Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne, vicomte de Turenne, duc de Bouillon
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Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne (titular Duke of Bouillon
, jure uxoris, comte de Montfort et Negrepelisse, vicomte de Turenne, Castillon, et Lanquais) (28 September 1555 – 25 March 1623) was a member of the powerful, (then Huguenot
) House of La Tour d'Auvergne, Prince of Sedan
and a marshal of France
.
in Auvergne
. His parents were François de La Tour d'Auvergne, Viscount of Turenne and Eléonore de Montmorency, eldest daughter of Anne, 1st Duc de Montmorency.
After the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
in 1572 he participated in the Siege of La Rochelle (1572-1573)
, but subsequently re-converted to Protestantism. Compromised in the conspiracy of La Mole
and Coconnat in 1574, he joined the party of the Malcontents
headed by François, Duke of Alençon
(younger brother of kings Charles IX
and Henry III
) in 1575.
In 1576 he joined the Protestant party of Henry of Navarre (the future Henry IV
), negotiating the Peace of Nérac between Protestants and Catholics in 1579. Appointed lieutenant general of Upper Languedoc
in 1580, he took part in the siege of Paris in 1590 after the accession of Henry IV to the throne, and conquered Stenay
from the Catholic League
in 1591.
In 1591 Henry IV married him to Charlotte de La Marck
, heiress to the duchy of Bouillon
(now in Belgium) and of the Principality of Sedan (now in the Ardennes
, France). In 1592 Henry IV made him Marshal of France.
After the death of his wife in 1594, he married Elisabeth of Orange-Nassau, a daughter of William the Silent, by his third wife Charlotte de Bourbon.
Defeated at Doullens
, Picardy
in 1595 by Fuentes, governor of the Spanish Low Countries
, he was sent to England to renew the alliance of France with Queen Elizabeth I of England
in 1596. Compromised in the conspiracy of Biron in 1602, he fled to Geneva
the following year and had to accept a French protectorate
over his duchy of Bouillon in 1606.
At the death of Henry IV, he entered the Council of Regency during the minority of Louis XIII
, and intrigued against Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully
and Concini
, the latter a favourite of the Queen Regent Marie de' Medici
.
He died in Sedan in 1623.
, suo jure
Duchess of Bouillon, whom he married on 19 November 1591, was a son who was born and died on 8 May 1594.
Children by Elisabeth of Orange-Nassau; married on 15 April 1595
Children by Adèle Corret, mistress;
Duke of Bouillon
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.- History of the Duchy of Bouillon :The...
, jure uxoris, comte de Montfort et Negrepelisse, vicomte de Turenne, Castillon, et Lanquais) (28 September 1555 – 25 March 1623) was a member of the powerful, (then Huguenot
Huguenot
The Huguenots were members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France during the 16th and 17th centuries. Since the 17th century, people who formerly would have been called Huguenots have instead simply been called French Protestants, a title suggested by their German co-religionists, the...
) House of La Tour d'Auvergne, Prince of Sedan
Prince of Sedan
The Prince of Sedan was the ruler of the independent Principality of Sedan , a Renaissance state centered on modern Sedan, Ardennes.-History:...
and a 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...
.
Biography
The vicomte de Turenne was born at the castle of Joze-en-Auvergne, near Clermont-FerrandClermont-Ferrand
Clermont-Ferrand is a city and commune of France, in the Auvergne region, with a population of 140,700 . Its metropolitan area had 409,558 inhabitants at the 1999 census. It is the prefecture of the Puy-de-Dôme department...
in Auvergne
Auvergne (province)
Auvergne was a historic province in south central France. It was originally the feudal domain of the Counts of Auvergne. It is now the geographical and cultural area that corresponds to the former province....
. His parents were François de La Tour d'Auvergne, Viscount of Turenne and Eléonore de Montmorency, eldest daughter of Anne, 1st Duc de Montmorency.
After the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre
St. Bartholomew's Day massacre
The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572 was a targeted group of assassinations, followed by a wave of Roman Catholic mob violence, both directed against the Huguenots , during the French Wars of Religion...
in 1572 he participated in the Siege of La Rochelle (1572-1573)
Siege of La Rochelle (1572-1573)
The Siege of La Rochelle of 1572–1573 was a massive military assault on the Huguenot-held city of La Rochelle by Catholic troops during the fourth phase of the French Wars of Religion, following the August 1572 St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. The conflict began in November 1572 when inhabitants of...
, but subsequently re-converted to Protestantism. Compromised in the conspiracy of La Mole
Joseph Boniface de La Môle
Joseph Boniface de La Môle was a French nobleman. He was the son of Jacques Boniface, seigneur de la Môle et de Colobrières, of Marseille....
and Coconnat in 1574, he joined the party of the Malcontents
Malcontents
The Malcontents were a faction of gentlemen in the Fifth French War of Religion . It opposed the policy of Henry of Valois, duc d'Anjou, who had become king under the name Henry III, and allied itself to the Huguenots....
headed by François, Duke of Alençon
François, Duke of Anjou
Francis, Duke of Anjou and Alençon was the youngest son of Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici.-Early years:...
(younger brother of kings Charles IX
Charles IX of France
Charles IX was King of France, ruling from 1560 until his death. His reign was dominated by the Wars of Religion. He is best known as king at the time of the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.-Childhood:...
and Henry III
Henry III of France
Henry III was King of France from 1574 to 1589. As Henry of Valois, he was the first elected monarch of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth with the dual titles of King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.-Childhood:Henry was born at the Royal Château de Fontainebleau,...
) in 1575.
In 1576 he joined the Protestant party of Henry of Navarre (the future Henry IV
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....
), negotiating the Peace of Nérac between Protestants and Catholics in 1579. Appointed lieutenant general of Upper 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...
in 1580, he took part in the siege of Paris in 1590 after the accession of Henry IV to the throne, and conquered Stenay
Stenay
Stenay is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.It was one of the last villages to experience fighting during World War I. Stenay was captured on 11 November 1918 by the American 89th Division under General William M. Wright only hours before the Armistice went into...
from the Catholic League
Catholic League (French)
The Catholic League of France, sometimes referred to by contemporary Roman Catholics as the Holy League, a major player in the French Wars of Religion, was formed by Duke Henry of Guise in 1576...
in 1591.
In 1591 Henry IV married him to 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:...
, heiress to the duchy of 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 :...
(now in Belgium) and of the Principality of Sedan (now in the Ardennes
Ardennes (département)
Ardennes is a department in the northeast part of France named after the Ardennes area.- History :The department is one of the original 83 departments created during the French Revolution on 4 March 1790. It was named after the Ardennes hills, which are located in northeast France, southern...
, France). In 1592 Henry IV made him Marshal of France.
After the death of his wife in 1594, he married Elisabeth of Orange-Nassau, a daughter of William the Silent, by his third wife Charlotte de Bourbon.
Defeated at Doullens
Doullens
Doullens is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.Its inhabitants are called Doullennais and Doullennaises.-Geography:...
, Picardy
Picardy
This article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France...
in 1595 by Fuentes, governor of the Spanish Low Countries
Seventeen Provinces
The Seventeen Provinces were a personal union of states in the Low Countries in the 15th century and 16th century, roughly covering the current Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, a good part of the North of France , and a small part of Western Germany.The Seventeen Provinces were originally held by...
, he was sent to England to renew the alliance of France with Queen Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I of England
Elizabeth I was queen regnant of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. Sometimes called The Virgin Queen, Gloriana, or Good Queen Bess, Elizabeth was the fifth and last monarch of the Tudor dynasty...
in 1596. Compromised in the conspiracy of Biron in 1602, he fled to Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
the following year and had to accept 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...
over his duchy of Bouillon in 1606.
At the death of Henry IV, he entered the Council of Regency during the minority of 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...
, and intrigued against Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully
Maximilien de Béthune, duc de Sully
Maximilien de Béthune, first Duke of Sully was the doughty soldier, French minister, staunch Huguenot and faithful right-hand man who assisted Henry IV of France in the rule of France.-Early years:...
and Concini
Concino Concini
Concino Concini, Count della Penna, Marquis et Maréchal d'Ancre , was an Italian politician, best known for being a minister of Louis XIII of France, as the favourite of his mother.-Life:...
, the latter a favourite of the Queen Regent 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...
.
He died in Sedan in 1623.
Issue
His only child by Charlotte de La MarckCharlotte 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....
Duchess of Bouillon, whom he married on 19 November 1591, was a son who was born and died on 8 May 1594.
Children by Elisabeth of Orange-Nassau; married on 15 April 1595
- Louise de La Tour d'Auvergne (August 1596 - November 1607);
- Marie de La Tour d'Auvergne (1599 - 24 May 1665) married Henri de La TrémoilleHenri de La TrémoilleHenri de La Trémoille was the Duke of Thouars, Duke of La Tremoille, and Prince of Talmond and Taranto....
, Duke of Thouars and Prince de Talmont, and had issue; - Juliane Catherine de La Tour d'Auvergne (8 October 1604 - 6 October 1637) married François de La Rochefoucauld, Count of Roucy, and had issue;
- Frédéric Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne (22 October 1605 – 9 August 1652) married Eleonora Catharina de Bergh and had issue;
- Élisabeth de La Tour d'Auvergne (1606 - 1 December 1685) married Guy de Durfort, mother of Guy, marquis de LorgesGuy Aldonce de Durfort de LorgesGuy Aldonce de Durfort, duc de Lorges, marshal of France, , was a French nobleman and soldier.Guy Aldonce was the fourth son of Guy Aldonce de Durfort , marquis of Duras, count of Rozan and of Lorges, maréchal de camp, and Élisabeth de La Tour d'Auvergne, daughter of Henri de La Tour d'Auvergne and...
; - Henriette Catherine de La Tour d'Auvergne (d.1677) married Amaury Gouyon, marquis de La Moussaye and had issue;
- Henri, vicomte de TurenneHenri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de TurenneHenri de la Tour d'Auvergne, Vicomte de Turenne,often called simply Turenne was the most illustrious member of the La Tour d'Auvergne family. He achieved military fame and became a Marshal of France...
, (11 September 1611 - 27 July 1675) married Charlotte de Caumont, daughter of Armand-Nompar de Caumont, duc de la ForceArmand-Nompar de Caumont, duc de la ForceArmand-Nompar de Caumont, duc de la Force was a Marshal of France and peer of France.He was the son of another Marshal of France, Jacques-Nompar de Caumont, duc de la Force and Charlotte de Gontaut, daughter of Marshal Armand de Gontaut, baron de Biron...
.
Children by Adèle Corret, mistress;
- Henri Corret, ancestor of Théophile Corret de La Tour d'AuvergneThéophile Corret de la Tour d'AuvergneThéophile Malo Corret de la Tour d'Auvergne was a French officer named by Napoleon "first grenadier of France". He was also a celtomaniac antiquarian who introduced the words "dolmen" and "menhir" into general archaeological usage.- Career :He was born at Carhaix in Brittany, the son of an...
.