Claire-Clémence de Maillé-Brézé
Encyclopedia
Claire-Clémence de Maillé-Brézé, Princess of Condé (25 February, 1628 – 16 April, 1694), Princess of Condé and Duchess of Fronsac
, was a French
noblewoman from the Brézé family
and a niece of Cardinal Richelieu. She married Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé
, Le Grand Condé ("The Great Condé"), and became the mother of Henri Jules, Prince of Condé.
in the Maine-et-Loire
department of France, the daughter of Urbain de Maillé-Brézé
, marquis de Brézé, seigneur de Milly, seigneur de Thévalles, Marshal of France
, and Nicole du Plessis de Richelieu, sister of Cardinal Richelieu. She had a younger brother, Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé
, who became an Admiral
of the French Royal Navy
(La Royale).
When she was five years old, her uncle the Cardinal arranged her betrothal to the French prince
Louis de Bourbon
, who would become the renowned general le Grand Condé, "the Great Condé." Under the pretext of educating her, she was taken from her family and entrusted to Mme Boutillier, wife of the surintendant
, who gave her a mediocre education.
Upon her coming of age
at thirteen, the marriage was concluded at Milly-le-Meugon
. Louis, then the duc d'Enghien
, was barely twenty years old and had already had several mistresses
. In love at the time with Marthe Poussard (called Mlle du Vigean), he protested in vain against the marriage, but his father, the Prince of Condé
, forced him to wed Claire-Clémence.
The marriage took place on 11 February 1641 at the Palais-Royal in Paris
.
As she married a member of the reigning House of Bourbon
, she became a Princess of the Blood
and had the style Serene Highness
. After his father's death in 1646, her husband became the First Prince of the Blood, which was the most important rank behind that of the members of the royal family.
Although she bore her husband three children, he later claimed she committed adultery with a number of different men in order to justify her locking away at Châteauroux
, but the charge was widely disbelieved: Saint-Simon
, while admitting that she was homely and dull, praised her virtue, piety and gentleness in the face of relentless abuse.
Upon her estranged husband's disgrace, arrest and imprisonment, in January 1650, at the fortress of Vincennes
, after the Fronde
, Claire-Clémence distinguished herself by her energetic and devoted conduct, pursuing the struggle, raising his friends, leading them in danger and braving the king's anger, Mazarin's orders, and popular threats.
To get to the fortress of Montrond
, the cardinal set out on a long journey from Bordeaux
, via Poitou
, Anjou
and Touraine
. She stopped him at Milly-le-Meugon
, using his short stay to recruit her husband's friends from all parts. While Condé's faithful intendant, Lenet, came through France and Spain, and readied Montrond for a siege that would take the French army more than a year to raise, Claire-Clémence gathered her faithful friends around her and gave splendid celebrations at Milly-le-Meugon in favour of all the organisers of the resistance during the Fronde. Despite her efforts, however, her husband remained imprisoned until 7 February 1651.
In 1651, Claire-Clémence was forced to submit to the regent, Queen Anne of Austria
, and to her minister, Mazarin.
She thus joined her husband in Spanish Flanders
with their son. They only returned to favour in 1660, reinstalling themselves at the Château de Chantilly
. However, when a scandal arose because of her liaison with a page, the prince exiled his wife at the Château Raoul in Châteauroux
, where she remained until her death in 1694. She saw the birth of her first grandchild, Marie Thérèse de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Bourbon in 1666; her first great-grandchild, Marie Anne de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Conti, was born in 1689, she later became Princess of Condé, the title that Claire-Clémence held for some time.
Claire-Clémence was buried at the Chapel of St Martin at the Château de Châteauroux, France.
Her descendants include the present-day pretender
s to the throne of France
and Italy
and the kings of Spain
and Belgium
.
, a 2000
film
based on the life of 17th century French chef François Vatel
, directed by Roland Joffé
and starring Gérard Depardieu
, Uma Thurman
, and Tim Roth
. Claire-Clémence is portrayed by Arielle Dombasle
.
Duke of Fronsac
The seigneurie of Fronsac was promoted to a duchy twice during the 17th century.- First promotion : 1608 :The title of duke of Fronsac was first created in 1608 for the Orléans-Longueville family, a bastard branch of the house of Valois...
, was a French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
noblewoman from the Brézé family
Brézé (surname)
Brézé was the name of a noble Angevin family. The founder and most famous member of the family was Pierre de Brézé , one of the trusted soldiers and statesmen of Charles VII. He was succeeded as seneschal of Normandy by his eldest son, Jacques de Brézé Brézé was the name of a noble Angevin family....
and a niece of Cardinal Richelieu. She married Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé
Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé
Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé was a French general and the most famous representative of the Condé branch of the House of Bourbon. Prior to his father's death in 1646, he was styled the Duc d'Enghien...
, Le Grand Condé ("The Great Condé"), and became the mother of Henri Jules, Prince of Condé.
Biography
Claire-Clémence was born at BrézéBrézé
Brézé is a commune in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France.-See also:*Communes of the Maine-et-Loire department*Claire-Clémence de Maillé-Brézé, born here in 1628, Princess of Condé...
in the Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire
Maine-et-Loire is a department in west-central France, in the Pays de la Loire region.- History :Maine-et-Loire is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on March 4, 1790. Originally it was called Mayenne-et-Loire, but its name was changed to Maine-et-Loire in 1791....
department of France, the daughter of Urbain de Maillé-Brézé
Urbain de Maillé-Brézé
Urbain de Maillé-Brézé , was a Marshal of France during the Thirty Years' War and Franco-Spanish War .- Biography :...
, marquis de Brézé, seigneur de Milly, seigneur de Thévalles, 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...
, and Nicole du Plessis de Richelieu, sister of Cardinal Richelieu. She had a younger brother, Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé
Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé
Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé was a French admiral.He was born in Milly-le-Meugon, in one of the most powerful French families of the time; his father was Urbain de Maillé-Brézé, marquis de Brézé, Marshal of France, his uncle Cardinal Richelieu, King Louis XIII's renowned minister, and his...
, who became an Admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
of the French Royal Navy
French Navy
The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale and often called La Royale is the maritime arm of the French military. It includes a full range of fighting vessels, from patrol boats to a nuclear powered aircraft carrier and 10 nuclear-powered submarines, four of which are capable of launching...
(La Royale).
When she was five years old, her uncle the Cardinal arranged her betrothal to the French prince
Prince du Sang
A prince of the blood was a person who was legitimately descended in the male line from the monarch of a country. In France, the rank of prince du sang was the highest held at court after the immediate family of the king during the ancien régime and the Bourbon Restoration...
Louis de Bourbon
Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé
Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé was a French general and the most famous representative of the Condé branch of the House of Bourbon. Prior to his father's death in 1646, he was styled the Duc d'Enghien...
, who would become the renowned general le Grand Condé, "the Great Condé." Under the pretext of educating her, she was taken from her family and entrusted to Mme Boutillier, wife of the surintendant
Superintendent of Finances
The Superintendent of Finances was the name of the minister in charge of finances in France from 1561 to 1661. The position was abolished in 1661 with the downfall of Nicolas Fouquet, and a new position was created, the Controller-General of Finances....
, who gave her a mediocre education.
Upon her coming of age
Coming of age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from childhood to adulthood. The age at which this transition takes place varies in society, as does the nature of the transition. It can be a simple legal convention or can be part of a ritual, as practiced by many societies...
at thirteen, the marriage was concluded at Milly-le-Meugon
Milly-le-Meugon
Milly-le-Meugon is a village now attached to the city of Gennes, Maine-et-Loire department, France. It is also the site of a castle, which also belonged to the Maillé-Brézé family, a notable family of the French nobility with close ties to King Louis XIII's powerful minister, the Cardinal...
. Louis, then the duc d'Enghien
Duke of Enghien
The title of Duke of Enghien may, like many noble titles, refer to any of several historical figures.-Dukes of Enghien - first creation :...
, was barely twenty years old and had already had several mistresses
Mistress (lover)
A mistress is a long-term female lover and companion who is not married to her partner; the term is used especially when her partner is married. The relationship generally is stable and at least semi-permanent; however, the couple does not live together openly. Also the relationship is usually,...
. In love at the time with Marthe Poussard (called Mlle du Vigean), he protested in vain against the marriage, but his father, the Prince of Condé
Henry II de Bourbon, prince de Condé
Henri de Bourbon became Prince of Condé shortly after his birth, following the death of his father Henri I...
, forced him to wed Claire-Clémence.
The marriage took place on 11 February 1641 at the Palais-Royal in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
.
As she married a member of the reigning House of Bourbon
House of Bourbon
The House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
, she became a Princess of the Blood
Prince du Sang
A prince of the blood was a person who was legitimately descended in the male line from the monarch of a country. In France, the rank of prince du sang was the highest held at court after the immediate family of the king during the ancien régime and the Bourbon Restoration...
and had the style Serene Highness
Serene Highness
His/Her Serene Highness is a style used today by the reigning families of Liechtenstein and Monaco. It also preceded the princely titles of members of some German ruling and mediatised dynasties as well as some non-ruling but princely German noble families until 1918...
. After his father's death in 1646, her husband became the First Prince of the Blood, which was the most important rank behind that of the members of the royal family.
Although she bore her husband three children, he later claimed she committed adultery with a number of different men in order to justify her locking away at Châteauroux
Châteauroux
Châteauroux is the capital of the Indre department in central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called Castelroussines or Castelroussins....
, but the charge was widely disbelieved: Saint-Simon
Claude de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon
Claude de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon , French courtier, was the second son of Louis de Rouvroy, seigneur du Plessis , who had been a warm supporter of Henry of Guise and the Catholic League....
, while admitting that she was homely and dull, praised her virtue, piety and gentleness in the face of relentless abuse.
Upon her estranged husband's disgrace, arrest and imprisonment, in January 1650, at the fortress of Vincennes
Château de Vincennes
The Château de Vincennes is a massive 14th and 17th century French royal castle in the town of Vincennes, to the east of Paris, now a suburb of the metropolis.-History:...
, after the Fronde
Fronde
The Fronde was a civil war in France, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. The word fronde means sling, which Parisian mobs used to smash the windows of supporters of Cardinal Mazarin....
, Claire-Clémence distinguished herself by her energetic and devoted conduct, pursuing the struggle, raising his friends, leading them in danger and braving the king's anger, Mazarin's orders, and popular threats.
To get to the fortress of Montrond
Saint-Amand-Montrond
Saint-Amand-Montrond is a commune in the Cher department in the Centre region of France.-Geography:A small town of farming and a little light industry situated some southeast of Bourges, at the junction of the D951 with the D300 and D2144 roads....
, the cardinal set out on a long journey from Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
, via Poitou
Poitou
Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....
, Anjou
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
and Touraine
Touraine
The Touraine is one of the traditional provinces of France. Its capital was Tours. During the political reorganization of French territory in 1790, the Touraine was divided between the departments of Indre-et-Loire, :Loir-et-Cher and Indre.-Geography:...
. She stopped him at Milly-le-Meugon
Milly-le-Meugon
Milly-le-Meugon is a village now attached to the city of Gennes, Maine-et-Loire department, France. It is also the site of a castle, which also belonged to the Maillé-Brézé family, a notable family of the French nobility with close ties to King Louis XIII's powerful minister, the Cardinal...
, using his short stay to recruit her husband's friends from all parts. While Condé's faithful intendant, Lenet, came through France and Spain, and readied Montrond for a siege that would take the French army more than a year to raise, Claire-Clémence gathered her faithful friends around her and gave splendid celebrations at Milly-le-Meugon in favour of all the organisers of the resistance during the Fronde. Despite her efforts, however, her husband remained imprisoned until 7 February 1651.
In 1651, Claire-Clémence was forced to submit to the regent, Queen Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria
Anne of Austria was Queen consort of France and Navarre, regent for her son, Louis XIV of France, and a Spanish Infanta by birth...
, and to her minister, Mazarin.
She thus joined her husband in Spanish 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...
with their son. They only returned to favour in 1660, reinstalling themselves at the Château de Chantilly
Château de Chantilly
The Château de Chantilly is a historic château located in the town of Chantilly, France. It comprises two attached buildings; the Grand Château, destroyed during the French Revolution and rebuilt in the 1870s, and the Petit Château which was built around 1560 for Anne de Montmorency...
. However, when a scandal arose because of her liaison with a page, the prince exiled his wife at the Château Raoul in Châteauroux
Châteauroux
Châteauroux is the capital of the Indre department in central France and the second-largest town in the province of Berry, after Bourges. Its residents are called Castelroussines or Castelroussins....
, where she remained until her death in 1694. She saw the birth of her first grandchild, Marie Thérèse de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Bourbon in 1666; her first great-grandchild, Marie Anne de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Conti, was born in 1689, she later became Princess of Condé, the title that Claire-Clémence held for some time.
Claire-Clémence was buried at the Chapel of St Martin at the Château de Châteauroux, France.
Issue
- Henri Jules de Bourbon, Duke of Enghien, Prince of Condé (29 July 1643, Paris - 1 April 1709, Paris); married Anne Henriette of BavariaAnne Henriette of BavariaAnne Henriette of Palatinate-Simmern, in France known as Anne Henriette of Bavaria was a Princess of Palatinate-Simmern by birth and by her marriage in 1663, the Duchess of Enghien and then the Princess of Condé...
and had issue; - Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Bourbon (20 September 1652, Bordeaux - 11 April 1653, Bordeaux); died in infancy;
- X de Bourbon, Mademoiselle de Bourbon (1657, Breda - 28 September 1660, Paris); died in infancy;
Her descendants include the present-day pretender
Pretender
A pretender is one who claims entitlement to an unavailable position of honour or rank. Most often it refers to a former monarch, or descendant thereof, whose throne is occupied or claimed by a rival, or has been abolished....
s to the throne of France
Orléanist
The Orléanists were a French right-wing/center-right party which arose out of the French Revolution. It governed France 1830-1848 in the "July Monarchy" of king Louis Philippe. It is generally seen as a transitional period dominated by the bourgeoisie and the conservative Orleanist doctrine in...
and Italy
Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples
Vittorio Emanuele, Prince of Naples, formerly Crown Prince of Italy is the only son of the Umberto II, the last King of Italy. He is commonly known in Italy as Vittorio Emanuele di Savoia...
and the kings of Spain
Juan Carlos I of Spain
Juan Carlos I |Italy]]) is the reigning King of Spain.On 22 November 1975, two days after the death of General Francisco Franco, Juan Carlos was designated king according to the law of succession promulgated by Franco. Spain had no monarch for 38 years in 1969 when Franco named Juan Carlos as the...
and Belgium
Albert II of Belgium
Albert II is the current reigning King of the Belgians, a constitutional monarch. He is a member of the royal house "of Belgium"; formerly this house was named Saxe-Coburg-Gotha...
.
Portrayal in film
In the film VatelVatel (film)
Vatel is a 2000 film based on the life of 17th century French chef François Vatel, directed by Roland Joffé and starring Gérard Depardieu, Uma Thurman, and Tim Roth. The film was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Art Direction - Set Decoration. The film opened the 2000 Cannes Film Festival.-...
, a 2000
2000 in film
The year 2000 in film involved some significant events.The top grosser worldwide was Mission: Impossible II. Domestically in North America, Gladiator won the Academy Awards for Best Picture and Best Actor ....
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
based on the life of 17th century French chef François Vatel
François Vatel
François Vatel was the maître d'hôtel of Nicolas Fouquet and prince Louis II de Bourbon-Condé.He is widely, but incorrectly, credited with creating crème Chantilly , a sweet, vanilla-flavoured whipped cream, for an extravagant banquet for 2,000 people hosted in honour of Louis XIV by Louis, the...
, directed by Roland Joffé
Roland Joffé
Roland Joffé is an English-French film director who is known for his Oscar nominated movies, The Killing Fields and The Mission. He began his career in television. His early television credits included episodes of Coronation Street and an adaptation of The Stars Look Down for Granada...
and starring Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Depardieu
Gérard Xavier Marcel Depardieu is a French actor and filmmaker. He is a Chevalier of the Légion d'honneur, Chevalier of the Ordre national du Mérite and has twice won the César Award for Best Actor...
, Uma Thurman
Uma Thurman
Uma Karuna Thurman is an American actress and model. She has performed in leading roles in a variety of films, ranging from romantic comedies and dramas to science fiction and action movies. Among her best-known roles are those in the Quentin Tarantino films Pulp Fiction and Kill Bill...
, and Tim Roth
Tim Roth
Simon Timothy "Tim" Roth is an English film actor and director best known for his roles in the American films,Legend of 1900, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Four Rooms, Skellig, Planet of the Apes, The Incredible Hulk and Rob Roy, receiving an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actor for...
. Claire-Clémence is portrayed by Arielle Dombasle
Arielle Dombasle
Arielle Dombasle is a French-American singer, actress, director and model. Her breakthrough roles were in Éric Rohmer's Pauline at the Beach and Alain Robbe-Grillet's The Blue Villa...
.
Titles and styles
- 25 February 1628 – February 1641 Mademoiselle de Brézé
- February 1641 – 26 December 1646 Her Serene Highness the Duchess of Enghien
- 26 December 1646 – 11 November 1686 Her Serene Highness the Princess of Condé
- 11 November 1686 – 16 April 1694 Her Serene Highness the Dowager Princess of Condé
Further reading
- Lenet, Pierre (1826) Mémoires. (Collection des Mémoires relatifs à l’histoire de France; eds. Petitot et Monmerqué; tome LIII). Paris: Librairie Foucault