Leopold, Duke of Lorraine
Encyclopedia
Leopold surnamed the Good, was Duke of Lorraine and Bar from 1690 to his death.
, and his wife Eleonora Maria Josefa of Austria
, a half-sister of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
.
At the time of Leopold's birth, Lorraine and Bar had been occupied by Louis XIV of France
, forcing his parents to move into exile to Austria, where they lived under the protection of the Emperor. Therefore, Leopold was born in the palace of Innsbruck
and received his first name in honour of the Emperor. Lepold grew up in Innsbruck, while his father would be engaged in defending Vienna against the Turks.
In 1690, his father died and eleven-year-old Leopold inherited the still occupied Duchies. His mother, trying to fulfil her husband's last wishes of returning her children to their patrimony, appealed to the Reichstag in Regensburg to restore her son to Lorraine. Lepold was sent to Vienna
to receive a military education under the supervision of the Emperor. In Vienna, he grew up with his cousins, the Archdukes Joseph
and Charles
, both future Emperors. Leopold was also created a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
that year.
Like his father before him, he entered the Imperial Army and, aged eighteen, took part in the Siege of Timişoara
in 1694. Three years later, he received the command of the Army of the Rhine.
on 30 October 1697.
The treaty restored the Duchies of Lorraine and Bar to the House of Lorraine
, as Leopold's mother had hoped; she died four days later in Vienna. On 17 August 1698, Duke Lepold made a triumphant entry into his capital Nancy. He reconstructed and repopulated his war-stricken duchy, encouraging immigration. At the end of his reign the duchy was safe and prosperous.
In his foreign policy, Leopold tried to further good relations with France and to appease his powerful neighbour. On 13 October 1698 at the Palace of Fontainebleau, Leopold married Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans, the niece of Louis XIV, who had offered a dowry of 900,000 Livres to the penniless Duke. Elisabeth Charlotte turned out to be a caring mother and gave birth to thirteen children, of whom five survived into adulthood. Three of them died within a week in May 1711 due to a smallpox outbreak at the Château de Lunéville
, the country seat of the Dukes of Lorraine.
Despite Leopold's diplomatic attempts, his capital, Nancy, was occupied by foreign troops during the War of the Spanish Succession
(1700–1713). Fearing for his family, Leopold relocated the court to the Château de Lunéville
, which Leopold rebuilt the castle as the "Versailles of Lorraine". It was here that his first child Leopold was born in 1700.
In 1703, the Duke introduced the Code Léopold regulating the government of the Duchy. He tried to install his eldest daughter, Elisabeth Charlotte, as Abbess of Remiremont
but failed due to the opposition of Pope Clement XI
.
Leopold's marital life was troubled in 1706, when he took Anne-Marguerite de Lignéville, Princess of Beauvau-Craon as his mistress, and enriched her family. Elisabeth Charlotte however, following her mother's advice, remained silent.
In 1708, Leopold had claimed the Duchy of Montferrat
as the closest relative of his cousin, Charles IV Gonzaga, erstwhile Duke of Mantua, who had been deposed and then died without male issue. However, the Emperor had already promised Montferrat to the Dukes of Savoy but wishing to compensate the House of Lorraine, he gave the Duchy of Teschen in Silesia
to Leopold.
In 1710, Leopold and his wife visited Paris to attend the marriage of Elisabeth Charlotte's niece Marie Louise Elisabeth
to the Duke of Berry, and were among the guest of the lavish banquet at the Palais du Luxembourg
. During the visit, Leopold, as a foreign prince
, received the style of Royal Highness.
In 1719, Leopold bought the County of Ligny-en-Barrois
from his cousin, Charles Henry of Vaudemont
. During his reign a new security system was put in place all around Lorraine.
He tried to abolish Serfdom
but the redemption payments were too high for the peasantry, even when Leopold halved it. On New Year's Eve 1719 he freed his own serfs without redemption, hoping in vain the Nobility
would follow his example.
In 1721, Leopold arranged for his son and heir, Leopold Clement, to receive an education at Vienna. He also intended to forge relations with Archduchess Maria Theresa
, the heiress of Emperor Charles VI. However, Leopold Clement died shortly afterwards at Lunéville and in his stead, the younger son Francis Stephen
went to Vienna, where he married Maria Theresa. Francis would become Emperor and his descendants, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, would rule Austria until 1918.
In 1725, Leopold tried to marry off his daughter Anne Charlotte
to the young King Louis XV, but Louis Henry, Duke of Bourbon, then prime minister, prevented a union with a descendant of the rival House of Orléans
. Then, Elisabeth Charlotte tried to arrange her daughter's marriage to her first cousin, the recently widowed Louis, Duke of Orléans, but Louis refused. All proposals of marriage being either ignored or declined, Anne Charlotte later became Abbess of the monasteries Remiremont and Essen.
In March 1729, Leopold caught a fever while walking at the Château at Ménil near Lunéville. He returned to Lunéville where he died on 27 March, aged 49.
|| Born at the Ducal Palace of Lorraine, Nancy, and named after her mother, she died of Smallpox at the Château de Lunéville
aged just 10;
|-
| Princess Louise Christine
||
|| 13 November 1701 –
18 November 1701
|| Born at the Ducal Palace of Lorraine, Nancy, she died 5 days after birth in Nancy;
|-
| Princess Marie Gabrièle Charlotte
||
|| 30 December 1702 –
11 May 1711
|| Born at the Château de Lunéville, and died of Smallpox at Lunéville aged 9;
|-
| Prince Louis
Hereditary Prince
||
|| 28 January 1704 –
10 May 1711
|| Born at the Château de Lunéville, he died of Smallpox at Lunéville aged 7; he was the Hereditary Prince of Lorraine till his death;
|-
| Princess Joséphine Gabrièle
||
|| 16 February 1705 –
25 March 1708
|| Born at Lunéville, she died at the same Palace aged 3;
|-
| Princess Gabrièle Louise
||
|| 4 March 1706 –
13 June 1710
|| Born at Lunéville, she died there aged 4;
|-
| Prince Léopold Clement Charles
Hereditary Prince
||
|| 25 April 1707 –
4 June 1723
|| Born at the Château de Lunéville, he died at the same palace aged 16; he was the Hereditary Prince of Lorraine till his death;
|-
| Prince François Étienne
Holy Roman Emperor
||
|| 8 December 1708 –
18 August 1765
|| Born at the Château de Lunéville, he married Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria
, daughter of Charles VI and had issue; died at the Palace of Innsbruck
;
|-
| Princess Eléonore
||
|| 4 June 1710 –
28 July 1710
|| Born at Lunéville, where she died almost 8 weeks later;
|-
| Princess Élisabeth Thérèse
Queen of Sardinia
||
|| 15 October 1711 –
3 July 1741
|| Born at Lunéville, she married in 1737 her first cousin Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
and had issue; died in childbirth;
|-
| Prince Charles Alexander Emmanuel
Governor of the Austrian Netherlands
||
|| 12 December 1712 –
4 July 1780
|| Born at Lunéville, he married Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria but she died in childbirth; he later lived with his sister Anne Charlotte
|-
| Princess Anne Charlotte
Abbess of Essen
||
|| 17 May 1714 -
7 November 1773
|| Born at Lunéville, she never married; died in Belgium;
|
|}
Early life
Leopold Joseph Charles Dominique Agapet Hyacinthe was the son of Charles V, Duke of LorraineCharles V, Duke of Lorraine
Charles V , Karl V. Leopold, , son of Nicolas François, Duke of Lorraine, and Claude Françoise de Lorraine. Karl Leopold was born in Vienna and became the brother in law of Emperor Leopold and son in law of emperor Ferdinand III...
, and his wife Eleonora Maria Josefa of Austria
Eleonora Maria Josefa of Austria
Eleonor Maria Josefa of Austria , was the daughter of Ferdinand III, Holy Roman Emperor and Eleanor of Mantua, and was the Queen Consort of Poland-Lithuania, and Duchess of Lorraine.-Biography:Eleonor married Michael Korybut Wiśniowiecki,...
, a half-sister of Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
.
At the time of Leopold's birth, Lorraine and Bar had been occupied by Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV of France
Louis XIV , known as Louis the Great or the Sun King , was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and Navarre. His reign, from 1643 to his death in 1715, began at the age of four and lasted seventy-two years, three months, and eighteen days...
, forcing his parents to move into exile to Austria, where they lived under the protection of the Emperor. Therefore, Leopold was born in the palace of Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
and received his first name in honour of the Emperor. Lepold grew up in Innsbruck, while his father would be engaged in defending Vienna against the Turks.
In 1690, his father died and eleven-year-old Leopold inherited the still occupied Duchies. His mother, trying to fulfil her husband's last wishes of returning her children to their patrimony, appealed to the Reichstag in Regensburg to restore her son to Lorraine. Lepold was sent to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
to receive a military education under the supervision of the Emperor. In Vienna, he grew up with his cousins, the Archdukes Joseph
Joseph I, Holy Roman Emperor
Joseph I , Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia, King of Hungary, King of the Romans was the elder son of Emperor Leopold I and his third wife, Eleonor Magdalene of Neuburg....
and Charles
Charles VI, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles VI was the penultimate Habsburg sovereign of the Habsburg Empire. He succeeded his elder brother, Joseph I, as Holy Roman Emperor, King of Bohemia , Hungary and Croatia , Archduke of Austria, etc., in 1711...
, both future Emperors. Leopold was also created a Knight of the Order of the Golden Fleece
Order of the Golden Fleece
The Order of the Golden Fleece is an order of chivalry founded in Bruges by Philip III, Duke of Burgundy in 1430, to celebrate his marriage to the Portuguese princess Infanta Isabella of Portugal, daughter of King John I of Portugal. It evolved as one of the most prestigious orders in Europe...
that year.
Like his father before him, he entered the Imperial Army and, aged eighteen, took part in the Siege of Timişoara
Timisoara
Timișoara is the capital city of Timiș County, in western Romania. One of the largest Romanian cities, with an estimated population of 311,586 inhabitants , and considered the informal capital city of the historical region of Banat, Timișoara is the main social, economic and cultural center in the...
in 1694. Three years later, he received the command of the Army of the Rhine.
Duke of Lorraine
In 1697, the Nine Years' War ended that year with to the signing of the Treaty of RyswickTreaty of Ryswick
The Treaty of Ryswick or Ryswyck was signed on 20 September 1697 and named after Ryswick in the Dutch Republic. The treaty settled the Nine Years' War, which pitted France against the Grand Alliance of England, Spain, the Holy Roman Empire and the United Provinces.Negotiations started in May...
on 30 October 1697.
The treaty restored the Duchies of Lorraine and Bar to the House of Lorraine
House of Lorraine
The House of Lorraine, the main and now only remaining line known as Habsburg-Lorraine, is one of the most important and was one of the longest-reigning royal houses in the history of Europe...
, as Leopold's mother had hoped; she died four days later in Vienna. On 17 August 1698, Duke Lepold made a triumphant entry into his capital Nancy. He reconstructed and repopulated his war-stricken duchy, encouraging immigration. At the end of his reign the duchy was safe and prosperous.
Château de Lunéville
The Château de Lunéville which had belonged to the Dukes of Lorraine since the thirteenth century, was rebuilt as “the Versailles of Lorraine” by Duke Léopold from 1703 to 1723, from designs of Pierre Bourdict and Nicolas Dorbay and then of the architect Germain Boffrand, whose masterwork it became...
, the country seat of the Dukes of Lorraine.
Despite Leopold's diplomatic attempts, his capital, Nancy, was occupied by foreign troops during the War of the Spanish Succession
War of the Spanish Succession
The War of the Spanish Succession was fought among several European powers, including a divided Spain, over the possible unification of the Kingdoms of Spain and France under one Bourbon monarch. As France and Spain were among the most powerful states of Europe, such a unification would have...
(1700–1713). Fearing for his family, Leopold relocated the court to the Château de Lunéville
Château de Lunéville
The Château de Lunéville which had belonged to the Dukes of Lorraine since the thirteenth century, was rebuilt as “the Versailles of Lorraine” by Duke Léopold from 1703 to 1723, from designs of Pierre Bourdict and Nicolas Dorbay and then of the architect Germain Boffrand, whose masterwork it became...
, which Leopold rebuilt the castle as the "Versailles of Lorraine". It was here that his first child Leopold was born in 1700.
In 1703, the Duke introduced the Code Léopold regulating the government of the Duchy. He tried to install his eldest daughter, Elisabeth Charlotte, as Abbess of Remiremont
Remiremont
Remiremont is a commune in the Vosges department in Lorraine in northeastern France.Inhabitants are called Romarimontains.-Geography:Remiremont is located on the Moselle, close to its confluence with the Moselotte, southeast of Épinal...
but failed due to the opposition of Pope Clement XI
Pope Clement XI
Pope Clement XI , born Giovanni Francesco Albani, was Pope from 1700 until his death in 1721.-Early life:...
.
Leopold's marital life was troubled in 1706, when he took Anne-Marguerite de Lignéville, Princess of Beauvau-Craon as his mistress, and enriched her family. Elisabeth Charlotte however, following her mother's advice, remained silent.
In 1708, Leopold had claimed the Duchy of Montferrat
Montferrat
Montferrat is part of the region of Piedmont in Northern Italy. It comprises roughly the modern provinces of Alessandria and Asti. Montferrat is one of the most important wine districts of Italy...
as the closest relative of his cousin, Charles IV Gonzaga, erstwhile Duke of Mantua, who had been deposed and then died without male issue. However, the Emperor had already promised Montferrat to the Dukes of Savoy but wishing to compensate the House of Lorraine, he gave the Duchy of Teschen in Silesia
Silesia
Silesia is a historical region of Central Europe located mostly in Poland, with smaller parts also in the Czech Republic, and Germany.Silesia is rich in mineral and natural resources, and includes several important industrial areas. Silesia's largest city and historical capital is Wrocław...
to Leopold.
In 1710, Leopold and his wife visited Paris to attend the marriage of Elisabeth Charlotte's niece Marie Louise Elisabeth
Marie Louise Elisabeth d'Orléans
Marie Louise Élisabeth d'Orléans, Duchess of Berry , was a member of the House of Orléans who married Charles, Duke of Berry.-Biography:...
to the Duke of Berry, and were among the guest of the lavish banquet at the Palais du Luxembourg
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...
. During the visit, Leopold, as a foreign prince
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:...
, received the style of Royal Highness.
In 1719, Leopold bought the County of Ligny-en-Barrois
Ligny-en-Barrois
Ligny-en-Barrois is a commune in the Meuse department in Lorraine in north-eastern France.The town is in the arrondissement of Bar-le-Duc, beside the canal that links the Rivers Rhine and Marne, fifteen kilometres to the south east of Bar le Duc: it is the administrative seat of the canton ...
from his cousin, Charles Henry of Vaudemont
Prince Charles Henry de Lorraine-Vaudemont
Charles Henri of Lorraine was the legitimated son of Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine, and Béatrix de Cusance. His was given the Principality of Commercy in 1708 by his cousin Leopold, Duke of Lorraine...
. During his reign a new security system was put in place all around Lorraine.
He tried to abolish Serfdom
Serfdom
Serfdom is the status of peasants under feudalism, specifically relating to Manorialism. It was a condition of bondage or modified slavery which developed primarily during the High Middle Ages in Europe and lasted to the mid-19th century...
but the redemption payments were too high for the peasantry, even when Leopold halved it. On New Year's Eve 1719 he freed his own serfs without redemption, hoping in vain the Nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
would follow his example.
In 1721, Leopold arranged for his son and heir, Leopold Clement, to receive an education at Vienna. He also intended to forge relations with Archduchess Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
, the heiress of Emperor Charles VI. However, Leopold Clement died shortly afterwards at Lunéville and in his stead, the younger son Francis Stephen
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...
went to Vienna, where he married Maria Theresa. Francis would become Emperor and his descendants, the House of Habsburg-Lorraine, would rule Austria until 1918.
In 1725, Leopold tried to marry off his daughter Anne Charlotte
Princess Anne Charlotte of Lorraine
Anne Charlotte of Lorraine was the Abbess of Remiremont, Mons and Essen. She was the youngest daughter and the youngest of thirteen children of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine, and his spouse Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans...
to the young King Louis XV, but Louis Henry, Duke of Bourbon, then prime minister, prevented a union with a descendant of the rival House of Orléans
House of Orleans
Orléans is the name used by several branches of the Royal House of France, all descended in the legitimate male line from the dynasty's founder, Hugh Capet. It became a tradition during France's ancien régime for the duchy of Orléans to be granted as an appanage to a younger son of the king...
. Then, Elisabeth Charlotte tried to arrange her daughter's marriage to her first cousin, the recently widowed Louis, Duke of Orléans, but Louis refused. All proposals of marriage being either ignored or declined, Anne Charlotte later became Abbess of the monasteries Remiremont and Essen.
In March 1729, Leopold caught a fever while walking at the Château at Ménil near Lunéville. He returned to Lunéville where he died on 27 March, aged 49.
Ancestry
Issue
4 May 1711|| Born at the Ducal Palace of Lorraine, Nancy, and named after her mother, she died of Smallpox at the Château de Lunéville
Château de Lunéville
The Château de Lunéville which had belonged to the Dukes of Lorraine since the thirteenth century, was rebuilt as “the Versailles of Lorraine” by Duke Léopold from 1703 to 1723, from designs of Pierre Bourdict and Nicolas Dorbay and then of the architect Germain Boffrand, whose masterwork it became...
aged just 10;
|-
| Princess Louise Christine
||
|| 13 November 1701 –
18 November 1701
|| Born at the Ducal Palace of Lorraine, Nancy, she died 5 days after birth in Nancy;
|-
| Princess Marie Gabrièle Charlotte
||
|| 30 December 1702 –
11 May 1711
|| Born at the Château de Lunéville, and died of Smallpox at Lunéville aged 9;
|-
| Prince Louis
Hereditary Prince
||
|| 28 January 1704 –
10 May 1711
|| Born at the Château de Lunéville, he died of Smallpox at Lunéville aged 7; he was the Hereditary Prince of Lorraine till his death;
|-
| Princess Joséphine Gabrièle
||
|| 16 February 1705 –
25 March 1708
|| Born at Lunéville, she died at the same Palace aged 3;
|-
| Princess Gabrièle Louise
||
|| 4 March 1706 –
13 June 1710
|| Born at Lunéville, she died there aged 4;
|-
| Prince Léopold Clement Charles
Léopold Clément, Hereditary Prince of Lorraine
Léopold Clément, Hereditary Prince of Lorraine was heir apparent to the throne of the sovereign Duchy of Lorraine....
Hereditary Prince
||
|| 25 April 1707 –
4 June 1723
|| Born at the Château de Lunéville, he died at the same palace aged 16; he was the Hereditary Prince of Lorraine till his death;
|-
| Prince François Étienne
Francis I, Holy Roman Emperor
Francis I was Holy Roman Emperor and Grand Duke of Tuscany, though his wife effectively executed the real power of those positions. With his wife, Maria Theresa, he was the founder of the Habsburg-Lorraine dynasty...
Holy Roman Emperor
||
|| 8 December 1708 –
18 August 1765
|| Born at the Château de Lunéville, he married Archduchess Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
, daughter of Charles VI and had issue; died at the Palace of Innsbruck
Innsbruck
- Main sights :- Buildings :*Golden Roof*Kaiserliche Hofburg *Hofkirche with the cenotaph of Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor*Altes Landhaus...
;
|-
| Princess Eléonore
||
|| 4 June 1710 –
28 July 1710
|| Born at Lunéville, where she died almost 8 weeks later;
|-
| Princess Élisabeth Thérèse
Queen of Sardinia
||
|| 15 October 1711 –
3 July 1741
|| Born at Lunéville, she married in 1737 her first cousin Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia
Charles Emmanuel III was the Duke of Savoy and King of Sardinia from 1730 until his death.-Biography:...
and had issue; died in childbirth;
|-
| Prince Charles Alexander Emmanuel
Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine
Prince Charles Alexander of Lorraine was a Lorraine-born Austrian soldier.-Background:Charles was the son of Leopold Joseph, Duke of Lorraine and Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans...
Governor of the Austrian Netherlands
||
|| 12 December 1712 –
4 July 1780
|| Born at Lunéville, he married Archduchess Maria Anna of Austria but she died in childbirth; he later lived with his sister Anne Charlotte
|-
| Princess Anne Charlotte
Princess Anne Charlotte of Lorraine
Anne Charlotte of Lorraine was the Abbess of Remiremont, Mons and Essen. She was the youngest daughter and the youngest of thirteen children of Leopold, Duke of Lorraine, and his spouse Élisabeth Charlotte d'Orléans...
Abbess of Essen
||
|| 17 May 1714 -
7 November 1773
|| Born at Lunéville, she never married; died in Belgium;
|
|}
Titles and styles
- 11 September 1679 – 18 April 1690 His HighnessHighnessHighness, often used with a possessive adjective , is an attribute referring to the rank of the dynasty in an address...
Prince Léopold of Lorraine, Hereditary Prince of Lorraine - 18 April 1690 - 1718 His HighnessHighnessHighness, often used with a possessive adjective , is an attribute referring to the rank of the dynasty in an address...
the Duke of Lorraine- 18 April 1690 – 30 October 1697 Titular Duke of Lorraine and Bar
- 1718 - 27 March 1729 His Royal HighnessRoyal HighnessRoyal Highness is a style ; plural Royal Highnesses...
the Duke of Lorraine and Bar