Antoine V de Gramont
Encyclopedia
Antoine V de Gramont Duke of Guiche, French military figure and member of the Gramont family
. He was the oldest child of Antoine Charles IV de Gramont
and Marie Charlotte de Castelnau. At the age of thirteen, he became a musketeer
and by 1687 he had become head of his regiment and had married the daughter of Anne-Jules, 2nd duc de Noailles
. He participated in the siege of Philippsburg
(1688). He was made brigadier
in 1694 and served in Flanders
.
In 1696, he was serving under Marshal Catinat
and Marshal Boufflers, and was himself made a marshal
(of Flanders) and Colonel General
of Dragoon
s in 1702. In 1704, he made lieutenant of the royal arms and on October 26, 1704, Colonel General
of the French guards. He became envoy to Philip V of Spain
in 1705. He was wounded at the Battle of Malplaquet
(1709).
In 1712, he became Lieutenant General of Bayonne
and Lieutenant General and Governor
of Navarre
and Béarn
. In 1715, he became Counselor of Regents and War and in 1720, acquired the title of Duke of Gramont. In 1724, he became Marshal of France
. He died a year later, evidently in his palace
.
Gramont
Gramont is the name of an old French noble family, whose name is connected to the castle of Gramont, Agramont in Spanish, in the French Basque province of Lower Navarre.- Key representatives :...
. He was the oldest child of Antoine Charles IV de Gramont
Antoine Charles IV de Gramont
Antoine Charles IV de Gramont, comte de Guiche, 3rd Duke de Gramont, comte de Louvigny, Souverain de Bidache was a French diplomat....
and Marie Charlotte de Castelnau. At the age of thirteen, he became a musketeer
Musketeer
A musketeer was an early modern type of infantry soldier equipped with a musket. Musketeers were an important part of early modern armies, particularly in Europe. They sometimes could fight on horseback, like a dragoon or a cavalryman...
and by 1687 he had become head of his regiment and had married the daughter of Anne-Jules, 2nd duc de Noailles
Anne-Jules, 2nd duc de Noailles
Anne Jules de Noailles, 2th Duke of Noailles was one of the chief generals of France towards the end of the reign of Louis XIV, and, after raising the regiment of Noailles in 1689, he commanded in Spain during both the War of the Grand Alliance and the War of the Spanish Succession, and was made...
. He participated in the siege of Philippsburg
Philippsburg
Philippsburg is a town in Germany, in the district of Karlsruhe in Baden-Württemberg.-History:Before 1632, Philippsburg was known as "Udenheim".The city was a possession of the Bishop of Speyer from 1371–1718...
(1688). He was made brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
in 1694 and served in Flanders
Flanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
.
In 1696, he was serving under Marshal Catinat
Nicolas Catinat
Nicolas Catinat was a French military commander and Marshal of France under Louis XIV. The son of a magistrate, Catinat was born in Paris on 1 September 1637...
and Marshal Boufflers, and was himself made a marshal
Marshal
Marshal , is a word used in several official titles of various branches of society. The word is an ancient loan word from Old French, cf...
(of Flanders) and Colonel General
Colonel General (France)
A Colonel General was an officer of the French army during the Ancien Régime, Napoleonic era and the Bourbon Restoration.The positions were not military ranks, but rather offices of the crown. The position was first created under François I. The Colonels General served directly below the Marshals...
of Dragoon
Dragoon
The word dragoon originally meant mounted infantry, who were trained in horse riding as well as infantry fighting skills. However, usage altered over time and during the 18th century, dragoons evolved into conventional light cavalry units and personnel...
s in 1702. In 1704, he made lieutenant of the royal arms and on October 26, 1704, Colonel General
Colonel General (France)
A Colonel General was an officer of the French army during the Ancien Régime, Napoleonic era and the Bourbon Restoration.The positions were not military ranks, but rather offices of the crown. The position was first created under François I. The Colonels General served directly below the Marshals...
of the French guards. He became envoy to Philip V of Spain
Philip V of Spain
Philip V was King of Spain from 15 November 1700 to 15 January 1724, when he abdicated in favor of his son Louis, and from 6 September 1724, when he assumed the throne again upon his son's death, to his death.Before his reign, Philip occupied an exalted place in the royal family of France as a...
in 1705. He was wounded at the Battle of Malplaquet
Battle of Malplaquet
The Battle of Malplaquet, fought on 11 September 1709, was one of the main battles of the War of the Spanish Succession, which opposed the Bourbons of France and Spain against an alliance whose major members were the Habsburg Monarchy, Great Britain, the United Provinces and the Kingdom of...
(1709).
In 1712, he became Lieutenant General of Bayonne
Bayonne
Bayonne is a city and commune in south-western France at the confluence of the Nive and Adour rivers, in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department, of which it is a sub-prefecture...
and Lieutenant General and Governor
Governor
A governor is a governing official, usually the executive of a non-sovereign level of government, ranking under the head of state...
of Navarre
Navarre
Navarre , officially the Chartered Community of Navarre is an autonomous community in northern Spain, bordering the Basque Country, La Rioja, and Aragon in Spain and Aquitaine in France...
and Béarn
Béarn
Béarn is one of the traditional provinces of France, located in the Pyrenees mountains and in the plain at their feet, in southwest France. Along with the three Basque provinces of Soule, Lower Navarre, and Labourd, the principality of Bidache, as well as small parts of Gascony, it forms in the...
. In 1715, he became Counselor of Regents and War and in 1720, acquired the title of Duke of Gramont. In 1724, he became Marshal of France
Marshal of France
The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
. He died a year later, evidently in his palace
Palace
A palace is a grand residence, especially a royal residence or the home of a head of state or some other high-ranking dignitary, such as a bishop or archbishop. The word itself is derived from the Latin name Palātium, for Palatine Hill, one of the seven hills in Rome. In many parts of Europe, the...
.