Claude de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon
Encyclopedia
Claude de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon (August 1607 – 3 May 1693), French
courtier, was the second son of Louis de Rouvroy, seigneur du Plessis (died 1643), who had been a warm supporter of Henry of Guise and the Catholic League
.
With his elder brother he entered the service of Louis XIII
as a page and found instant favour with the king. Named first equerry in March 1627 he became in less than three years captain of the châteaux of St Germain and Versailles
, master of the hounds, first gentleman of the bed-chamber, royal councillor and governor of Meulan
and of Blaye
. On the fall of La Rochelle
he received lands in the vicinity valued at 80,000 livres. About three years later his seigniory of Saint-Simon in Vermandois was erected into a duchy, and he was created a peer of France .Despite the estrangement of later years, he had a true regard for the King, and brought his son up to revere him as the model of kingship.
He was at first on good terms with Richelieu and was of service on the Day of Dupes (11 November 1630). Having suffered disgrace for taking the part of his uncle, the baron of Saint Léger, after the capture of Catelet (15 August 1636), he retired to Blaye. He fought in the campaigns of 1638 and 1639, and after the death of Richelieu returned to court, where he was coldly received by the king (18 February 1643). Thenceforth, with the exception of siding with Condé
during the Fronde
, he took small part in politics. By his first wife, Diane de Budos de Portes, a relative of Condé, whom he married in 1644 and who died in 1670, he had three daughters. By his second wife, Charlotte de l'Aubespine, whom he married in 1672, he had a son Louis
, the "author of the memoirs".
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
courtier, was the second son of Louis de Rouvroy, seigneur du Plessis (died 1643), who had been a warm supporter of Henry of Guise and the Catholic League
Catholic League (French)
The Catholic League of France, sometimes referred to by contemporary Roman Catholics as the Holy League, a major player in the French Wars of Religion, was formed by Duke Henry of Guise in 1576...
.
With his elder brother he entered the service 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...
as a page and found instant favour with the king. Named first equerry in March 1627 he became in less than three years captain of the châteaux of St Germain and Versailles
Versailles
Versailles , a city renowned for its château, the Palace of Versailles, was the de facto capital of the kingdom of France for over a century, from 1682 to 1789. It is now a wealthy suburb of Paris and remains an important administrative and judicial centre...
, master of the hounds, first gentleman of the bed-chamber, royal councillor and governor of Meulan
Meulan
Meulan-en-Yvelines is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It hosted part of the sailing events for the 1900 Summer Olympics held in neighboring Paris, and would do so again twenty-four years later.-People:*Mbaye Niang footballer*Ibrahim Sacko...
and of Blaye
Blaye
Blaye is a commune and subprefecture in the Gironde department in Aquitaine in southwestern France.-Population:Its inhabitants are called Blayais or the Blayaises.-Geography:...
. On the fall of La Rochelle
La Rochelle
La Rochelle is a city in western France and a seaport on the Bay of Biscay, a part of the Atlantic Ocean. It is the capital of the Charente-Maritime department.The city is connected to the Île de Ré by a bridge completed on 19 May 1988...
he received lands in the vicinity valued at 80,000 livres. About three years later his seigniory of Saint-Simon in Vermandois was erected into a duchy, and he was created a peer of France .Despite the estrangement of later years, he had a true regard for the King, and brought his son up to revere him as the model of kingship.
He was at first on good terms with Richelieu and was of service on the Day of Dupes (11 November 1630). Having suffered disgrace for taking the part of his uncle, the baron of Saint Léger, after the capture of Catelet (15 August 1636), he retired to Blaye. He fought in the campaigns of 1638 and 1639, and after the death of Richelieu returned to court, where he was coldly received by the king (18 February 1643). Thenceforth, with the exception of siding with Condé
Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé
Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Condé was a French general and the most famous representative of the Condé branch of the House of Bourbon. Prior to his father's death in 1646, he was styled the Duc d'Enghien...
during the Fronde
Fronde
The Fronde was a civil war in France, occurring in the midst of the Franco-Spanish War, which had begun in 1635. The word fronde means sling, which Parisian mobs used to smash the windows of supporters of Cardinal Mazarin....
, he took small part in politics. By his first wife, Diane de Budos de Portes, a relative of Condé, whom he married in 1644 and who died in 1670, he had three daughters. By his second wife, Charlotte de l'Aubespine, whom he married in 1672, he had a son Louis
Louis de Rouvroy, duc de Saint-Simon
Louis de Rouvroy commonly known as Saint-Simon was a French soldier, diplomatist and writer of memoirs, was born in Paris...
, the "author of the memoirs".