Duke of Fronsac

Dukedom of Fronsac
Dukedom of Fronsac
	Arms of the Vignerot du Plessis family
Creation date	1634 (second creation)
First holder	Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu
Last holder	Armand Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis
Extinction date	1822

Last updated February 27, 2022

Duke of Fronsac (French: duc de Fronsac) was a title of French nobility, first created by promoting the seigneurie of Fronsac to a duchy in 1608, but the title became extinct a few decades later. This title was revived in 1634 for Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu, better known as Cardinal Richelieu, and it survived until the 19th century.

First creation

The title of duc de Fronsac was first created in 1608 for the House of Longueville, a bastard-cadet branch of the House of Valois. The mother of the first duke, Anne de Caumont (1574–1642), held the lesser title of marquis de Fronsac when her son Léonor II d'Orléans was created a duke. The title became extinct after the first duke died without an heir and the title passed to his father, who had no other issue.

In 1608, Léonor II d'Orléans (1605–1622) was created 1st Duke of Fronsac and held the title until his death in January 1622. Having no heir, the title was passed to his father.
Beginning in 1622, the title was in the possession of the first duke's father, François III d'Orléans (1570–1631), 2nd Duke of Fronsac, Duke of Château-Thierry and Count of Saint-Pol. Having no other heirs after his only son preceded him in death, the title became extinct when François III died in 1631.

Second creation

In 1634, the title of duc de Fronsac was revived for Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu, who already held the title of Duke of Richelieu. The title of Duke of Fronsac was often used by subsequent Dukes of Richelieu as a titre d'attente, or courtesy title, for the heir to the Dukedom of Richelieu.

From 1634 to 1642, the title was held by Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu (1585–1642), 1st Duke of Richelieu.
From 1642 to 1646, the title was held by the cardinal-duc's nephew, Jean Armand de Maillé-Brézé (1613–1646), Marquis de Brézé.
The title was held from 1646 to 1674 by the former's sister, Claire Clémence de Maillé (1628–1694), Princess of Condé, who ceded the title in 1674 to her cousin (see below).
From 1674 to 1715, the title was held by Armand Jean de Vignerot du Plessis (1629–1715), 2nd Duke of Richelieu.
From 1715 to 1788, the title was held by Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis (1696–1788), 3rd Duke of Richelieu. He was known from birth as the duc de Fronsac as a courtesy title.
From 1788 to 1791, the title was held by Louis Antoine Sophie de Vignerot du Plessis (1736–1791), 4th Duke of Richelieu. He was known as the duc de Fronsac when his father held the more senior title of duc de Richelieu.
From 1791 to 1822, the title was held by Armand Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis (1766–1822), 5th Duke of Richelieu and Prime Minister of France from 1815 to 1818 and 1820 to 1821. He was known from birth by the courtesy title of comte de Chinon, since the title of duc de Fronsac was being used as a courtesy title by his father until the death of the 3rd Duke of Richelieu in 1788. At that point, his father inherited the more senior title of duc de Richelieu, and Armand Emmanuel in turn used the courtesy title of duc de Fronsac. The title became extinct upon his death in 1822.

Related Research Articles

Emmanuel-Armand de Vignerot du Plessis-Richelieu, Duke of d'Aiguillon, was a French soldier and statesman, and a nephew of Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, 3rd Duke of Richelieu. He served as the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs under King Louis XV.

Armand-Désiré de Vignerot du Plessis-Richelieu, duc d'Aiguillon, was a French military officer and politician.

Armand-Emmanuel Sophie Septimanie de Vignerot du Plessis, 5th Duke of Richelieu and Fronsac, was a prominent French statesman during the Bourbon Restoration. He was known by the courtesy title of Count of Chinon until 1788, then Duke of Fronsac until 1791, when he succeeded his father as Duke of Richelieu.

Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, duc de Richelieu, was a French soldier, diplomat and statesman. He joined the army and participated in three major wars. He eventually rose to the rank of Marshal of France.

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Jean Armand de Maillé, Duke of Fronsac, Marquis of Brézé was a French admiral.

A prince du sang is a person legitimately descended in male line from a sovereign. The female equivalent was princess of the blood, being applied to the daughter of a prince of the blood. The most prominent examples include members of the French royal line, but the term prince of the blood has been used in other families more generally, for example among the British royal family and when referring to the Shinnōke.

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Duke of Richelieu was a title of French nobility. It was created on 26 November 1629 for Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu who, as a Roman Catholic clergyman, had no issue to pass it down to. It instead passed to his great-nephew, Armand Jean de Vignerot, grandson of his elder sister Françoise du Plessis (1577–1615), who had married René de Vignerot, Seigneur de Pontcourlay.

Armand Jean de Vignerot du Plessis, duc de Richelieu, was a French naval officer and nobleman.

Louis Antoine Sophie de Vignerot du Plessis, 4th Duke of Richelieu, was a French nobleman and general. He was known by the courtesy title of Duke of Fronsac before 1788. He also held the titles of Prince de Mortagne, Marquis du Pont-Courlay, Comte de Cosnac, Baron de Barbezieux, Baron de Coze and Baron de Saugeon.

Claire Clémence de Maillé was a French noblewoman from the Brézé family and a niece of Cardinal Richelieu. She married Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé, known as Le Grand Condé, and became the mother of Henri Jules. She was Princess of Condé and Duchess of Fronsac.

Élisabeth Sophie de Lorraine was a French noblewoman and the second wife of Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, the notoriously lecherous Duke of Richelieu.

Urbain de Maillé-Brézé, was a 17th-century French soldier and diplomat, who was a Marshal of France, Ambassador to Sweden in 1632, and Viceroy of Catalonia 1641 to 1642.

Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, duke of Richelieu was a French soldier and statesman.

References

↑ Quartering the arms of Vignerot and of du Plessis de Richelieu.

External links

European Heraldry page

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[1] Quartering the arms of Vignerot and of du Plessis de Richelieu.

[1]

Dukedom of Fronsac
Arms of the Vignerot du Plessis family^[1]
Creation date	1634 (second creation)
First holder	Armand Jean du Plessis de Richelieu
Last holder	Armand Emmanuel de Vignerot du Plessis
Extinction date	1822