Montpensier
Encyclopedia
The French lordship of Montpensier (named after the village of Montpensier
, département of Puy-de-Dôme
), located in historical Auvergne
, became a countship in the 14th century.
It changed hands from the House of Thiern, to the House of Beaujeau, to the House of Drieux, to the House of Beaujeau again, and finally to the House of Ventadour, before it was sold in 1384 by Bernard and Robert de Ventadour to John, Duke of Berry
, whose sons Charles and John were the first two to hold the title of Count of Montpensier.
After their deaths without issue, their younger sister Marie brought the countship to her third husband, John I, Duke of Bourbon
(1381–1434). The countship was subsequently held by Louis de Bourbon
, the younger son of John and Marie, and by his descendants up to Charles de Bourbon-Montpensier
, the famous constable, who became duke of Bourbon by his marriage with his cousin, Suzanne de Bourbon
, in 1505.
In 1384–1434 and 1505–27, Montpensier followed the succession in Duchy of Auvergne, and from 1434 onwards that of Dauphinate of Auvergne.
Confiscated by King Francis I
, the countship was restored in 1538 to Louise de Bourbon, sister of the constable, and widow of the prince de La Roche-sur-Yon
, and to her son Louis
, and was erected into a duchy
in the peerage
of France (duché-pairie) in 1539. Marie, daughter and heiress of Henry, Duke of Montpensier, brought the duchy to her husband Gaston, Duke of Orléans
, brother of Louis XIII
, whom she married in 1626, and their daughter and heiress, known as La Grande Mademoiselle
was duchess of Montpensier.
When Mademoiselle Anne died childless, her heir (but an ancestress' Huguenot marriage after being a nun may have been regarded invalid) was Elisabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine, the then wife of Duke of Orléans. The title subsequently remained in the Orléans
family, and was borne in particular by Antoine Philippe (1775–1807), son of Philippe Egalité, and by Antoine Marie Philippe Louis (1824–1890), son of King Louis-Philippe
and father-in-law of King Alphonso XII of Spain. Mademoiselle de Montpensier was a title conferred upon some women of the royal family, namely during the years previous to the French Revolution
.
Montpensier, Puy-de-Dôme
Montpensier is a commune in the Puy-de-Dôme department in Auvergne in central France.-References:*...
, département of Puy-de-Dôme
Puy-de-Dôme
Puy-de-Dôme is a department in the centre of France named after the famous dormant volcano, the Puy-de-Dôme.Inhabitants were called Puydedomois until December 2005...
), located in historical 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....
, became a countship in the 14th century.
It changed hands from the House of Thiern, to the House of Beaujeau, to the House of Drieux, to the House of Beaujeau again, and finally to the House of Ventadour, before it was sold in 1384 by Bernard and Robert de Ventadour to John, Duke of Berry
John, Duke of Berry
John of Valois or John the Magnificent was Duke of Berry and Auvergne and Count of Poitiers and Montpensier. He was the third son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxemburg; his brothers were King Charles V of France, Duke Louis I of Anjou and Duke Philip the Bold of Burgundy...
, whose sons Charles and John were the first two to hold the title of Count of Montpensier.
After their deaths without issue, their younger sister Marie brought the countship to her third husband, John I, Duke of Bourbon
John I, Duke of Bourbon
Jean de Bourbon was Duke of Bourbon, from 1410 to his death and Duke of Auvergne since 1416. He was the eldest son of Louis II and Anna d'Auvergne...
(1381–1434). The countship was subsequently held by Louis de Bourbon
Louis I, Count of Montpensier
Louis de Bourbon was the third son of John I, Duke of Bourbon and Marie de Berry, Duchess d'Auvergne; Count of Montpensier, Clermont-en-Auvergne and Sancerre and Dauphin of Auvergne, brother of Charles I of Bourbon...
, the younger son of John and Marie, and by his descendants up to Charles de Bourbon-Montpensier
Charles III, Duke of Bourbon
Charles III, Duke of Bourbon was a French military leader, the Count of Montpensier and Dauphin of Auvergne. He commanded the Imperial troops of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in what became known as the Sack of Rome in 1527, where he was killed.-Biography:Charles was born at Montpensier...
, the famous constable, who became duke of Bourbon by his marriage with his cousin, Suzanne de Bourbon
Suzanne, Duchess of Bourbon
Suzanne de Bourbon was suo jure Duchess of Bourbon and Auvergne from 1503 to her death. Her husband was Charles de Bourbon.-Inheritance and marriage:...
, in 1505.
In 1384–1434 and 1505–27, Montpensier followed the succession in Duchy of Auvergne, and from 1434 onwards that of Dauphinate of Auvergne.
Confiscated by King Francis I
Francis I of France
Francis I was King of France from 1515 until his death. During his reign, huge cultural changes took place in France and he has been called France's original Renaissance monarch...
, the countship was restored in 1538 to Louise de Bourbon, sister of the constable, and widow of the prince de La Roche-sur-Yon
La Roche-sur-Yon
La Roche-sur-Yon is a commune in the Vendée department in the Pays de la Loire region in western France.It is the capital of the department. Its inhabitants are called Yonnais.-History:...
, and to her son Louis
Louis III de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier
Louis de Bourbon was the second Duke of Montpensier. He was the great great grandfather of la Grande Mademoiselle.-Biography:...
, and was erected into a duchy
Duchy
A duchy is a territory, fief, or domain ruled by a duke or duchess.Some duchies were sovereign in areas that would become unified realms only during the Modern era . In contrast, others were subordinate districts of those kingdoms that unified either partially or completely during the Medieval era...
in the peerage
Peerage
The Peerage is a legal system of largely hereditary titles in the United Kingdom, which constitute the ranks of British nobility and is part of the British honours system...
of France (duché-pairie) in 1539. Marie, daughter and heiress of Henry, Duke of Montpensier, brought the duchy to her husband Gaston, Duke of Orléans
Gaston, Duke of Orléans
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...
, brother 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...
, whom she married in 1626, and their daughter and heiress, known as La Grande Mademoiselle
Anne, Duchess of Montpensier
Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier, known as La Grande Mademoiselle, was the eldest daughter of Gaston d'Orléans, and his first wife Marie de Bourbon. One of the greatest heiresses in history, she died unmarried and childless, leaving her vast fortune to her cousin, Philippe of...
was duchess of Montpensier.
When Mademoiselle Anne died childless, her heir (but an ancestress' Huguenot marriage after being a nun may have been regarded invalid) was Elisabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine, the then wife of Duke of Orléans. The title subsequently remained in the Orléans
Orléans
-Prehistory and Roman:Cenabum was a Gallic stronghold, one of the principal towns of the Carnutes tribe where the Druids held their annual assembly. It was conquered and destroyed by Julius Caesar in 52 BC, then rebuilt under the Roman Empire...
family, and was borne in particular by Antoine Philippe (1775–1807), son of Philippe Egalité, and by Antoine Marie Philippe Louis (1824–1890), son of King Louis-Philippe
Louis-Philippe of France
Louis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the...
and father-in-law of King Alphonso XII of Spain. Mademoiselle de Montpensier was a title conferred upon some women of the royal family, namely during the years previous to 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...
.
Seigneurs of Montpensier (12th century)
- Guy of Thiers, Seigneur of Montpensier
- Agnès of Thiers, Seigneur of Montpensier - daughter who married Humbert IV of Beaujeu, Sire of Beaujeu and Seigneur of Montpensier (Humbert I)
- Guichard I of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier - son
- Guichard II of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier - son
- Humbert II of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier - son
- Jeanne of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier (Jeanne I) - daughter who married Jean II of Drieux, Count of Dreux, Seigneur of Montpensier (Jean I)
- Robert V of Dreux, Seigneur of Montpensier - son
- Jean III of Dreux, Seigneur of Montpensier (Jean II) - brother
- Pierre of Dreux, Seigneur of Montpensier brother
- Jeanne I of Dreux, Seigneur of Montpensier (Jeanne II) - daughter
- Louis I of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier - descendant of a brother of Humbert II of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier
- Marguerite of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier - daughter who married Ebles VIII of Ventadour, Viscount of Ventadour, Seigneur of Montpensier
- Bernard of Ventadour, Seigneur of Montpensier (1346–1384) - son
Counts of Montpensier (1384)
- Charles de Valois, Count of Montpensier (1362–1382) - son of John de Valois, Duke of Berry and AuvergneJohn, Duke of BerryJohn of Valois or John the Magnificent was Duke of Berry and Auvergne and Count of Poitiers and Montpensier. He was the third son of King John II of France and Bonne of Luxemburg; his brothers were King Charles V of France, Duke Louis I of Anjou and Duke Philip the Bold of Burgundy...
- John de Valois, Count of MontpensierJohn de Valois, Count of MontpensierJohn of Berry , count of Montpensier , was a French nobleman. He was the son of John, Duke of Berry, and of Joanna of Armagnac...
(1363–1401) - brother - Marie of Valois, Countess of MontpensierMarie, Duchess of AuvergneMarie of Berry, suo jure Duchess of Auvergne, Countess of Montpensier was the daughter of John, Duke of Berry and Joanna of Armagnac.She was married three times...
(1375–1434) - sister of John; she married John I, Duke of BourbonJohn I, Duke of BourbonJean de Bourbon was Duke of Bourbon, from 1410 to his death and Duke of Auvergne since 1416. He was the eldest son of Louis II and Anna d'Auvergne... - Louis I de Bourbon, Count of MontpensierLouis I, Count of MontpensierLouis de Bourbon was the third son of John I, Duke of Bourbon and Marie de Berry, Duchess d'Auvergne; Count of Montpensier, Clermont-en-Auvergne and Sancerre and Dauphin of Auvergne, brother of Charles I of Bourbon...
(~1403–1486) - son - Gilbert de Bourbon, Count of MontpensierGilbert, Count of MontpensierGilbert de Bourbon, Count of Montpensier son of Louis de Bourbon and Gabrielle La Tour, Count of Montpensier and Dauphin d'Auvergne...
(1448–1496) - son of Louis I - Louis II de Bourbon, Count of MontpensierLouis II, Count of MontpensierLouis de Bourbon, Count of Montpensier was the son of Gilbert, Count of Montpensier and Claire Gonzaga. He was Count of Montpensier and Clermont-en-Auvergne and Dauphin d'Auvergne from 1496 to his death....
(1483–1501) - son of Gilbert - Charles III de Bourbon, Count of MontpensierCharles III, Duke of BourbonCharles III, Duke of Bourbon was a French military leader, the Count of Montpensier and Dauphin of Auvergne. He commanded the Imperial troops of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in what became known as the Sack of Rome in 1527, where he was killed.-Biography:Charles was born at Montpensier...
(1490–1527) - brother of Louis II
Dukes of Montpensier (1539)
- Louise de Bourbon, Duchess of MontpensierLouise de Bourbon, Duchess of MontpensierLouise de Bourbon was the Duchess of Montpensier, suo jure from February 1538 to 1561. She was the great great great grandmother of La Grande Mademoiselle.- Inheritance :...
(1482–1561) - sister of Charles III - Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier (1513–1582) - son of Louise
- François de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier (1542–1592) - son of Louis
- Henri de Bourbon, Duke of MontpensierHenri de Bourbon, Duke of MontpensierHenri de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier, was Dauphin of Auvergne, Duke of Montpensier, Sovereign Prince of the Dombes and Lord of Châtellerault....
(1573–1608) - son of François - Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of MontpensierMarie de Bourbon, Duchess of MontpensierMarie 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...
(1605–1627) - daughter of Henri - Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier (La Grande Mademoiselle) (1627–1693) - daughter of Marie
- Philippe de France, Duke of OrléansPhilippe I, Duke of OrléansPhilippe 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...
(1640–1701) - first cousin of Anne Marie Louise, given title in 1695 by Louis XIV - Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Duke of MontpensierPhilippe II, Duke of OrléansPhilippe d'Orléans was a member of the royal family of France and served as Regent of the Kingdom from 1715 to 1723. Born at his father's palace at Saint-Cloud, he was known from birth under the title of Duke of Chartres...
(1674–1723) - son of Philippe - Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1703–1752) - son of Philippe
- Louis Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Duke of MontpensierLouis Philippe I, Duke of OrléansLouis Philippe d'Orléans known as le Gros , was a French nobleman, a member of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, the dynasty then ruling France. The First Prince of the Blood after 1752, he was the most senior male at the French court after the immediate royal family. He was the father of...
(1725–1785) - son of Louis - Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Duke of MontpensierLouis Philippe II, Duke of OrléansLouis Philippe Joseph d'Orléans commonly known as Philippe, was a member of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, the ruling dynasty of France. He actively supported the French Revolution and adopted the name Philippe Égalité, but was nonetheless guillotined during the Reign of Terror...
(Philippe Égalité) (1747–1793) - son of Louis Philippe I - Louis Philippe d'Orléans, King of the French, Duke of MontpensierLouis-Philippe of FranceLouis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the...
(1773–1850) - son of Louis Philippe Joseph - Philippe d'Orléans, Count of Paris, Duke of Montpensier (1838–1894) - grandson of Louis Philippe
- Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1869–1926) - son of Philippe
- Jean d'Orléans, Duke of Guise, Duke of Montpensier (1874–1940) - cousin of Philippe
- Henri d'Orléans, Count of Paris, Duke of Montpensier (1908–1999) - son of Jean
- Henri d'Orléans, Count of Paris, Duke of France, Duke of Montpensier (born 1933) - son of Henri
Courtesy title
The title Duke of Montpensier has been used as a courtesy title by other members of the House of Orléans:- Antoine Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of MontpensierAntoine Philippe, Duke of MontpensierLouis Antoine Philippe d'Orléans, duc de Montpensier was a son of Louis Philippe d'Orléans and his duchess Louise Marie Adélaïde de Bourbon...
(1775–1807) second son of Louis Philippe II, Duke of OrléansLouis Philippe II, Duke of OrléansLouis Philippe Joseph d'Orléans commonly known as Philippe, was a member of a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon, the ruling dynasty of France. He actively supported the French Revolution and adopted the name Philippe Égalité, but was nonetheless guillotined during the Reign of Terror... - Antoine d'Orléans, Duke of MontpensierAntoine, Duke of Montpensier- Titles and styles:/*13 July 182421 September 1824: His Serene Highness Prince Antoine d'Orléans*21 September 18249 August 1830: His Royal Highness Prince Antoine d'Orléans...
(1824–1890) youngest son of Louis Philippe, King of the FrenchLouis-Philippe of FranceLouis Philippe I was King of the French from 1830 to 1848 in what was known as the July Monarchy. His father was a duke who supported the French Revolution but was nevertheless guillotined. Louis Philippe fled France as a young man and spent 21 years in exile, including considerable time in the... - Duchess Marie Therese of Württemberg, Duchess of MontpensierDuchess Marie Therese of WürttembergMarie Therese of Württemberg was a member of the House of Württemberg and a Duchess of Württemberg by birth and a member of the House of Orléans and Countess of Clermont and Princess of Orléans through her marriage to Prince Henri, Count of Clermont Marie Therese of Württemberg (born 12 November...
(born 1934), wife of Henri, comte de Paris, duc de FranceHenri, comte de Paris, duc de FranceHenri d'Orléans is a member of the former French ruling dynasty of the House of Bourbon, and one of the current pretenders to the defunct French crown. A descendant of King Louis-Philippe , he is the current head of the Orléans line of the Bourbon dynasty...
See also
- List of consorts of Montpensier
- House of BourbonHouse of BourbonThe House of Bourbon is a European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty . Bourbon kings first ruled Navarre and France in the 16th century. By the 18th century, members of the Bourbon dynasty also held thrones in Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Parma...
- House of Bourbon-MontpensierHouse of Bourbon-MontpensierThe 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...
- House of OrléansHouse of OrleansOrléans 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...