Duke of Bouillon
Encyclopedia
The Duke of Bouillon is a title of nobility. Until the nineteenth century, the Duke of Bouillon was the ruler of the semi-sovereign Duchy of Bouillon , a small state located between Luxembourg
, Champagne
, and the Three Bishoprics
and centered on Bouillon
.
. On the death of Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine
in 1069, Bouillon passed to his nephew, Godfrey of Bouillon
. In 1095, Godfrey of Bouillon sold Bouillon to the Prince-Bishop of Liège, Otbert of Liège
in order to finance his participation in the First Crusade
.
The Prince-Bishop of Liège granted the châtellenie of Bouillon to the House of La Marck in 1415. In 1456, Louis de Bourbon, Bishop of Liège
became the first individual to style himself "Duke of Bouillon". In 1482, the Châtelain
of Bouillon, William de La Marck
, ordered the assassination of Louis de Bourbon, Bishop of Liège in a plot to install his son, Jean de la Marck, as Prince-Bishop of Liège. This plot proved unsuccessful: John of Hornes was elected as successor of Louis de Bourbon as Prince-Bishop of Liège. John of Hornes then fought a war with William de La Marck that ended with the Treaty of Tongeren, signed May 21, 1484, with the de la Marck family relinquishing its claim on Liège, though the de la Marcks retained Bouillon Castle as a pledge
. Robert II de la Marck began calling himself "Duke of Bouillon" in 1492, but in 1521, the Prince-Bishop of Liège, Erard de La Marck
(a fellow member of the House of La Marck), with the backing of the troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
, managed to regain Bouillon for the Prince-Bishopric.
Robert Fleuranges III de La Marck
began styling himself "Duke of Bouillon" in 1526 and all of his successors maintained the right to this title. During the Italian War of 1551–1559, Bouillon was occupied by the forces of Henry II of France
to keep them free from Habsburg influence, but Henry II confirmed Robert IV de la Marck as Duke of Bouillon.
From 1560 to 1642, the Dukes of Bouillon were also the rulers of the independent Principality of Sedan.
With the death of Charlotte de La Marck
in 1594, the duchy and the title passed to her husband Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Duke of Bouillon and thereafter became the possession of the House of La Tour d'Auvergne. France again invaded Bouillon in 1676 during the Franco-Dutch War
, but Godefroy Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne
remained Duke of Bouillon. From this point on, although the Duchy of Bouillon was technically still a part of the Holy Roman Empire
, it was in actuality a French protectorate
. This state of affairs was confirmed by the 1678 Treaties of Nijmegen
.
In the wake of the French Revolution
, the French Revolutionary Army
invaded the Duchy of Bouillon in 1794, creating the short-lived Republic of Bouillon
. In 1795, Bouillon was annexed to France.
At the Congress of Vienna
, in 1815, the title of "Duke of Bouillon" was restored to Charles Alain Gabriel de Rohan. The Duchy of Bouillon, however, was annexed to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, then in personal union
with the Kingdom of the Netherlands
, becoming part of the Kingdom of the Belgians in 1830.
. In 1789, it had a population of 2,500. The largest town was Bouillon
, situated on the Semois
. It also consisted of the surrounding villages: Sugny, Corbion, Alle, Rochehaut, Ucimont, Botassart, Sensenruth, Noirefontaine, Gros-Fays, Fays-les-Veneurs, Bertrix
, Carlsbourg, Paliseul
, Jehonville, Opont, Anloy, Porcheresse, Gembes, Gedinne
, Sart-Custinne, and Tellin
.
Bouillon is located in a Walloon
-speaking region.
restored the title of "Duke of Bouillon", giving it on Charles Alain Gabriel de Rohan, son of Marie Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne
, who was the daughter of the former duke Charles Godefroy de La Tour d'Auvergne
.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
, Champagne
Champagne, France
Champagne is a historic province in the northeast of France, now best known for the sparkling white wine that bears its name.Formerly ruled by the counts of Champagne, its western edge is about 100 miles east of Paris. The cities of Troyes, Reims, and Épernay are the commercial centers of the area...
, and the Three Bishoprics
Three Bishoprics
The Three Bishoprics constituted a province of pre-Revolutionary France consisting of the prince-bishoprics of Verdun, Metz, and Toul within the Lorraine region....
and centered on Bouillon
Bouillon
Bouillon is a municipality in Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Luxembourg Province.The municipality, which covers 149.09 km², had 5,477 inhabitants, giving a population density of 36.7 inhabitants per km².- History :...
.
History of the Duchy of Bouillon
The Duchy of Bouillon's origins are unclear. The first reference to Bouillon Castle comes in 988 and by the 11th century, Bouillon was a freehold held by the House of Ardennes, who styled themselves Lords of BouillonLords of Bouillon
The lordship of Bouillon was in the 10th and 11th century one of the core holdings of the Ardennes-Bouillon dynasty, and appears to have been their original patrimonial possession.Murray, p. 10....
. On the death of Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine
Godfrey III, Duke of Lower Lorraine
Godfrey III , called the Bearded, was the eldest son of Gothelo I, duke of Upper and Lower Lorraine. By inheritance, he was count of Verdun and he became margrave of Antwerp as a vassal of the duke of Lower Lorraine...
in 1069, Bouillon passed to his nephew, Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon
Godfrey of Bouillon was a medieval Frankish knight who was one of the leaders of the First Crusade from 1096 until his death. He was the Lord of Bouillon, from which he took his byname, from 1076 and the Duke of Lower Lorraine from 1087...
. In 1095, Godfrey of Bouillon sold Bouillon to the Prince-Bishop of Liège, Otbert of Liège
Otbert of Liège
Otbert of Liège was bishop of Liège at the end of the eleventh century . He was a major figure in the financing of the First Crusade, and an expansionist....
in order to finance his participation in the First Crusade
First Crusade
The First Crusade was a military expedition by Western Christianity to regain the Holy Lands taken in the Muslim conquest of the Levant, ultimately resulting in the recapture of Jerusalem...
.
The Prince-Bishop of Liège granted the châtellenie of Bouillon to the House of La Marck in 1415. In 1456, Louis de Bourbon, Bishop of Liège
Louis de Bourbon, Bishop of Liège
Louis de Bourbon was Prince-Bishop of Liège from 1456. He was brought up and educated by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy, who supported him for ten years at the University of Louvain.-Conflict over the bishopric:...
became the first individual to style himself "Duke of Bouillon". In 1482, the Châtelain
Châtelain
Châtelain was originally merely the French equivalent of the English castellan, i.e. the commander of a castle....
of Bouillon, William de La Marck
William de la Marck
William de la Marck was an adventurer, originating in Germany. He became an important character in the late 15th century in the Prince-Bishopric of Liège...
, ordered the assassination of Louis de Bourbon, Bishop of Liège in a plot to install his son, Jean de la Marck, as Prince-Bishop of Liège. This plot proved unsuccessful: John of Hornes was elected as successor of Louis de Bourbon as Prince-Bishop of Liège. John of Hornes then fought a war with William de La Marck that ended with the Treaty of Tongeren, signed May 21, 1484, with the de la Marck family relinquishing its claim on Liège, though the de la Marcks retained Bouillon Castle as a pledge
Pledge (law)
A pledge is a bailment or deposit of personal property to a creditor to secure repayment for some debt or engagement, The term is also used to denote the property which constitutes the security....
. Robert II de la Marck began calling himself "Duke of Bouillon" in 1492, but in 1521, the Prince-Bishop of Liège, Erard de La Marck
Erard de la Marck
Erard de la Marck was prince-bishop of Liège from 1506 till 1538. He was the third son of Robert I de la Marck, lord of Sedan and Bouillon....
(a fellow member of the House of La Marck), with the backing of the troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, managed to regain Bouillon for the Prince-Bishopric.
Robert Fleuranges III de La Marck
Robert Fleuranges III de la Marck
Robert III de La Marck , Seigneur of Fleuranges, Marshal of France and historian, was the son of Robert II de La Marck; Duke of Bouillon, Seigneur of Sedan and Fleuranges, whose uncle was the celebrated William de La Marck, The Wild Boar of the Ardennes...
began styling himself "Duke of Bouillon" in 1526 and all of his successors maintained the right to this title. During the Italian War of 1551–1559, Bouillon was occupied by the forces of Henry II of France
Henry II of France
Henry II was King of France from 31 March 1547 until his death in 1559.-Early years:Henry was born in the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, near Paris, the son of Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany .His father was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525 by his sworn enemy,...
to keep them free from Habsburg influence, but Henry II confirmed Robert IV de la Marck as Duke of Bouillon.
From 1560 to 1642, the Dukes of Bouillon were also the rulers of the independent Principality of Sedan.
With the death of Charlotte de La Marck
Charlotte de La Marck
Charlotte de La Marck was a member of the House of La Marck and Duchess of Bouillon in her own right. She married into the House of La Tour d'Auvergne but died without issue.-Biography:...
in 1594, the duchy and the title passed to her husband Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, Duke of Bouillon and thereafter became the possession of the House of La Tour d'Auvergne. France again invaded Bouillon in 1676 during the Franco-Dutch War
Franco-Dutch War
The Franco-Dutch War, often called simply the Dutch War was a war fought by France, Sweden, the Bishopric of Münster, the Archbishopric of Cologne and England against the United Netherlands, which were later joined by the Austrian Habsburg lands, Brandenburg and Spain to form a quadruple alliance...
, but Godefroy Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne
Godefroy Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne
Godefroy Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne was a French nobleman and member of the House of La Tour d'Auvergne, one of the most important families in France at the time...
remained Duke of Bouillon. From this point on, although the Duchy of Bouillon was technically still a part of the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
, it was in actuality a French protectorate
Protectorate
In history, the term protectorate has two different meanings. In its earliest inception, which has been adopted by modern international law, it is an autonomous territory that is protected diplomatically or militarily against third parties by a stronger state or entity...
. This state of affairs was confirmed by the 1678 Treaties of Nijmegen
Treaties of Nijmegen
The Treaties of Peace of Nijmegen were a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Nijmegen between August 1678 and December 1679...
.
In the wake of the French Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, the French Revolutionary Army
French Revolutionary Army
The French Revolutionary Army is the term used to refer to the military of France during the period between the fall of the ancien regime under Louis XVI in 1792 and the formation of the First French Empire under Napoleon Bonaparte in 1804. These armies were characterised by their revolutionary...
invaded the Duchy of Bouillon in 1794, creating the short-lived Republic of Bouillon
Republic of Bouillon
The Republic of Bouillon was a short-lived French client republic, around the city of Bouillon in present-day Belgium, based on the duchy of Bouillon, which had existed between France and the Austrian Netherlands since the 15th century...
. In 1795, Bouillon was annexed to France.
At the Congress of Vienna
Congress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
, in 1815, the title of "Duke of Bouillon" was restored to Charles Alain Gabriel de Rohan. The Duchy of Bouillon, however, was annexed to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, then in personal union
Personal union
A personal union is the combination by which two or more different states have the same monarch while their boundaries, their laws and their interests remain distinct. It should not be confused with a federation which is internationally considered a single state...
with the Kingdom of the Netherlands
Kingdom of the Netherlands
The Kingdom of the Netherlands is a sovereign state and constitutional monarchy with territory in Western Europe and in the Caribbean. The four parts of the Kingdom—Aruba, Curaçao, the Netherlands, and Sint Maarten—are referred to as "countries", and participate on a basis of equality...
, becoming part of the Kingdom of the Belgians in 1830.
Geography of the Duchy of Bouillon
The Duchy of Bouillon was a sovereign duchy in many ways until 1795, but it was very tiny, the smallest territory within the Holy Roman EmpireHoly Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
. In 1789, it had a population of 2,500. The largest town was Bouillon
Bouillon
Bouillon is a municipality in Belgium. It lies in the country's Walloon Region and Luxembourg Province.The municipality, which covers 149.09 km², had 5,477 inhabitants, giving a population density of 36.7 inhabitants per km².- History :...
, situated on the Semois
Semois
The Semois is a river flowing from the Ardennes uplands of Belgium and France towards the River Meuse, of which it is a right tributary....
. It also consisted of the surrounding villages: Sugny, Corbion, Alle, Rochehaut, Ucimont, Botassart, Sensenruth, Noirefontaine, Gros-Fays, Fays-les-Veneurs, Bertrix
Bertrix
Bertrix is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg.On 1 January 2007 the municipality, which covers 137.7 km², had 8,164 inhabitants, giving a population density of 59.3 inhabitants per km²....
, Carlsbourg, Paliseul
Paliseul
Paliseul is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg.On 1 January 2007 the municipality, which covers 112.96 km², had 5,055 inhabitants, giving a population density of 44.8 inhabitants per km²....
, Jehonville, Opont, Anloy, Porcheresse, Gembes, Gedinne
Gedinne
Gedinne is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Namur. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 4,405 inhabitants. The total area is 151.56 km², giving a population density of 29 inhabitants per km²....
, Sart-Custinne, and Tellin
Tellin
Tellin is a Walloon municipality of Belgium located in the province of Luxembourg.On 1 January 2007 the municipality, which covers 56.64 km², had 2,386 inhabitants, giving a population density of 42.1 inhabitants per km².-References:...
.
Bouillon is located in a Walloon
Walloon language
Walloon is a Romance language which was spoken as a primary language in large portions of the Walloon Region of Belgium and some villages of Northern France until the middle of the 20th century. It belongs to the langue d'oïl language family, whose most prominent member is the French language...
-speaking region.
House of La Marck, ?–1588
| Picture | Name | Father | Birth | Marriage | Became duke | Death | Spouse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robert I de La Marck | Jean de La Marck | 1430 | 15 June 1446 | ? Bouillon raised to a Duchy |
February 1487 | Jeanne de Marley | |
| Robert II de La Marck | Robert I | 1465 | 25 December 1490 | February 1487 fathers death |
1536 | Catherine de Croÿ | |
| Robert Fleuranges de La Marck | Robert II | 1491 | 1 April 1510 | March 1667 fathers death |
21 December 1536 | Guillemette of Saarbrücken, Countess of Braine | |
| Robert IV de La Marck | Robert Fleuranges | 5 January 1512 | 1 March 1539 | 21 December 1536 fathers death |
15 February 1556 | Françoise de Brézé, Countess of Maulevrier | |
| Henri Robert de La Marck | Robert IV | 7 February 1540 | 7 Feb 1558 | 15 February 1556 fathers death |
2 December 1574 | Françoise de Bourbon | |
| Charlotte de La Marck Charlotte de La Marck Charlotte de La Marck was a member of the House of La Marck and Duchess of Bouillon in her own right. She married into the House of La Tour d'Auvergne but died without issue.-Biography:... suo jure Suo jure Suo jure is a Latin phrase meaning "in her [or his] own right".It is commonly encountered in the context of titles of nobility, especially in cases where a wife may hold a title in her own right rather than through her marriage.... |
Henri Robert | 5 November 1574 | 19 November 1591 | 2 December 1574 fathers death |
15 May 1594 | Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne | |
| Picture | Name | Father | Birth | Marriage | Became duke | Death | Spouse |
House of La Tour d'Auvergne, 1588–1802
| Picture | Name | Father | Birth | Marriage | Became duke | Ceased to be duke | Death | Spouse |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne | François de La Tour d'Auvergne | 28 September 1555 | 19 November 1591 | 15 May 1594 first wife's death |
25 March 1623 | Charlotte de La Marck Charlotte de La Marck Charlotte de La Marck was a member of the House of La Marck and Duchess of Bouillon in her own right. She married into the House of La Tour d'Auvergne but died without issue.-Biography:... |
|
| 15 April 1595 | Elisabeth of Nassau | |||||||
 |
Frédéric Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne | Henri | 22 October 1605 | 2 January 1634 | 25 March 1623 fathers death |
9 August 1652 | Eleonora Catharina Febronis van den Bergh | |
| Godefroy Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne Godefroy Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne Godefroy Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne was a French nobleman and member of the House of La Tour d'Auvergne, one of the most important families in France at the time... |
Frédéric Maurice | 21 June 1636 | 19 April 1662 | 9 August 1652 fathers death |
26 July 1721 | Marie Anne Mancini Marie Anne Mancini Marie Anne Mancini, duchesse de Bouillon , was the youngest of the five famous Mancini sisters, who along with two of their female Martinozzi cousins, were known at the court of King Louis XIV of France as the Mazarinettes because their uncle was the king's chief minister, Cardinal... |
||
| Emmanuel Théodose de La Tour d'Auvergne Emmanuel Théodose de La Tour d'Auvergne (1668–1730) Emmanuel Théodose de La Tour d'Auvergne was a French nobleman and ruler of the Soveriegn Duchy of Bouillon. He was the son of Godefroy Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne and his wife Marie Anne Mancini... |
Godefroy Maurice | 1668 | 1 February 1696 | 26 July 1721 fathers death |
17 April 1730 | Marie Armande Victoire de La Trémoille | ||
| 4 January 1718 | Louise Françoise Angélique Le Tellier | |||||||
| 21 March 1725 | Louise Henriette Françoise de Lorraine Louise Henriette Françoise de Lorraine Louise Henriette Françoise de Lorraine was a French noblewoman and member of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine... |
|||||||
| Charles Godefroy de La Tour d'Auvergne Charles Godefroy de La Tour d'Auvergne Charles Godefroy de La Tour d'Auvergne was a French nobleman and member of the powerful House of La Tour d'Auvergne.-Biography:... |
Emmanuel Théodose | 16 July 1706 | 2 April 1724 | 17 April 1730 fathers death |
24 October 1771 | Maria Karolina Sobieska Maria Karolina Sobieska Maria Karolina Sobieska was a Polish noble lady, daughter of Jakub Ludwik Sobieski. Known as Marie Charlotte or just Charlotte, she was the Princess of Turenne and later Duchess of Bouillon by marriage... |
||
| Godefroy de La Tour d'Auvergne Godefroy de La Tour d'Auvergne Godefroy de La Tour d'Auvergne was a member of the House of La Tour d'Auvergne, the Sovereign Dukes of Bouillon. He was subsequently the penultimate Duke of Bouillon succeeding his father in 1771.-Biography:The youngest of two children, he was born to the Duke and Duchess of Bouillon in 1728... |
Charles Godefroy | 26 January 1728 | 27 November 1743 | 24 October 1771 fathers death |
3 December 1792 | Louise de Lorraine Louise de Lorraine Louise of Lorraine was a French noblewoman and member of the House of Lorraine. She married into the House of La Tour d'Auvergne and was Duchess of Bouillon.-Biography:... |
||
| Jacques Léopold de La Tour d'Auvergne Jacques Léopold de La Tour d'Auvergne Jacques Léopold de La Tour d'Auvergne was a member of the House of La Tour d'Auvergne, the Sovereign Dukes of Bouillon. He was the last Duke of Bouillon succeeding his father in 1792.... |
Godefroy | 15 January 1746 | 17 July 1766 | 3 December 1792 fathers death |
1794 Bouillon absorbed into the French First Republic French First Republic The French First Republic was founded on 22 September 1792, by the newly established National Convention. The First Republic lasted until the declaration of the First French Empire in 1804 under Napoleon I... |
7 February 1802 | Hedwig of Hesse-Rotenburg | |
| Picture | Name | Father | Birth | Marriage | Became duke | Ceased to be duke | Death | Spouse |
House of Rohan, since 1816
In 1816, the Congress of ViennaCongress of Vienna
The Congress of Vienna was a conference of ambassadors of European states chaired by Klemens Wenzel von Metternich, and held in Vienna from September, 1814 to June, 1815. The objective of the Congress was to settle the many issues arising from the French Revolutionary Wars, the Napoleonic Wars,...
restored the title of "Duke of Bouillon", giving it on Charles Alain Gabriel de Rohan, son of Marie Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne
Marie Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne
Marie Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne was a French noblewoman and member of the House of La Tour d'Auvergne...
, who was the daughter of the former duke Charles Godefroy de La Tour d'Auvergne
Charles Godefroy de La Tour d'Auvergne
Charles Godefroy de La Tour d'Auvergne was a French nobleman and member of the powerful House of La Tour d'Auvergne.-Biography:...
.
| Picture | Name | Father | Birth | Marriage | Became duke | Death | Wife |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Charles Alain Gabriel |
Henri Louis, Prince of Guéméné Henri Louis, Prince of Guéméné Henri Louis de Rohan, Prince of Guéméné , was a French courtier and the penultimate Grand Chamberlain of France.-Biography:... (Rohan) |
18 January 1764 | 29 May 1781 | 1816 accession |
24 April 1836 | Louise Aglae de Conflans d'Armentieres | |
| Louis Victor Mériadec |
Henri Louis, Prince of Guéméné Henri Louis, Prince of Guéméné Henri Louis de Rohan, Prince of Guéméné , was a French courtier and the penultimate Grand Chamberlain of France.-Biography:... (Rohan) |
1766 | 24 April 1836 accession |
1841 | Berthe de Rohan | ||
| Camille Philippe Joseph Idesbald |
Charles-Louis-Gaspard de Rohan-Rochefort Adopted by Louis Victor Mériadec |
19 December 1801 | 28 May 1826 | 1846 accession |
13 September 1892 | Adelheid zu Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg | |
| Alain Benjamin Arthur |
Arthur de Rohan (1826–1885), son of Camille Philippe | 8 January 1853 | 10 October 1885 | 13 September 1892 accession |
24 February 1914 | Johanna of Auersperg | |
| Alain Anton Joseph Adolf Ignaz Maria |
Alain Benjamin Arthur | 26 Jul 1893 | 29 September 1921 | 24 February 1914 uncles death |
17 March 1975 | Margarethe von Schönburg-Hartenstein | |
| Karl-Alain Albert Maria |
Alain Anton | 1934 | 5 October 1963 | 2 September 1976 accession |
2008 | Ingeborg Irnberger | |
| Albert Marie |
Alain Anton | 12 May 1936 | 2008 accession |
Incumbent | |||
| Picture | Name | Father | Birth | Marriage | Became duke | Death | Wife |