cleves, and succeeded his father as Duke of Guise in 1588. Initially part of the Cath ...

(1571–1640) * 1594-1612:

Charles de Bourbon, comte de Soissons Charles de Bourbon (3 November 1566 – 1 November 1612) was a French '' prince du sang'' and military commander during the struggles over religion and the throne in late 16th century France. A first cousin of King Henry IV of France, he was the s ...

(1566–1612) * 1612-1641:

Louis de Bourbon, comte de Soissons Louis de Bourbon, Comte de Soissons (May 1604 – 6 July 1641) was the son of Charles de Bourbon, Count of Soissons and Anne de Montafié. A second cousin of Louis XIII of France he was a '' prince du Sang'', those considered part of the Roy ...

(1604–1641) * 1643-1646:

Henry II de Bourbon, prince de Condé Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

(1588–1646) * 1647-1654(?):

Louis II de Bourbon, prince de Condé Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis (d ...

, ''le Grand Condé'' (1621–1686) * 1654-1656: Thomas of Savoy, prince of Carignano (1596–1656) * 1656-1660:

Armand de Bourbon, prince de Conti Armand de Bourbon, Prince of Conti (11 October 162926 February 1666), was a French nobleman, the younger son of Henri II, Prince of Condé and Charlotte Marguerite de Montmorency, daughter of Henri I, Duke of Montmorency. He was the brother o ...

(1629–1666) * 1660-1685: Henri Jules de Bourbon, prince de Condé (1643–1709) * 1685-1710: Louis III, prince de Condé (1668–1710) * 1710-1740:

Louis Henri, duc de 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 '' ...

, prince de Condé (1692–1740) * 1740-1790 and 1814-1818:

Louis Joseph de Bourbon, prince de Condé Louis may refer to: * Louis (coin) * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also Derived or associated terms * Lewis (d ...

(1736–1818)

References

*''This article is based on the equivalent article from the

French Wikipedia The French Wikipedia (french: Wikipédia en français) is the French-language edition of Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia. This edition was started on 23 March 2001, two months after the official creation of Wikipedia. It has article ...

, translated here on August 15, 2006.'' * Bernard Barbiche, ''Les Institutions de la monarchie française à l’époque moderne, XVIIe–XVIIIe siècles'', Presses universitaires de France, coll. « Premier cycle », 2001 (2nd edition). * Jean-François Solnon, ''La Cour de France'', Livre de Poche, coll. « Références », 1996 (1st edition 1987).

Notes

External links

List (in French) of the Grands maîtres
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Master Of France Court titles in the Ancien Régime French nobility