Gaston Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Verneuil (3 November 1601 – 28 May 1682), was the

bishop of Metz This is a list of bishops of the Roman Catholic diocese of Metz, which now lies in eastern France. To 500 * Clement of Metz (c. 280–300) * Celestius * Felix I * Patient * Victor I 344–346 * Victor II * Simeon * Sambace * Rufus of Metz * Ad ...

from 1612 to 1652, despite not being ordained. In his early 50s he was displaced and had a career as a diplomat.

Biography

Henri was born in the

Château de Vincennes The Château de Vincennes () is a former fortress and royal residence next to the town of Vincennes, on the eastern edge of Paris, alongside the Bois de Vincennes. It was largely built between 1361 and 1369, and was a preferred residence, after ...

on 3 November 1601, the illegitimate son of King

Henry IV of France Henry IV (; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry (''le Bon Roi Henri'') or Henry the Great (''Henri le Grand''), was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 16 ...

and his mistress, Catherine Henriette de Balzac d'Entragues. He was declared legitimate in 1603, at the age of two. His sister was Gabrielle Angelique, called Mlle de Verneuil (1603–1627), married Bernard de Nogaret de La Valette. His half-siblings included King

Louis XIII of France Louis XIII (; sometimes called the Just; 27 September 1601 – 14 May 1643) was King of France from 1610 until his death in 1643 and King of Navarre (as Louis II) from 1610 to 1620, when the crown of Navarre was merged with the French crown. ...

, Christine of France, Duchess of Savoy and

César, Duke of Vendôme César de Bourbon, ''Légitimé de France'' (June 1594 – 22 October 1665) was the illegitimate son of Henry IV of France and his mistress Gabrielle d'Estrées, and founder of the Bourbon-Vendome, House of Bourbon-Vendome. He held the titles o ...

. The bishopric of Metz was intended for him from infancy, but when Bishop Charles of Lorraine died in 1607,

Pope Paul V Pope Paul V (; ) (17 September 1552 – 28 January 1621), born Camillo Borghese, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 16 May 1605 to his death, in January 1621. In 1611, he honored Galileo Galilei as a mem ...

refused to appoint a young child of seven. The

House of Lorraine The House of Lorraine () originated as a cadet branch of the House of Metz. It inherited the Duchy of Lorraine in 1473 after the death without a male heir of Nicholas I, Duke of Lorraine. By the marriage of Francis of Lorraine to Maria Ther ...

had controlled the see since 1484, usually with a family member as bishop, which Paris was keen to bring to an end. The elderly

Anne d'Escars de Givry Anne d'Escars de Givry (29 March 1546 – 19 April 1612) was a French Benedictine churchman, supporter of the '' Ligue'', and cardinal. Biography He was born in Paris, the son of Jacques de Pérusse, Seigneur d'Escars and Françoise de Longwy, D ...

bishop of Lisieux The Diocese of Lisieux was a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in France, centered on Lisieux, in Calvados. The bishop of Lisieux was the Ordinary of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lisieux. The bishopric was suppressed during the French ...

, was appointed as placeholder bishop, and Henri was given an expectative appointment, in effect a reservation, plus a pension from the revenues, until he reached adult age.''Les évêques dans l’histoire de la France'', p264, Jean Julg, 2004, Pope Paul V agreed to appoint him in 1612, after the death of d'Escars, at the request of Louis XIII, despite Henri being only 11 and not ordained. He was never ordained and never resided at Metz, appointing deputies to run diocesan affairs. He resigned as bishop in favour of

Cardinal Mazarin Jules Mazarin (born Giulio Raimondo Mazzarino or Mazarini; 14 July 1602 – 9 March 1661), from 1641 known as Cardinal Mazarin, was an Italian Catholic prelate, diplomat and politician who served as the chief minister to the Kings of France Lou ...

in 1652, a move

Pope Innocent X Pope Innocent X (6 May 1574 – 7 January 1655), born Giovanni Battista Pamphilj (or Pamphili), was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 15 September 1644 to his death, in January 1655. Born in Rome of a family fro ...

did not recognize. He was declared dismissed by

Pope Alexander VII Pope Alexander VII (; 13 February 159922 May 1667), born Fabio Chigi, was head of the Catholic Church and ruler of the Papal States from 7 April 1655 to his death, in May 1667. He began his career as a vice- papal legate, and he held various d ...

in 1659. He was knighted on 31 December 1661 and created duke of Verneuil in 1663. In 1665 he became ambassador to England and in 1666 was made governor of

Languedoc The Province of Languedoc (, , ; ) is a former province of France. Most of its territory is now contained in the modern-day region of Occitanie in Southern France. Its capital city was Toulouse. It had an area of approximately . History ...

. He married Charlotte (1622-1704), daughter of the chancellor Pierre Séguier and widow of Maximilien François de Bethune, 2nd Duke of Sully (1614–1661), on 29 October 1668, when he was 67 and she 46. He died without issue on 28 May 1682 at

Château de Verneuil Verneuil-en-Halatte (, literally ''Verneuil in Forest of Halatte, Halatte'') is a Communes of France, commune in the Oise Departments of France, department in northern France. The organist and composer Joseph Boulnois (1884–1918) was born in Ve ...

Ancestry

References

Sources

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Henri of Verneuil, Duke 1601 births 1682 deaths 17th-century peers of France 17th-century French Roman Catholic bishops 17th-century French diplomats People from Île-de-France Dukes of Verneuil French knights House of Bourbon (France) Bishops of Metz Illegitimate children of Henry IV of France Peers created by Louis XIV Ambassadors of France to the Kingdom of England Sons of kings