Gaston, Duke of Orléans
Encyclopedia
Gaston of France, also known as Gaston d'Orléans, was the third son of King Henry IV of France
and his wife Marie de Medici. As a son of the king, he was born a Fils de France
. He later acquired the title Duke of Orléans, by which he was generally known during his adulthood. As the eldest surviving brother of King Louis XIII
, he was known at court by the traditional honorific
Monsieur
.
, he received in appanage (with their respective titles) the duchies of Orléans and Chartres
, and the county of Blois
. He had nominal command of the army which besieged La Rochelle
in 1628, having already entered upon a course of political intrigue that would occupy the remainder of his life. He was the heir presumptive to the throne of France from the death of his brother Nicolas Henri in 1611 until the birth of his elder brother's first son in 1638.
On two occasions, he had to leave France for conspiring against the government of his mother and her Prime Minister
Cardinal Richelieu. After waging an unsuccessful war in Languedoc
leading to the Battle of Castelnaudary
in 1632, he took refuge in Flanders
. Reconciled with his brother Louis XIII
, he plotted against Richelieu in 1635, fled from the country again, and then submitted to the king and the cardinal.
Soon afterwards, the same process repeated itself. Orléans conspired with the marquis de Cinq-Mars to attempt Richelieu's assassination, and then deserted his unfortunate accomplice (1642). In 1643, upon the death of Louis XIII, Gaston became Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom, and fought against Spain on the northern frontiers of France. He was created duc d'Alençon in 1646. During the wars of the Fronde
(1648–1653), he demonstrated no particular loyalty to the crown and passed with great facility from one side to the other.
to Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier
, daughter and heiress of Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier
. Nine months later, a daughter, Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier (1627–1693), Mademoiselle de Montpensier, the future Grande Mademoiselle, was born to the couple. Marie de Bourbon died six days after giving birth, leaving her daughter the last of the line of the House of Bourbon-Montpensier
.
from the wrath of Cardinal Richelieu in Lorraine, Gaston fell in love at first sight with Marguerite of Lorraine
, the sister of Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine
. But as France and Lorraine were then enemies, he was refused the king's permission to marry with a sister of its duke. Nonetheless, Gaston fled again to Lorraine and, in a secret ceremony in the presence of her family at Nancy during the night of 2 – 3 January 1632, Gaston took the princess Marguerite as his wife. Because he had not obtained the prior permission of his elder brother, the king — one of his many acts of defiance — the couple could not appear at the French court and the marriage was kept secret.
But in November of that year, Henri II
, Duke of Montmorency
, on his way to the scaffold, betrayed Gaston, his former co-conspirator, and Louis XIII and Richelieu learned of the elopement. The king had his brother's marriage declared null and void by the Parlement of Paris in September 1634 and, despite the protest of Pope Urban VIII
, the Assembly of the French clergy
held in September 1635 that a prince du sang
could enter matrimony only with permission of the king — consistent with French sovereignty and custom. Although Marguerite and Gaston had re-celebrated their marriage before the Archbishop of Malines
, a French emissary persuaded the pope not to protest the matter publicly, and Gaston formally accepted the nullity of his marriage. It was not until Louis XIII was on his death bed in May 1643 that he accepted his brother's plea for forgiveness and authorized his marriage to Marguerite, whereupon the couple undertook nuptials for the third time in July 1643 before the Archbishop of Paris at Meudon
, and the Duke and Duchess of Orléans were finally received at court.
By right of her marriage, Marguerite became known as Madame at court. After the death of his mother in 1642, Gaston was bequeathed the Luxembourg Palace
, which became the couple's Parisian residence under the name Palais Orléans once they were restored to royal favor. They also sojourned at the Château de Blois
, in the Loire Valley
, where their first child was born in 1645.
Marguerite and Gaston d'Orléans had five children, three of whom survived into adulthood:
Gaston had an illegitimate daughter by Marie Porcher:
He also had an illegitimate son by Louise-Roger de La Marbelière:
became the new Monsieur
. To differentiate the older Monsieur from the younger, Gaston, the uncle, was called Le Grand Monsieur and Philippe, his nephew and brother of the new king Louis XIV, was called Le Petit Monsieur.
After the Fronde, Gaston was exiled by Mazarin to Blois in 1652, and remained there until his death. At that time, all of his Orléans titles went to his nephew, now the only Monsieur.
Henry IV of France
Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France....
and his wife Marie de Medici. As a son of the king, he was born a Fils de France
Fils de France
Fils de France was the style and rank held by the sons of the kings and dauphins of France. A daughter was known as a fille de France .The children of the dauphin, who was the king's heir apparent, were accorded the same style and status as if they were the king's children instead of his...
. He later acquired the title Duke of Orléans, by which he was generally known during his adulthood. As the eldest surviving brother of King Louis XIII
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
, he was known at court by the traditional honorific
Honorific
An honorific is a word or expression with connotations conveying esteem or respect when used in addressing or referring to a person. Sometimes, the term is used not quite correctly to refer to an honorary title...
Monsieur
Monsieur
' is an honorific title that used to refer to or address the eldest living brother of the king in the French royal court. It is also a customary French title of respect and term of address for a French-speaking man, corresponding to such English titles as Mr...
.
Early life
Gaston de France was born at the Palace of Fontainebleau on 4 April 1608 and at birth was given the title of duc d'Anjou. In 1626, at the time of his marriage to the young Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of MontpensierMarie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier
Marie de Bourbon , Duchess of Montpensier, and Duchess of Orléans by marriage, was a French noblewoman and one of the last members of the House of Bourbon-Montpensier...
, he received in appanage (with their respective titles) the duchies of Orléans and Chartres
Duke of Chartres
Originally, the Duchy of Chartres was the comté de Chartres, an Earldom. The title of comte de Chartres thus became duc de Chartres. This duchy–peerage was given by Louis XIV of France to his nephew, Philippe II d'Orléans, at his birth in 1674...
, and the county of Blois
Count of Blois
The County of Blois was originally centred on Blois, south of Paris, France. One of the chief cities, along with Blois itself, was Chartres. Blois was associated with Champagne, Châtillon , and later with the French royal family, to whom the county passed in 1391...
. He had nominal command of the army which besieged La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
in 1628, having already entered upon a course of political intrigue that would occupy the remainder of his life. He was the heir presumptive to the throne of France from the death of his brother Nicolas Henri in 1611 until the birth of his elder brother's first son in 1638.
On two occasions, he had to leave France for conspiring against the government of his mother and her Prime Minister
Prime minister
A prime minister is the most senior minister of cabinet in the executive branch of government in a parliamentary system. In many systems, the prime minister selects and may dismiss other members of the cabinet, and allocates posts to members within the government. In most systems, the prime...
Cardinal Richelieu. After waging an unsuccessful war in Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
leading to the Battle of Castelnaudary
Battle of Castelnaudary
The Battle of Castelnaudary occurred at Castelnaudary, France, on September 1, 1632, between Henri II de Montmorency and Marshal Henri de Schomberg....
in 1632, he took refuge 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...
. Reconciled with his brother Louis XIII
Louis XIII of France
Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...
, he plotted against Richelieu in 1635, fled from the country again, and then submitted to the king and the cardinal.
Soon afterwards, the same process repeated itself. Orléans conspired with the marquis de Cinq-Mars to attempt Richelieu's assassination, and then deserted his unfortunate accomplice (1642). In 1643, upon the death of Louis XIII, Gaston became Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom, and fought against Spain on the northern frontiers of France. He was created duc d'Alençon in 1646. During the wars of 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....
(1648–1653), he demonstrated no particular loyalty to the crown and passed with great facility from one side to the other.
Marriages
Gaston first married on 6 August 1626, at NantesNantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
to Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier
Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier
Marie de Bourbon , Duchess of Montpensier, and Duchess of Orléans by marriage, was a French noblewoman and one of the last members of the House of Bourbon-Montpensier...
, daughter and heiress of Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier
Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier
Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier, was Dauphin of Auvergne, Duke of Montpensier, Sovereign Prince of the Dombes and Lord of Châtellerault....
. Nine months later, a daughter, Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier (1627–1693), Mademoiselle de Montpensier, the future Grande Mademoiselle, was born to the couple. Marie de Bourbon died six days after giving birth, leaving her daughter the last of the line of the House of Bourbon-Montpensier
House of Bourbon-Montpensier
The House of Bourbon-Montpensier or Maison de Bourbon-Montpensier was a semi royal family. The name of Bourbon comes from a marriage between Marie de Valois, comtesse de Montpensier who married Jean de Bourbon - the duc de Bourbon...
.
Elopement
While taking refugeSafety
Safety is the state of being "safe" , the condition of being protected against physical, social, spiritual, financial, political, emotional, occupational, psychological, educational or other types or consequences of failure, damage, error, accidents, harm or any other event which could be...
from the wrath of Cardinal Richelieu in Lorraine, Gaston fell in love at first sight with Marguerite of Lorraine
Marguerite of Lorraine
Marguerite of Lorraine was a duchess of Orléans and Alençon. She was born in Nancy, Lorraine to Francis II, Duke of Lorraine, and Countess Christina of Salm. On 31 January 1632, she married Gaston, Duke of Orléans, son of Henry IV of France and Marie de' Medici...
, the sister of Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine
Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine
Charles IV was Duke of Lorraine from 1624 to 1634, when he abdicated under French pressure in favor of his younger brother, and again from 1661 until 1675.- Biography :...
. But as France and Lorraine were then enemies, he was refused the king's permission to marry with a sister of its duke. Nonetheless, Gaston fled again to Lorraine and, in a secret ceremony in the presence of her family at Nancy during the night of 2 – 3 January 1632, Gaston took the princess Marguerite as his wife. Because he had not obtained the prior permission of his elder brother, the king — one of his many acts of defiance — the couple could not appear at the French court and the marriage was kept secret.
But in November of that year, Henri II
Henri II de Montmorency
Henri II de Montmorency was a French nobleman and military commander.Born at Chantilly, Oise, he was the son of duke Henry I, whom he succeeded in 1614, having previously been made grand admiral...
, Duke of Montmorency
Duke of Montmorency
The title of Duke of Montmorency was created several times for members of the Montmorency family, who were lords of Montmorency, near Paris.The first creation was in 1551 for Anne of Montmorency, Constable of France...
, on his way to the scaffold, betrayed Gaston, his former co-conspirator, and Louis XIII and Richelieu learned of the elopement. The king had his brother's marriage declared null and void by the Parlement of Paris in September 1634 and, despite the protest of Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII , born Maffeo Barberini, was pope from 1623 to 1644. He was the last pope to expand the papal territory by force of arms, and was a prominent patron of the arts and reformer of Church missions...
, the Assembly of the French clergy
Assembly of the French clergy
The Assembly of the French Clergy was in its origins a representative meeting of the Catholic clergy of France, held every five years, for the purpose of apportioning the financial burdens laid upon the clergy of the French Catholic Church by the kings of France...
held in September 1635 that a prince du sang
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...
could enter matrimony only with permission of the king — consistent with French sovereignty and custom. Although Marguerite and Gaston had re-celebrated their marriage before the Archbishop of Malines
Mechelen
Mechelen Footnote: Mechelen became known in English as 'Mechlin' from which the adjective 'Mechlinian' is derived...
, a French emissary persuaded the pope not to protest the matter publicly, and Gaston formally accepted the nullity of his marriage. It was not until Louis XIII was on his death bed in May 1643 that he accepted his brother's plea for forgiveness and authorized his marriage to Marguerite, whereupon the couple undertook nuptials for the third time in July 1643 before the Archbishop of Paris at Meudon
Meudon
Meudon is a municipality in the southwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is in the département of Hauts-de-Seine. It is located from the center of Paris.-Geography:...
, and the Duke and Duchess of Orléans were finally received at court.
By right of her marriage, Marguerite became known as Madame at court. After the death of his mother in 1642, Gaston was bequeathed the Luxembourg Palace
Luxembourg Palace
The Luxembourg Palace in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, north of the Luxembourg Garden , is the seat of the French Senate.The formal Luxembourg Garden presents a 25-hectare green parterre of gravel and lawn populated with statues and provided with large basins of water where children sail model...
, which became the couple's Parisian residence under the name Palais Orléans once they were restored to royal favor. They also sojourned at the Château de Blois
Château de Blois
The Royal Château de Blois is located in the Loir-et-Cher département in the Loire Valley, in France, in the center of the city of Blois. The residence of several French kings, it is also the place where Joan of Arc went in 1429 to be blessed by the Archbishop of Reims before departing with her...
, in the Loire Valley
Loire Valley
The Loire Valley , spanning , is located in the middle stretch of the Loire River in central France. Its area comprises approximately . It is referred to as the Cradle of the French Language, and the Garden of France due to the abundance of vineyards, fruit orchards, and artichoke, asparagus, and...
, where their first child was born in 1645.
Marguerite and Gaston d'Orléans had five children, three of whom survived into adulthood:
- Marguerite Louise d'Orléans (28 July 1645 – 17 September 1721),
- married in FlorenceFlorenceFlorence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
on 20 June 1661 Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of TuscanyCosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of TuscanyCosimo III de' Medici was the penultimate Medici Grand Duke of Tuscany. He reigned from 1670 to 1723, and was the elder son of Grand Duke Ferdinando II. Cosimo's 53-year long reign, the longest in Tuscan history, was marked by a series of ultra-reactionary laws which regulated prostitution and...
(separated 1675);
- married in Florence
- Élisabeth Marguerite d'OrléansÉlisabeth Marguerite of OrléansÉlisabeth Marguerite d'Orléans. , known as Isabelle d'Orléans, was the Duchess of Alençon and, during her husband's lifetime, Duchess of Angoulême. She was a daughter of Gaston d'Orléans and a first cousin of Louis XIV of France. She has no descendants today...
(26 December 1646 – 17 March 1696),- married at Saint-Germain-en-LayeSaint-Germain-en-LayeSaint-Germain-en-Laye is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France. It is located in the western suburbs of Paris from the centre.Inhabitants are called Saint-Germanois...
on 15 May 1667 Louis Joseph de Lorraine, duc de GuiseLouis Joseph, Duke of GuiseLouis Joseph de Lorraine Duke of Guise and Duke of Angoulême, was the only son of Louis, Duke of Joyeuse and Marie Françoise de Valois, the only daughter of the Count of Alès, Governor of Provence and son of Charles de Valois Duke of Angoulême, a bastard of Charles IX of France.-Biography:He was...
;
- married at Saint-Germain-en-Laye
- Françoise Madeleine d'Orléans (13 October 1648 – 14 January 1664),
- married her cousin Duke Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy, on 4 March 1663, no issue;
- Jean Gaston d'Orléans (Paris, 17 August 1650 – Paris, 10 August 1652), duc de Valois.
- Marie Anne d'OrléansMarie Anne d'OrléansMarie Anne d'Orléans, petite-fille de France was a French Princess and youngest daughter of Gaston d'Orléans. She held the rank of Grand daughter of France...
(Paris, 9 November 1652 – Blois, 17 August 1656), Mademoiselle de Chartres.
Gaston had an illegitimate daughter by Marie Porcher:
- Marie bâtarde d'Orléans 1 January 1631, Paris.
He also had an illegitimate son by Louise-Roger de La Marbelière:
- Jean Louis bâtard d'Orléans, comte de Charny, (1638, Tours-1692, Spain).
Later life
After the death of his brother Louis XIII in 1643, Gaston's nephew PhilippePhilippe I, Duke of Orléans
Philippe of France was the youngest son of Louis XIII of France and his queen consort Anne of Austria. His older brother was the famous Louis XIV, le roi soleil. Styled Duke of Anjou from birth, Philippe became Duke of Orléans upon the death of his uncle Gaston, Duke of Orléans...
became the new Monsieur
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...
. To differentiate the older Monsieur from the younger, Gaston, the uncle, was called Le Grand Monsieur and Philippe, his nephew and brother of the new king Louis XIV, was called Le Petit Monsieur.
After the Fronde, Gaston was exiled by Mazarin to Blois in 1652, and remained there until his death. At that time, all of his Orléans titles went to his nephew, now the only Monsieur.
Ancestors
| Gaston, Duke of Orléans | Father: Henry IV of France Henry IV of France Henry IV , Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France.... |
Paternal Grandfather: Antoine of Navarre Antoine of Navarre Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme was head of the House of Bourbon from 1537 to 1562, and jure uxoris King of Navarre from 1555 to 1562.-Family:... |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme |
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Françoise d'Alençon Françoise d'Alençon Françoise d'Alençon was the eldest daughter of René of Alençon and Margaret of Lorraine, and the younger sister and despoiled heiress of Charles IV, Duke of Alençon.... |
|||
| Paternal Grandmother: Jeanne III of Navarre Jeanne III of Navarre Jeanne d'Albret , also known as Jeanne III or Joan III, was the queen regnant of Navarre from 1555 to 1572. She married Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, and was the mother of Henry of Bourbon, who became King of Navarre and of France as Henry IV, the first Bourbon king... |
Paternal Great-grandfather: Henry II of Navarre Henry II of Navarre Henry II was the eldest son of John III of Navarre and Catherine I of Navarre, sister and heiress of Francis Phoebus, King of Navarre; he was born at Sangüesa.-King of Navarre:... |
||
| Paternal Great-grandmother: Marguerite de Navarre Marguerite de Navarre Marguerite de Navarre , also known as Marguerite of Angoulême and Margaret of Navarre, was the queen consort of Henry II of Navarre... |
|||
| Mother: Marie de' Medici Marie de' Medici Marie de Médicis , Italian Maria de' Medici, was queen consort of France, as the second wife of King Henry IV of France, of the House of Bourbon. She herself was a member of the wealthy and powerful House of Medici... |
Maternal Grandfather: Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany was the second Grand Duke of Tuscany, ruling from 1574 to 1587.- Biography :... |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany Cosimo I de' Medici was Duke of Florence from 1537 to 1574, reigning as the first Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1569.-Biography:... |
|
| Maternal Great-grandmother: Eleonora di Toledo Eleonora di Toledo Eleanor of Toledo Eleanor of Toledo Eleanor of Toledo (Italian: Eleonora di Toledo (1522 – 17 December 1562), born Doña Leonor Álvarez de Toledo y Osorio, was a Spanish noblewoman who was Duchess of Florence from 1539. She is credited with being the first modern first lady, or consort... |
|||
| Maternal Grandmother: Johanna of Austria Johanna of Austria Joanna of Austria was born an Archduchess of Austria as the youngest daughter of Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor and Anna of Bohemia and Hungary. By marriage, she was the Grand Princess of Tuscany and later the Grand Duchess of Tuscany... |
Maternal Great-grandfather: Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor Ferdinand I was Holy Roman Emperor from 1558 and king of Bohemia and Hungary from 1526 until his death. Before his accession, he ruled the Austrian hereditary lands of the Habsburgs in the name of his elder brother, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor.The key events during his reign were the contest... |
||
| Maternal Great-grandmother: Anna of Bohemia and Hungary Anna of Bohemia and Hungary Anna of Bohemia and Hungary, also sometimes known as Anna Jagellonica was, by marriage to Ferdinand I, King of the Romans and later Holy Roman Emperor, Queen of the Romans.-Family:She was the elder child and only daughter of king Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary and his third... |
See also
- Charles de LormeCharles de LormeCharles de Lorme, Delorme, d'lorm, or De l'Orme , was a medical doctor. Charles was the son of Jean Delorme , who was the primary doctor to Marie de' Medici. This ultimately opened doors for Charles' medical career soon after he graduated from the University of Montpellier in 1607 at the age of 23...
, personal medical doctor to Gaston