La Trémoille
Encyclopedia
Members of the House of La Trémoille, were part of an old French
family which derives its name from a village (the modern La Trimouille
) in the department of Vienne
.
The family has been known since the middle of the 11th century, and since the 14th century its members have been conspicuous in French history. To this family belonged the lines of the counts of Joigny
, the marquises of Royan
and counts of Olonne, and the marquises and dukes of Noirmoutier.
- 1554, Craon
), titular Princess of Tarento, was a French noblewoman and nominal pretender
to the Kingdom of Naples
. She was the daughter of Guy XVI, Count of Laval
, and of Charlotte of Aragon
, Princess of Taranto
. She was the only child of Charlotte to marry and leave heirs, thereby keeping alive in her descendants the claim of the exiled king, Federigo IV
, to Naples. On 23 January 1521 she married François de la Trémoïlle
, vicomte
de Thouars
. The marriage not only brought the La Trémoïlles the count
ship of Laval
and the Neapolitan
claim in 1521, but also the rank of princes étrangers
at the French court
.
Her eldest son, Louis III de La Trémoille
, became the first duc de Thouars in 1599, while her second son, Georges, and third son, Claude, founded the cadet branch
es of the marquises de Royan and the ducs de Noirmoutier
, respectively.
and 17th prince de Talmond, was the only son and heir of Louis Charles de La Trémoïlle, 12th duc de Thouars and 12th Prince of Taranto
. As such he was the last male of the original House of La Trémoïlle. He died childless in Whitchurch, Hampshire
, England
, at the age of 23.
Although the 1944 Almanach de Gotha
states that his successor as 14th duchesse de Thouars was the eldest of his four sisters, Princess Charlotte
((1892-1971), the Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels of 1991 refrains from doing so, and a 1959 ruling of the French courts declared that hereditary title
s may only be transmitted "male-to-male" in "modern law". (The original grant of the duke
dom, in July 1563 by Charles IX
, stipulated that it was heritable by both male and female successors, although when erected into a pairie
by King Henri le Grand
in 1599, the letters patent
restricted succession to the peerage to male heirs, restrictions which are inapplicable to the title of pretence
, Prince of Taranto, traditionally borne by the representative heir to the historical throne
of Naples, which was heritable in the female line). His nephew, Jean Charles Lamoral
, as the only son of his eldest sister had de La Trémoïlle appended to his own princely surname in the Kingdom of Belgium
as "Prince de Ligne de La Trémoïlle" on 20 December 1934, and his only son, Jean Charles, bears the same title and name.
(elevated to duke 1563), Princes of Talmont
, etc.
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...
family which derives its name from a village (the modern La Trimouille
La Trimouille
La Trimouille is a commune in the Vienne department in the Poitou-Charentes region in western France.-Geography:La Trimouille is in the Poitou Charentes in the Department of Vienne...
) in the department of Vienne
Vienne
Vienne is the northernmost département of the Poitou-Charentes region of France, named after the river Vienne.- Viennese history :Vienne is one of the original 83 departments, established on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution. It was created from parts of the former provinces of Poitou,...
.
The family has been known since the middle of the 11th century, and since the 14th century its members have been conspicuous in French history. To this family belonged the lines of the counts of Joigny
Joigny
Joigny is a commune in the Yonne department in Burgundy in north-central France.It is located on the banks of the Yonne River.-Notable people :...
, the marquises of Royan
Royan
Royan is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department, along the Atlantic Ocean, in southwestern France.A seaside resort, Royan is in the heart of an urban area estimated at 38,638 inhabitants, which makes it the fourth-largest conurbation in the department, after La Rochelle, Rochefort and Saintes...
and counts of Olonne, and the marquises and dukes of Noirmoutier.
Heirs of the crown of Naples
Anne de Laval (23 September 1505, VitréVitré, Ille-et-Vilaine
Vitré is a commune in the Ille-et-Vilaine department in Brittany in north-western France.Vitré, a sub-prefecture until 1926, is the seat of a canton of around 17,000 inhabitants . It lies on the edge of Brittany, near Normandy, Maine, and Anjou...
- 1554, Craon
Craon, Mayenne
Craon is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.-Geography:The Oudon River flows through the middle of the commune and through the town of Craon....
), titular Princess of Tarento, was a French noblewoman and nominal 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....
to the Kingdom of Naples
Kingdom of Naples
The Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
. She was the daughter of Guy XVI, Count of Laval
Laval, Mayenne
Laval is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.It lies on the threshold of Brittany and on the border between Normandy and Anjou. Its citizens are called Lavallois.-Geography:...
, and of Charlotte of Aragon
Charlotte of Naples
Charlotte of Naples , also known as Charlotte of Aragon and Princess of Taranto, was the eldest daughter and eventual heiress of Federigo IV, King of Naples...
, Princess of Taranto
Principality of Taranto
The Principality of Taranto was a state in southern Italy created in 1088 for Bohemond I, eldest son of Robert Guiscard, as part of the peace between him and his younger brother Roger Borsa after a dispute over the succession to the Duchy of Apulia....
. She was the only child of Charlotte to marry and leave heirs, thereby keeping alive in her descendants the claim of the exiled king, Federigo IV
Frederick IV of Naples
Frederick IV , sometimes known as Frederick I or Federico d'Aragona, was the last King of Naples of the House of Trastámara, ruling from 1496 to 1501...
, to Naples. On 23 January 1521 she married François de la Trémoïlle
François II de La Trémoille
François de La Trémoille was a French nobleman of the La Tremoille family. He was the son of Charles I de la Trémoille and of Louise de Coëtivy, and the grandson of Louis II de la Trémoille and of Gabrielle de Bourbon.-Titles:He held the title of 36th vicomte of Thouars...
, vicomte
Viscount
A viscount or viscountess is a member of the European nobility whose comital title ranks usually, as in the British peerage, above a baron, below an earl or a count .-Etymology:...
de Thouars
Thouars
Thouars is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.It is on the River Thouet. Its inhabitants are known as Thouarsais.-History:...
. The marriage not only brought the La Trémoïlles the count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
ship of Laval
Laval, Mayenne
Laval is a commune in the Mayenne department in north-western France.It lies on the threshold of Brittany and on the border between Normandy and Anjou. Its citizens are called Lavallois.-Geography:...
and the Neapolitan
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
claim in 1521, but also the rank of princes étrangers
Foreign Prince
Foreign Prince is the English translation of prince étranger, a high, though somewhat ambiguous, rank at the French royal court of the ancien régime.-Terminology:...
at the French court
Royal court
Royal court, as distinguished from a court of law, may refer to:* The Royal Court , Timbaland's production company*Court , the household and entourage of a monarch or other ruler, the princely court...
.
Her eldest son, Louis III de La Trémoille
Louis III de La Trémoille
Louis III de La Trémoille , 1st Duke of Thouars, was a sixteenth-century French nobleman of the La Tremoille family. He was the son of François II de La Trémoille and his wife, Anne de Laval....
, became the first duc de Thouars in 1599, while her second son, Georges, and third son, Claude, founded the cadet branch
Cadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
es of the marquises de Royan and the ducs de Noirmoutier
Noirmoutier-en-l'Île
Noirmoutier-en-l'Île, commonly referred to as Noirmoutier, is a commune located in the northern part of the island of Noirmoutier, just off the coast of the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France....
, respectively.
Current status
Louis Jean Marie de La Trémoïlle (8 February 1910–9 December 1933), prince and 12th duc de La Trémoïlle, 13th duc de Thouars and premier duke of France, 13th prince de TarenteTaranto
Taranto is a coastal city in Apulia, Southern Italy. It is the capital of the Province of Taranto and is an important commercial port as well as the main Italian naval base....
and 17th prince de Talmond, was the only son and heir of Louis Charles de La Trémoïlle, 12th duc de Thouars and 12th Prince of Taranto
Louis Charles Marie de La Trémoille
Louis Charles Marie de La Trémoille , 10th duc de Thouars, was a French nobleman and the son of Louis Charles de La Trémoille and his wife, Marguerite-Jeanne Tanneguy-Duchâtel....
. As such he was the last male of the original House of La Trémoïlle. He died childless in Whitchurch, Hampshire
Whitchurch, Hampshire
Whitchurch is a town in Hampshire, England. It is on the River Test, from Newbury, Berkshire, from Winchester, miles from Andover and miles from Basingstoke. Much of the town is a Conservation Area. Because of the amount of wildlife in and near the river, parts of the town are designated as...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, at the age of 23.
Although the 1944 Almanach de Gotha
Almanach de Gotha
The Almanach de Gotha was a respected directory of Europe's highest nobility and royalty. First published in 1763 by C.W. Ettinger in Gotha at the ducal court of Frederick III, Duke of Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg, it was regarded as an authority in the classification of monarchies, princely and ducal...
states that his successor as 14th duchesse de Thouars was the eldest of his four sisters, Princess Charlotte
Charlotte de La Trémoille
Charlotte Marie Clotilde de La Trémoille was a French noblewoman and the daughter of Louis Charles Marie de La Trémoille and his wife, Hélène Marie Léonie Pillet-Will. On 13 April 1910, she married Henri Florent Lamoral, prince de Ligne. they had one son, Jean Charles...
((1892-1971), the Genealogisches Handbuch des Adels of 1991 refrains from doing so, and a 1959 ruling of the French courts declared that hereditary title
Title
A title is a prefix or suffix added to someone's name to signify either veneration, an official position or a professional or academic qualification. In some languages, titles may even be inserted between a first and last name...
s may only be transmitted "male-to-male" in "modern law". (The original grant of the duke
Duke
A duke or duchess is a member of the nobility, historically of highest rank below the monarch, and historically controlling a duchy...
dom, in July 1563 by 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:...
, stipulated that it was heritable by both male and female successors, although when erected into a pairie
Peerage of France
The Peerage of France was a distinction within the French nobility which appeared in the Middle Ages. It was abolished in 1789 during the French Revolution, but it reappeared in 1814 at the time of the Bourbon Restoration which followed the fall of the First French Empire...
by King Henri le Grand
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....
in 1599, the letters patent
Letters patent
Letters patent are a type of legal instrument in the form of a published written order issued by a monarch or president, generally granting an office, right, monopoly, title, or status to a person or corporation...
restricted succession to the peerage to male heirs, restrictions which are inapplicable to the title of pretence
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....
, Prince of Taranto, traditionally borne by the representative heir to the historical throne
Abolished monarchy
Throughout history, monarchies have been abolished, either through revolutions, legislative reforms, coups d'état, or wars. The twentieth century saw a major acceleration of this process, with many monarchies violently overthrown by revolution or war, or else abolished as part of the process of...
of Naples, which was heritable in the female line). His nephew, Jean Charles Lamoral
Jean Charles, Prince de Ligne de La Trémoille
Prince Jean Charles de Ligne de La Trémoïlle , was a Belgian nobleman and the son of Prince Henri de Ligne and his wife, Princess Charlotte de La Trémoille , eldest daughter of the 13th and penultimate Duc de Thouars...
, as the only son of his eldest sister had de La Trémoïlle appended to his own princely surname in the Kingdom of Belgium
Monarchy of Belgium
Monarchy in Belgium is constitutional and popular in nature. The hereditary monarch, at present Albert II, is the head of state and is officially called King of the Belgians .-Origins:...
as "Prince de Ligne de La Trémoïlle" on 20 December 1934, and his only son, Jean Charles, bears the same title and name.
Chief line
Viscounts of ThouarsThouars
Thouars is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.It is on the River Thouet. Its inhabitants are known as Thouarsais.-History:...
(elevated to duke 1563), Princes of Talmont
Talmont-sur-Gironde
Talmont-sur-Gironde is a commune in the Charente-Maritime department in the Poitou-Charentes region in southwestern France.-Geography:The village lies about south of Royan, on a small promontory which dominates the Gironde Estuary. It appears to be ‘perched’ on this rocky outcrop, in the way that...
, etc.
- Louis I de La Trémoille
- Louis II de La TrémoilleLouis II de la Trémoillethumb|Portrait of Louis II de la Trémoille by [[Domenico Ghirlandaio]] or one of his assistants.Louis II de la Trémoille was a French general. He served under three kings: Charles VIII, Louis XII, and Francis I...
, son, called the chevalier sans reproche, defeated and captured Francis II, Duke of Brittany at the Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier (1488)Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier (1488)The Battle of Saint-Aubin-du-Cormier took place on July 28, 1488, between the forces of king Charles VIII of France, and those of Francis II, Duke of Brittany and his allies. The defeat of the latter signalled the end to the "guerre folle" , a feudal conflict in which French aristocrats revolted...
, distinguished himself in the Italian WarsItalian WarsThe Italian Wars, often referred to as the Great Italian Wars or the Great Wars of Italy and sometimes as the Habsburg–Valois Wars, were a series of conflicts from 1494 to 1559 that involved, at various times, most of the city-states of Italy, the Papal States, most of the major states of Western...
, and was killed at the Battle of PaviaBattle of PaviaThe Battle of Pavia, fought on the morning of 24 February 1525, was the decisive engagement of the Italian War of 1521–26.A Spanish-Imperial army under the nominal command of Charles de Lannoy attacked the French army under the personal command of Francis I of France in the great hunting preserve...
(1525). - Charles I de La Trémoille, son, died in his father's lifetime and under his command at the Battle of MarignanoBattle of MarignanoThe Battle of Marignano was fought during the phase of the Italian Wars called the War of the League of Cambrai, between France and the Old Swiss Confederacy. It took place on September 13 and 15, 1515, near the town today called Melegnano, 16 km southeast of Milan...
(1515). - François II de La TrémoilleFrançois II de La TrémoilleFrançois de La Trémoille was a French nobleman of the La Tremoille family. He was the son of Charles I de la Trémoille and of Louise de Coëtivy, and the grandson of Louis II de la Trémoille and of Gabrielle de Bourbon.-Titles:He held the title of 36th vicomte of Thouars...
, son, acquired a claim on the Kingdom of NaplesKingdom of NaplesThe Kingdom of Naples, comprising the southern part of the Italian peninsula, was the remainder of the old Kingdom of Sicily after secession of the island of Sicily as a result of the Sicilian Vespers rebellion of 1282. Known to contemporaries as the Kingdom of Sicily, it is dubbed Kingdom of...
by his marriage with Anne de LavalAnne de Laval (1505-1554)Anne de Laval , princesse de Tarente, was a French noblewoman and nominal pretender to the Kingdom of Naples...
, daughter of Charlotte of Aragon - Louis III de La TrémoilleLouis III de La TrémoilleLouis III de La Trémoille , 1st Duke of Thouars, was a sixteenth-century French nobleman of the La Tremoille family. He was the son of François II de La Trémoille and his wife, Anne de Laval....
, son, became duke of ThouarsThouarsThouars is a commune in the Deux-Sèvres department in western France.It is on the River Thouet. Its inhabitants are known as Thouarsais.-History:...
in 1563, and his son- Charlotte Catherine de La TrémoilleCharlotte Catherine de La TrémoilleCharlotte Catherine de La Trémoille was a French noblewoman and Princess of Condé by marriage. She was a member of the House of La Trémoille.-Biography:...
, princesse de Condé (1568–1629) daughter of the above
- Charlotte Catherine de La Trémoille
- Claude de La Trémoille, son, turned Protestant, was created a peer of France in 1595, and married a daughter of William the SilentWilliam the SilentWilliam I, Prince of Orange , also widely known as William the Silent , or simply William of Orange , was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years' War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. He was born in the House of...
in 1598.- Charlotte de La Trémoille, Countess of DerbyCharlotte Stanley, Countess of DerbyCharlotte Stanley, Countess of Derby , born Charlotte de La Trémoille, was the daughter of the French nobleman Claude de La Trémoille, Duke of Thouars, and his wife Charlotte Brabantina of Nassau...
, daughter
- Charlotte de La Trémoille, Countess of Derby
- 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....
, son of Claude, 3rd duke of Thouars (died 1674) - Henri Charles de La Trémoille, son of Henry (died 1672)
- Charles Belgique Hollande de La TrémoilleCharles Belgique Hollande de La TrémoilleCharles Belgique Hollande de La Trémoïlle , 4th duc of Thouars, was a French nobleman. He was the son of Henri Charles de La Trémoille and Émilie of Hesse-Kassel. Brought up Calvinist, in 1668 his father had converted to Catholicism and then forcibly converted his children as well...
, son of Henry, 4th duke of Thouars (died 1709)- Marie Armande Victoire de La Trémoille, daughter of the above, wife of Emmanuel Théodose de La Tour d'AuvergneEmmanuel 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...
- Marie Armande Victoire de La Trémoille, daughter of the above, wife of Emmanuel Théodose de La Tour d'Auvergne
- Charles Louis Bretagne de La TrémoilleCharles Louis Bretagne de La TrémoilleCharles Louis Bretagne de La Trémoille , 5th duke of Thouars, was the son of Charles Belgique Hollande de La Trémoille and Madeleine de Créquy...
, son of Charles-Belgique, 5th duke of Thouars (died 1719) - Charles Armand René de La TrémoilleCharles Armand René de La TrémoilleCharles Armand René de La Trémoille , 6th duc de Thouars, was the son of Charles Louis Bretagne de La Trémoille and his wife, Madeleine de Créquy....
, son of Charles-Louis, 6th duke of Thouars (died 1741) - Jean Bretagne Charles de La TrémoilleJean Bretagne Charles de La TrémoilleJean-Bretagne-Charles de La Trémoille , 7th duc de Thouars, was a French soldier and the son of Charles Armand René de La Trémoille and his wife, Marie Hortense de La Tour d'Auvergne....
, son of Charles-Armand, 7th duke of Thouars (died 1792) - Charles Bretagne Marie de La TrémoilleCharles Bretagne Marie de La TrémoilleCharles Bretagne Marie de La Trémoille , 8th duc de Thouars, was a French soldier and the son of Jean Bretagne Charles de La Trémoille and his wife, Marie-Maximilienne, princess of Salm-Kyrburg....
, son of Jean-Bretagne, 8th duke of Thouars (died 1839) - Louis Charles de La TrémoilleLouis Charles de La TrémoilleLouis Charles de La Trémoille , 9th duc de Thouars, was a French nobleman and the son of Charles Bretagne Marie de La Trémoille and his third wife, Valentine Eugénie Joséphine Walsh de Serrant....
, son of Charles-Bretagne, 9th duke of Thouars (died 1911) - Louis Charles Marie de La TrémoilleLouis Charles Marie de La TrémoilleLouis Charles Marie de La Trémoille , 10th duc de Thouars, was a French nobleman and the son of Louis Charles de La Trémoille and his wife, Marguerite-Jeanne Tanneguy-Duchâtel....
, son of Louis-Charles, 10th duke of Thouars (died 1921) - Louis Jean Marie de La TrémoilleLouis Jean Marie de La TrémoilleLouis Jean Marie de La Trémoïlle , prince and 12th duc de La Trémoïlle, 13th duc de Thouars and premier duke of France, 13th prince de Tarente and 17th prince de Talmond was a French soldier and the son of Louis Charles Marie de La Trémoille and his wife, Marguerite-Jeanne Tanneguy-Duchâtel.La...
, son of Louis-Charles-Marie, 11th duke of Thouars (died without issue 1933)
Notable family members
- Guy, sire de la Trémoille, standard-bearer of France, was taken prisoner at the Battle of NicopolisBattle of NicopolisThe Battle of Nicopolis took place on 25 September 1396 and resulted in the rout of an allied army of Hungarian, Wallachian, French, Burgundian, German and assorted troops at the hands of an Ottoman force, raising of the siege of the Danubian fortress of Nicopolis and leading to the end of the...
(1396), and - Georges de la TrémoilleGeorges de la TrémoilleGeorges de la Trémoille was count of de Guînes from 1398 to 1446 and Grand Chamberlain of France to King Charles VII of France. He sought reconciliation between Philip, Duke of Burgundy and Charles VII during their estrangement in the latter part of the Hundred Years' War...
(c. 1382 - 6 May 1446) was count of de Guînes, the favorite of King Charles VII of FranceCharles VII of FranceCharles VII , called the Victorious or the Well-Served , was King of France from 1422 to his death, though he was initially opposed by Henry VI of England, whose Regent, the Duke of Bedford, ruled much of France including the capital, Paris...
, took part in the Praguerie and was captured at AgincourtBattle of AgincourtThe Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
(1415). - Jean de la Trémoille (1377-1449)Jean de la Trémoille (1377-1449)Jean de la Trémoille , seigneur of Jonvelle, was Grand Master and Grand Chamberlain to the dukes of Burgundy John the Fearless and Philip the Good. He was the son of Guy and Marie de Sully, countess of Guînes...
- Marie Anne de La Trémoille, princesse des Ursins (1642–1722)