Gaston, Duke of Orléans
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Gaston Jean-Baptiste, Duke of Orléans (April 25, 1608, Fontainebleau – February 2, 1660, Blois), was the third son of the French king Henry IV and of his wife Marie de' Medici.
Known at first as the Duke of Anjou, he became duc d'Orléans, Count of Blois and Count of Chartres in 1626, and had nominal command of the army which besieged La Rochelle in 1628, having already entered upon that course of political intrigue which would occupy the remainder of his life. On two occasions he had to leave France for conspiring against the government of his mother and of Cardinal Richelieu; and after waging an unsuccessful war in Languedoc, he took refuge in Flanders. Reconciled with his brother Louis XIII, he plotted against Richelieu in 1635, fled from the country, and then submitted to the king and the cardinal.
Soon afterwards the same process repeated itself. Orleans stirred up Cinq-Mars to attempt Richelieu's murder, and then deserted his unfortunate accomplice (1642). In 1643, on the death of Louis XIII, Gaston became lieutenant-general of the kingdom, and fought against Spain on the northern frontiers of France; he was created duc d'Alençon in 1646. However, during the wars of the Fronde (1648–1653), he passed with great facility from one party to the other. Then exiled by Mazarin to Blois in 1652, he remained there until his death.
[edit] Issue
Gaston first married on August 6, 1626, at Nantes, Marie (d. 1627), daughter and heiress of Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier. He later married on January 31, 1632, at Nancy, Marguerite (d. 1672), sister of Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine. By Marie he had a daughter and a son:
- Anne, Duchess of Montpensier (1627–1693) (Mademoiselle de Montpensier or La Grande Mademoiselle, to distinguish her from Mademoiselle, the daughter of Monsieur, Louis XIV's brother)
- Jean Gaston (c. 1626)
By Marguerite he had four daughters and a son, who died very young:
- Marguerite Louise (July 28, 1645, Paris – September 17, 1721 Paris), married in Florence on June 20, 1661 Cosimo III de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany (separated 1675).
- Elizabeth (December 26, 1646, Paris – March 17, 1696, Versailles), duchesse d'Alençon, married at St. Germain-en-Laye on May 15, 1667 Louis Joseph, Duke of Guise.
- Françoise Madeleine (October 13, 1648, St. Germain-en-Laye – January 14, 1664, Turin), married at The Louvre March 4, 1663 Charles Emmanuel II of Savoy, no issue.
- Marie Anne (November 9, 1652, Paris – August 17, 1695, Blois), Mademoiselle de Chartres.
[edit] Ancestors
Gaston's ancestors in three generations
| Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme | |||||||||
| Antoine of Navarre | |||||||||
| Françoise d'Alençon | |||||||||
| Henry IV of France | |||||||||
| Henry II of Navarre | |||||||||
| Jeanne III of Navarre | |||||||||
| Marguerite de Navarre | |||||||||
| Gaston, Duke of Orléans | |||||||||
| Cosimo I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany | |||||||||
| Francesco I de' Medici, Grand Duke of Tuscany | |||||||||
| Eleonora di Toledo | |||||||||
| Marie de' Medici | |||||||||
| Ferdinand I, Holy Roman Emperor | |||||||||
| Johanna of Austria | |||||||||
| Anna of Bohemia and Hungary | |||||||||
This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
de:Jean-Baptiste Gaston de Bourbon, duc d’Orléans el:Γκαστών της Ορλεάνης es:Gastón de Orleans eo:Gaston de Francio fr:Gaston de France it:Gastone d'Orléans he:גאסטון, דוכס אורליאן nl:Gaston van Orléans ja:ガストン (オルレアン公) pl:Gaston (książę Orleanu) pt:Gastão, Duque de Orléans ru:Гастон Орлеанский fi:Gaston de France sv:Gaston av Orléans zh:加斯东 (奥尔良公爵)
