Louis Phélypeaux (; 18 August 1705 – 27 February 1777) Count of Saint-Florentin, Marquis (1725) and Duke of La Vrillière (1770), was a French

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

Biography

Born 18 August 1705, in Paris, to

Louis Phélypeaux, Marquis de La Vrillière Louis may refer to: People * Louis (given name), origin and several individuals with this name * Louis (surname) * Louis (singer), Serbian singer Other uses * Louis (coin), a French coin * HMS ''Louis'', two ships of the Royal Navy See also * ...

, and Françoise de Mailly-Nesle (1688–1742), he succeeded his father as

Secretary of State for Protestant Affairs The secretary of state for protestant affairs (, or R.P.R., the "So-called Reformed Religion"), was the Secretary of State (Ancien Régime), secretary of state in France during the "Ancien Régime" and Bourbon Restoration in France, Bourbon Restor ...

, with responsibility for

Huguenot The Huguenots ( , ; ) are a Religious denomination, religious group of French people, French Protestants who held to the Reformed (Calvinist) tradition of Protestantism. The term, which may be derived from the name of a Swiss political leader, ...

s. Appointed minister for the Department of the Maison du Roi by

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 ...

in 1749, he held the post until 1775, setting a record for ministerial service. He was named to the

Order of the Holy Spirit The Order of the Holy Spirit (; 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 France. It should not be c ...

, where he served as chancellor. After the dismissal of Choiseul in December 1770, he served as

Foreign Minister In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...

until June 1771. His use of lettres de cachet in the

La Chalotais LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second most populous city in the United States of America. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music *La (musical note), or A, the sixth note *"L.A.", a song by Elliott Smit ...

case was controversial and he resigned his ministerial posts in 1775. He died on 27 February 1777, aged 71, in Paris In 1724, he married Amélie Ernestine de Platen (d. 1752). He had Chalgrin design the Hôtel de Saint-Florentin. This later passed to Talleyrand and to James Mayer de Rothschild, and is now part of the American Embassy, Paris.

References

1705 births 1777 deaths 18th-century French politicians Members of the French Academy of Sciences House of Phélypeaux {{KingdomofFrance-stub