Louis de Bourbon (October 1612 – 6 August 1669), was

Duke of Mercœur The Seigneurs and Dukes of Mercœur were a line of powerful lords deriving their name from the estate of Mercœur in Auvergne (province), Auvergne, France. The line became extinct in the 14th century, and passed by inheritance to the Dauphin of Auv ...

and later the second

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 above sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they a ...

, and the grandson of

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

Gabrielle d'Estrées Gabrielle d'Estrées, Duchess of Beaufort and Verneuil, Marchioness of Monceaux (; 157310 April 1599) was a mistress, confidante and adviser of Henry IV of France. She is noted for her role in ending the religious civil wars that plagued France ...

. He became Duke of Vendôme in 1665, after the death of his father.

Biography

Louis was the son of César de Bourbon, ''Légitimé de France'', Duke of Vendôme and Françoise de Lorraine (1592–1669), daughter of Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur (d. 1602). Louis had a military career and was Governor of Provence from 1653 to 1669. After the death of his wife in 1657, he entered the church and became a cardinal and

legate Legate may refer to: People * Bartholomew Legate (1575–1611), English martyr * Julie Anne Legate (born 1972), Canadian linguistics professor * William LeGate (born 1994), American entrepreneur Political and religious offices *Legatus, a hig ...

of France. As a cardinal, he was styled as the ''cardinal de Vendôme''.

Marriage and issue

Louis married

Laura Mancini Laura Mancini, Duchess of Mercœur (6 May 1636 – 8 February 1657) was a niece of Cardinal Mazarin. She was the eldest of the five famous Mancini sisters, who along with two of their female Martinozzi cousins, were known at the court of Louis ...

, niece 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 ...

, on 4 February 1651. Their children: * Louis Joseph de Bourbon (1654–1712), Duke of Vendôme and

Marshal of France Marshal of France (, plural ') is a French military distinction, rather than a military rank, that is awarded to General officer, generals for exceptional achievements. The title has been awarded since 1185, though briefly abolished (1793–1804) ...

; married

Marie Anne de Bourbon Marie Anne de Bourbon, ''Légitimée de France'', born Marie Anne de La Blaume Le Blanc, by her marriage Princess of Conti then Princess Dowager of Conti, ''suo jure'' Duchess of La Vallière and of Vaujours (; 2 October 1666 – 3 May 1739) was ...

no issue; * Philippe de Bourbon (1655–1727), called ''le prieur de Vendôme'', last Duke of Vendôme; never married; no issue. *Jules César de Bourbon (1657–1660) died in infancy.

Ancestry

References

Sources

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Louis, Duke Of Vendome 1612 births 1669 deaths House of Bourbon-Vendôme Dukes of Vendôme House of Bourbon Clergy from Paris 17th-century French cardinals Dukes of Étampes Dukes of Beaufort (France) Governors of Provence Date of birth unknown Dukes of Mercœur

Biography

Marriage and issue

Ancestry

See also

References

Sources