Charles Joseph, comte de Flahaut
Encyclopedia
Auguste Charles Joseph de Flahaut de La Billarderie, Comte de Flahaut de La Billarderie (21 April 1785 – 2 September 1870) was a French
general
and statesman
. He was the lover of Napoleon I
's stepdaughter, Hortense de Beauharnais
, Queen of Holland, by whom he had an illegitimate son, Charles Auguste Louis Joseph Demorny, known later as the Duc de Morny.
, the son of Alexandre Sébastien de Flahaut de La Billarderie, comte de Flahaut de La Billarderie, beheaded at Arras
in February 1793, and his wife Adélaïde Filleul
, afterwards Mme de Souza-Botelho. Charles de Flahaut was generally recognized to be the offspring of his mother's liaison with Talleyrand, with whom he was closely connected throughout his life. His mother took him with her into exile in 1792, and they remained abroad until 1798.
He entered the army as a volunteer in 1800, and received his commission after the Battle of Marengo. He became aide-de-camp to Murat
, and was wounded at the Battle of Landbach in 1805. At Warsaw
he met Anne Poniatowska, Countess Potocka, with whom he rapidly became intimate.
After the Battle of Friedland
he received the Legion of Honour, and returned to Paris in 1807. He served in Spain
in 1808, and then in Germany
.
Meanwhile the Countess Potocka had established herself in Paris, but Charles de Flahaut had by this time entered in his liaison with Hortense de Beauharnais
, Queen of Holland
. The birth of their son was registered in Paris on 21 October 1811 as Charles Auguste Louis Joseph Demorny, known later as the Duc de Morny.
Flahaut fought with distinction in the Russian campaign of 1812, and in 1813 became general of brigade, aide-de-camp to the emperor, and, after the Battle of Leipzig
, general of division.
After Napoleon's abdication in 1814 he submitted to the new government, but was placed on the retired list in September. He was assiduous in his attendance on Queen Hortense until the Hundred Days
brought him into active service again.
A mission to Vienna
to secure the return of Marie Louise resulted in failure. He was present at Waterloo
, and afterwards sought to place Napoleon II on the throne.
He was saved from exile by Talleyrand's influence, but was placed under police surveillance. Presently he elected to retire to Germany, and thence to Great Britain
, where he married in Edinburgh
on 20 June 1817 Margaret Mercer Elphinstone (1788–1867), daughter of Admiral George Keith Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith
, and after the latter's death 2nd Baroness Keith
in her own right.
The French ambassador opposed the marriage, and Flahaut resigned his commission. His eldest daughter, Emily Jane
, married Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 4th Marquess of Lansdowne
. His youngest daughter, Georgiana Gabrielle de Flahaut, (d. 16 July 1907), married on 2 February 1871 the Marquis de Lavalette, who died in 1881.
The Flahauts returned to France in 1827, and, in 1830, king Louis Philippe gave the count the grade of lieutenant-general and made him a peer of France. He remained intimately associated with Talleyrand's policy, and was, for a short time in 1831, ambassador at Berlin
.
He was afterwards attached to the household of the duke of Orléans, and, in 1841, was sent as ambassador to Vienna, where he remained until 1848, when he was dismissed and retired from the army. After the coup d'état
of 1851, he was again actively employed, and from 1860 to 1862 was ambassador at the court of St James's. He died in Paris on 1 September 1870.
In the opinion of the author of a biography on de Flahaut in Encyclopædia Britannica (Eleventh edition):
French people
The French are a nation that share a common French culture and speak the French language as a mother tongue. Historically, the French population are descended from peoples of Celtic, Latin and Germanic origin, and are today a mixture of several ethnic groups...
general
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
and statesman
Statesman
A statesman is usually a politician or other notable public figure who has had a long and respected career in politics or government at the national and international level. As a term of respect, it is usually left to supporters or commentators to use the term...
. He was the lover of Napoleon I
Napoleon I
Napoleon Bonaparte was a French military and political leader during the latter stages of the French Revolution.As Napoleon I, he was Emperor of the French from 1804 to 1815...
's stepdaughter, Hortense de Beauharnais
Hortense de Beauharnais
Hortense Eugénie Cécile Bonaparte , Queen Consort of Holland, was the stepdaughter of Emperor Napoleon I, being the daughter of his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais. She later became the wife of the former's brother, Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland, and the mother of Napoleon III, Emperor of...
, Queen of Holland, by whom he had an illegitimate son, Charles Auguste Louis Joseph Demorny, known later as the Duc de Morny.
Biography
He was born in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, the son of Alexandre Sébastien de Flahaut de La Billarderie, comte de Flahaut de La Billarderie, beheaded at Arras
Arras
Arras is the capital of the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. The historic centre of the Artois region, its local speech is characterized as a Picard dialect...
in February 1793, and his wife Adélaïde Filleul
Adelaide Filleul, Marquise de Souza-Botelho
Adélaïde-Emilie Filleul, Marquise de Souza-Botelho was a French writer.-Biography:She was born in Paris....
, afterwards Mme de Souza-Botelho. Charles de Flahaut was generally recognized to be the offspring of his mother's liaison with Talleyrand, with whom he was closely connected throughout his life. His mother took him with her into exile in 1792, and they remained abroad until 1798.
He entered the army as a volunteer in 1800, and received his commission after the Battle of Marengo. He became aide-de-camp to Murat
Murat
Murat is a male Turkish name, spelled as Murad during the Ottoman period. Its meaning can be translated roughly into Reached Desire or Accomplished Goal...
, and was wounded at the Battle of Landbach in 1805. At Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
he met Anne Poniatowska, Countess Potocka, with whom he rapidly became intimate.
After the Battle of Friedland
Battle of Friedland
The Battle of Friedland saw Napoleon I's French army decisively defeat Count von Bennigsen's Russian army about twenty-seven miles southeast of Königsberg...
he received the Legion of Honour, and returned to Paris in 1807. He served in Spain
Peninsular War
The Peninsular War was a war between France and the allied powers of Spain, the United Kingdom, and Portugal for control of the Iberian Peninsula during the Napoleonic Wars. The war began when French and Spanish armies crossed Spain and invaded Portugal in 1807. Then, in 1808, France turned on its...
in 1808, and then in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
.
Meanwhile the Countess Potocka had established herself in Paris, but Charles de Flahaut had by this time entered in his liaison with Hortense de Beauharnais
Hortense de Beauharnais
Hortense Eugénie Cécile Bonaparte , Queen Consort of Holland, was the stepdaughter of Emperor Napoleon I, being the daughter of his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais. She later became the wife of the former's brother, Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland, and the mother of Napoleon III, Emperor of...
, Queen of Holland
Kingdom of Holland
The Kingdom of Holland 1806–1810 was set up by Napoleon Bonaparte as a puppet kingdom for his third brother, Louis Bonaparte, in order to better control the Netherlands. The name of the leading province, Holland, was now taken for the whole country...
. The birth of their son was registered in Paris on 21 October 1811 as Charles Auguste Louis Joseph Demorny, known later as the Duc de Morny.
Flahaut fought with distinction in the Russian campaign of 1812, and in 1813 became general of brigade, aide-de-camp to the emperor, and, after the Battle of Leipzig
Battle of Leipzig
The Battle of Leipzig or Battle of the Nations, on 16–19 October 1813, was fought by the coalition armies of Russia, Prussia, Austria and Sweden against the French army of Napoleon. Napoleon's army also contained Polish and Italian troops as well as Germans from the Confederation of the Rhine...
, general of division.
After Napoleon's abdication in 1814 he submitted to the new government, but was placed on the retired list in September. He was assiduous in his attendance on Queen Hortense until the Hundred Days
Hundred Days
The Hundred Days, sometimes known as the Hundred Days of Napoleon or Napoleon's Hundred Days for specificity, marked the period between Emperor Napoleon I of France's return from exile on Elba to Paris on 20 March 1815 and the second restoration of King Louis XVIII on 8 July 1815...
brought him into active service again.
A mission 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 secure the return of Marie Louise resulted in failure. He was present at Waterloo
Waterloo, Belgium
Waterloo is a Walloon municipality located in the province of Walloon Brabant, Belgium. On December 31, 2009, Waterloo had a total population of 29,573. The total area is 21.03 km² which gives a population density of 1,407 inhabitants per km²...
, and afterwards sought to place Napoleon II on the throne.
He was saved from exile by Talleyrand's influence, but was placed under police surveillance. Presently he elected to retire to Germany, and thence to Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
, where he married in Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
on 20 June 1817 Margaret Mercer Elphinstone (1788–1867), daughter of Admiral George Keith Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith
George Keith Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith
George Keith Elphinstone, 1st Viscount Keith was a British admiral active throughout the Napoleonic Wars.-Career:Fifth son of the 10th Lord Elphinstone, he was born in Elphinstone Tower, near Stirling, Scotland...
, and after the latter's death 2nd Baroness Keith
Baron Keith
Baron Keith was a title that was created three times in British history, with all three creations in favour of the same person, Admiral the Honourable Sir George Keith Elphinstone...
in her own right.
The French ambassador opposed the marriage, and Flahaut resigned his commission. His eldest daughter, Emily Jane
Emily Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne
Emily Jane Mercer Elphinstone Petty-Fitzmaurice, Marchioness of Lansdowne and 8th Lady Nairne was a British peeress....
, married Henry Petty-Fitzmaurice, 4th Marquess of Lansdowne
Henry Petty-FitzMaurice, 4th Marquess of Lansdowne
Henry Thomas Petty-Fitzmaurice, 4th Marquess of Lansdowne KG , styled Lord Henry Petty-FitzMaurice until 1836 and Earl of Shelburne between 1836 and 1863, was a British politician.-Background and education:...
. His youngest daughter, Georgiana Gabrielle de Flahaut, (d. 16 July 1907), married on 2 February 1871 the Marquis de Lavalette, who died in 1881.
The Flahauts returned to France in 1827, and, in 1830, king Louis Philippe gave the count the grade of lieutenant-general and made him a peer of France. He remained intimately associated with Talleyrand's policy, and was, for a short time in 1831, ambassador at Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
.
He was afterwards attached to the household of the duke of Orléans, and, in 1841, was sent as ambassador to Vienna, where he remained until 1848, when he was dismissed and retired from the army. After the coup d'état
Coup d'état
A coup d'état state, literally: strike/blow of state)—also known as a coup, putsch, and overthrow—is the sudden, extrajudicial deposition of a government, usually by a small group of the existing state establishment—typically the military—to replace the deposed government with another body; either...
of 1851, he was again actively employed, and from 1860 to 1862 was ambassador at the court of St James's. He died in Paris on 1 September 1870.
In the opinion of the author of a biography on de Flahaut in Encyclopædia Britannica (Eleventh edition):
External links
- Biographie chez charles-de-flahaut.fr