The title of Duke de La Rochefoucauld is a French peerage, from the great House La Rochefoucauld, cadets of an ancient House of Lusignan, whose origins go back to Lord Rochefoucauld in Charente in the 10th century with Foucauld 1st (973–1047), first Lord of La Roche then La Rochefoucauld, possibly son of Adémar, Lord of La Roche (952–1037). They got the title of Baron in the 13th century, then became Count in 1528 with François I de La Rochefoucauld, godfather of King François I and in 1622, François V de La Rochefoucauld, whose son François VI was a leading figure of La Fronde and the author of the Maxims, was made Duke by Louis XIII. They are also, since 16th century, Prince of Marcillac. Then they become during the 18th century: Duke of Liancourt (François XII, eminent philanthropist, saying to Louis XVI: “Sir, it’s not a revolt, it’s a revolution”), Duke of Anville and Duke of Estissac. Afterwards: Prince de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel, Duke of Doudeauville, Duke of Estrées and Duke of Bisaccia. They are also: Marquises of Montendre, of Barbezieux, of Surgères and Bayers; also Count de Duretal, Count de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel and Baron de Verteuil. They were: Blessed of the Catholic Church (the two brothers bishops massacred together at the French Revolution: Pierre-Louis and François-Joseph de La Rochefoucauld-Bayers), cardinals (François, Dominique, …), bishops, grand maîtres de la garde-robe and Grand Huntsman of France, chambellans, ministers, lieutenants general of the armies, UK field marshal, Denmark marshal, ambassadors, grand hospitaller of the Order of Malta, presidents and founders of multiple clubs (jockey club, polo, …). Many of them were elevated in the Order of the Légion d'Honneur and around 40 of them were/are members of the Sovereign Order of Malta (including 10 nowadays). The castle of La Rochefoucauld has been in the family since the 10th century. The La Rochefoucauld-Montbel owned the Lascaux caves at the moment of their discovery and are closely linked to the Pellevoisin sanctuary (holy Mary apparitions) in France.
Origins of the name
Authors have advanced, but without evidence, that the first member of this family, Adémar, known as Amaury or Esmerin, by Viscounty of Limoges, or the son of the lord Hugh I of Lusignan. This latter hypothesis could be reinforced by the armorial bearings of the family. The work of André Debord leaves it to the house of Montbron in the 12th century.
The seigniory of La Roche was originally a barony in the 13th century. The descendants of Foucauld I de La Roche and of Jarsande, united their name Foucauld.
Lords then Barons de La Rochefoucauld (10th–15th centuries)
Adémar de La Roche, (952–1037).
Foucauld I de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), Lord de La Rochefoucauld (978–1047), married and had four children
Guy I de La Rochefoucauld(son of preceding), Lord de La Rochefoucauld, founded in 1060 the priory of Saint-Florent de La Rochefoucauld.
Guy II de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), Lord de La Rochefoucauld (1081). He married Eve, they had three children.
Guy III de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), Lord de La Rochefoucauld (died 1120).
Aymar de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), Lord de La Rochefoucauld et de Verteuil (died in 1140). Led several wars against Wulgrin II, count of Angoulême. He married Mathilde de Chabanais.
Guy IV de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), Lord de La Rochefoucauld, Verteuil, Marthon, Blanzac. He was in war against William of Angoulême; in 1170 he assisted the dedication of the Abbaye de Saint-Amant-de-Boixe. Married the daughter of Aimery, vicomte de Rochechouart, and they had two children.
Foucauld II de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding) Lord de La Rochefoucauld. He served in the army of the King Philip II Augustus, and was made prisoner in 1198 at the battle of Gisors. He was father of four children.
Guy V de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), founded the Cordeliers Convent d'Angoulême in 1230.
Aimeri I de La Rochefoucauld (brother of preceding and son of Foucauld II), Lord de La Rochefoucauld in 1219, and of Verteuil comte de la Marche. He died after 1250. He married Létice de Parthenay, and they had five children.
Guy VI de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), Lord de La Rochefoucauld, de Verteuil, de Marthon, de Saint Claud, de Saint Laurent, de Blanzac et de Cellefrouin, rallied to the cause of Hugues VII de Lusignan, comte de La Marche, against the King of France Louis IX. In 1295, he retired to the abbaye de Grosbos, and he died th same year. He married Agnès de Rochechouart, and they had nine children.
Aimeri II de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), baron de La Rochefoucauld, Lord de Verteuil, de Marthon, de Saint Claud, de Saint Laurent, de Blanzac, de Monteil et de Cellefrouin (v.1265–1295). In 1280 he married Dauphine de La Tour-d'Auvergne, and they had five children.
Aimeri III de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), baron de La Rochefoucauld. Rendered service to the King Philippe VI (1338). Died 16 September 1362. He married Rogette de Grailly, and they had Gui VIII.
Foucauld III de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), baron de La Rochefoucauld, councillor, chamberlain of king Charles VII (died 1467). Chevalier (1451), participated in the siege of Fronsac. Rescued King Charles VII and his château (from 12 July until 27 July 1453, at the battle of Castillon, which marked the end of the Hundred Years War. He married Jeanne de Rochechouart who gave him three children.
François VI de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), duc de La Rochefoucauld (15 December 1613 – 17 March 1680). Married Andrée de Vivonne (20 January 1628). moralist writer (Maximes, Mémoires), He wrote a history of the Fronde.
Alexandre I de La Rochefoucauld (son of François VIII), duc de La Rochefoucauld (29 September 1690 – 1762). Married Elisabeth-Marie-Louise-Nicole de Caylard de Toiras d'Amboise (30 July 1715).
Marie-Louise-Elisabeth (daughter of Alexandre). Married (28 February 1732) to her cousin Jean-Baptiste Louis Frédéric de La Rochefoucauld de Roye, duc d'Anville. As Alexandre had no surviving male heir, by letters patent of Louis XV, the title duc de La Rochefoucauld was transmitted to the male issue of Marie-Louise-Elisabeth on the condition that she married a member of the La Rochefoucauld family. She chose her cousin Jean-Baptiste.
François XV de La Rochefoucauld, duc de La Rochefoucauld (14 April 1818 – 4 December 1879). Married (Paris, 1852) with Radegonde-Euphrasie Bouvery (Paris, 13 March 1832 – Paris, 7 November 1901).
François-Alfred-Gaston XVI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (Paris, 21 April 1853 – Monaco, 24 February 1925). Married (11 February 1892)[1] with Mattie-Elizabeth Mitchell (Portland (Oregon), 28 August 1866 – Paris, 21 February 1933).[2] They rest at the chapel of château de La Rochefoucauld.[3] Mattie-Elizabeth Mitchell was the daughter of U.S. SenatorJohn H. Mitchell.
Marie-François-Gabriel-Alfred, duc de La Rochefoucauld (Paris, 27 September 1854 – Paris, 29 July 1926). Brother of François XV, the ducal title was transferred to him. Married (5 June 1884) with Pauline Piscatory de Vaufreland.
François XVIII de La Rochefoucauld, duc de La Rochefoucauld, duc de Liancourt, duc d'Anville (Paris, 12 December 1920 – 29 novembre 2011). Married (Paris, 11 October 1950) with Sonia Marie Matossian.
François XIX de La Rochefoucauld (François-Alexandre), 15th duc de La Rochefoucauld, 10th duc de Liancourt, duc d'Anville, prince de Marcillac (born 2 April 1958, Neuilly-sur-Seine), son of François XVIII.
These branches were formed by Louis de La Rochefoucauld, Lord of Montendre, Montguyon, Roissac and des Salles, who was a younger son of François I de La Rochefoucauld, comte de La Rochefoucauld (d. 1541), by his second marriage Barbe du Bois. He married Jacquette de Mortemer in 1534. His son was François de La Rochefoucauld (d. 1600), Lord of Montguyon, Baron of Montendre, who married Hélène de Goulard (only daughter and heiress of Egmond Goulard, Lord of Marsay). His son, Isaac de La Rochefoucauld (d. c. 1626), Lord of Montguyon, Baron of Montendre, married Hélène de Fonsèque (daughter of Charles de Fonsèque, Lord of Surgères) in 1600. Among others, they were the parents of Charles, progenitor of the Montendre branch and François, progenitor of the Surgères branch.
Marquis of Montendre
Charles de La Rochefoucauld, 1st Marquis of Montendre (son of Isaac). He married Renée Thévin in 1633.
Charles-Louis de La Rochefoucauld, 2nd Marquis of Montendre. He married Anne de Pithou (daughter of Pierre de Pithou, Lord of Luyere).
Louis de La Rochefoucauld (d. 1742), 4th Marquis of Montendre. He married Suzanne d'Argouges in 1710. No issue.
Marquis of Surgères
François de La Rochefoucauld (c. 1620–c. 1680), 1st Marquis of Surgères. He married Anne de Philippier
Charles-François de La Rochefoucauld (c. 1643–c. 1714), 2nd Marquis of Surgères. He married Anne de La Rochefoucauld (daughter of Benjamin de La Rochefoucauld, baron d'Estissac) in 1662.
François de La Rochefoucauld (1664–1731), 3rd Marquis of Surgères. He married Angélique Lee (widow of François Lucas de Démuin) in 1704.
Alexandre-Nicolas de La Rochefoucauld (1709–1760), 4th Marquis of Surgères, Lieutenant General of the King's Armies. He married Jeanne-Thérèse Fleuriau de Morville (daughter of Charles-Jean-Baptiste Fleuriau de Morville) in 1728.
Jean-François de La Rochefoucauld (1735–1789), 5th Marquis of Surgères, governor of Chartres. He married Anne Chauvelin de Grosbois, daughter of Germain Louis Chauvelin, Marquis of Grosbois) in 1752.
Dukes of Doudeaville (1782–1995), of Bisaccia (1851–1995), and of Estrées (1892–1907)
The title Duke of Doudeauville (Duc de Doudeauville) was created for Ambroise-Polycarpe, 6th Marquis of Surgères (premier Baron of the Boulonnais), in 1780 by King Louis XVI in the Peerage of France. It was also created in 1782 by Charles III in the Kingdom of Spain (through his wife as heir to the title of Duke of Doudeauville of the Le Tellier de Courtanvaux family), granting him the Rank of Grandee of Spain, 1st Class. The title was recognized by the peerage ordinance of 4 June 1814; a Hereditary peer of France on 19 August 1815, Hereditary Duke-Peer on 31 August 1817 by King Louis XVIII during his 2nd reign.[5] The title became extinct in 1995 upon the death of the 7th Duke. The Duke of Bisaccia (Duca di Bisaccia) title was created for Sosthènes II on 16 May 1851 by King Ferdinand II in the peerage of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (second creation; through his grandmother's family, the Montmorency-Lavals). Inscription among the Bavarian nobility as Princes under the title Duke of Bisaccia (Herzog von Bisaccia), on 24 November 1855 by King Maximilian II.[5] It also became extinct in 1995. The designation of the title of Duke of Doudeauville was changed to Duke of Estrées in Spain in 1893 by King Alfonso XIII when it was transferred to Sosthènes II's second son, Charles, but became extinct upon the Duke's death, without male issue, in 1907.[5]
Marie-Carmen de La Rochefoucauld (1902–1999). She married Count of Mailly-Nesles in 1928.
Stanislas de La Rochefoucauld (1903–1965), Count. He married Sophie Alice Cocea in 1926; and Princess Jeanne Princess of San Felice de Viggiano in 1947.
Élisabeth de La Rochefoucauld (1909–2006) married Elliot Robert Le Gras du Luart de Montsaulnin in 1929; and Mario Fausto Maria Pinci in 1958.
Marquis of Bayers; Baron of La Rochefoucauld-Bayers (1817)
This branch was originated by Geoffroy de La Rochefoucauld, Lord of Verteuil (d. c. 1329) from whom descended Guillaume de La Rochefoucauld, Lord of Nouans (d. c. 1487).[5] One of his sons, Guillaume de La Rochefoucauld (d. c. 1512) founded the branch by Bayers building the Château de Bayers becoming Lord of Bayers (Seigneur de Bayers). His descendant, Louis-Antoine de La Rochefoucauld-Bayers, obtained the title, Marquis of Bayers.[6]
The male line of this branch became extinct in 1940 upon the death of Raoul-Gustave de La Rochefoucauld, Marquis of Bayers (1845–1940), who died without issue from his marriage to Elisabeth de Griffon-Sénéjac. The female line ended with Victoria de La Rochefoucauld-Bayers (1880-1950), the daughter of a cousin of Raoul-Gustave, who died unmarried in 1950.[6]
Barruly argent and azure, overall three chevrons gules, the uppermost écimé.[7][8][better source needed]
(Sometimes represented with the upper chevron extending beyond the shield, its tip cut off by the edge.)
These arms can be seen as those of Lusignan (barruly argent and azure) with the addition of the chevrons as a brisure. For this reason certain authors have claimed that the house of Rochefoucauld had a common origin with that of Lusignan.
Quarterly: 1 and 4 as above; 2 and 3, Or an escutcheon azure.[8]
François XII de La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt (1747–1827), duc de Liancourt, then duc de La Rochefoucauld, politician, scientist and philanthropist. Quarterly: 1 and 4, Gules a bend argent (de Roye); 2, Or a lion azure, armed and langued gules. Over all the arms of Rochefoucauld as above.[10][better source needed]
Potter, David, ed. (2004). Foreign Intelligence And Information in Elizabethan England: Two English Treatises on the State of France, 1580–1584. Camden Fifth Series. Vol. 25. Cambridge University Press. p. 95 (footnote 251). ISBN978-0-521-84724-7.