Nicholas II, Duke of Lorraine
Encyclopedia
Nicholas Francis also known as Nicholas II, was briefly Duke of Lorraine and Duke of Bar for a few months in 1634, spanning the time between the abdication of his older brother and his own resignation. He was therefore Duke during the invasion of Lorraine by the French in the Thirty Years War.
and his wife, Christina of Salm
. Born on the feast of Saint Nicholas
, he was named in his honour. His sister was Marguerite of Lorraine
, the Duchess of Orléans and wife of Gaston, Duke of Orléans
.
As it appeared unlikely that he would succeed to the duchy, he was destined for the church. He was made coadjutor bishop of Toul, in spite of his youth, in 1619 and succeeded to the see in 1624, but never actually received any sacred orders. He studied philosophy and theology at the University of Pont-à-Mousson
, 1622—1629. He returned to Nancy in June 1629. The thesis he prepared on the sacrament of penance was printed in Holland in 1627 with a dedication to Pope Urban VIII
. After his promotion to the cardinalate, he received private lessons from two Jesuit priests.
Nicholas Francis was named abbot in commendam
— a lucrative sinecure
— of several abbeys and was sent on several embassies by his brother, Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine
, and by Louis XIII of France
.
He was created cardinal 19 January 1626, but in pectore
, the appointment remaining unproclaimed until 30 August 1627. He never received the red hat or a cardinal-deaconry. When in 1634 his brother Charles was pressured into resigning his realm
in his favor, he became sovereign Duke of Lorraine. He wrote to Pope Urban VIII, 4 March 1634, resigning the cardinalate to marry his cousin Claude of Lorraine, the second daughter of Henry I, on 17–18 February. On 8 March 1634, the pope declared him in nullo e sacris ordinis constitutum, depriving him of the cardinalate and the diocese of Toul. In the consistory
of 22 March 1634, the pope communicated the news to the cardinals.
Immediately following Nicholas's accession to the dukedom, the French invaded the duchy and forced the new duke to sign a treaty recognizing their right to occupy it. In April 1634, Nicholas himself fled into exile, and soon after abdicated himself, returning the claim to the duchy to his older brother, Charles
. With one brief exception, Charles would not, however, be able to return to his duchy until 1661.
Biography
Nicholas Francis was the youngest son of duke Francis II of LorraineFrancis II, Duke of Lorraine
Francis II , was the son of Charles III, Duke of Lorraine and Claude of Valois. He was Duke of Lorraine briefly in 1624, quickly abdicating in favour of his son.-Biography:...
and his wife, Christina of Salm
Christina of Salm
Christina of Salm, , was a duchess consort of Lorraine; married in 1597 to Francis II, Duke of Lorraine.Issue:# Henri de Lorraine, Marquis of Hattonchâtel died in childhood;...
. Born on the feast of Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas
Saint Nicholas , also called Nikolaos of Myra, was a historic 4th-century saint and Greek Bishop of Myra . Because of the many miracles attributed to his intercession, he is also known as Nikolaos the Wonderworker...
, he was named in his honour. His sister was Marguerite of Lorraine
Marguerite of Lorraine
Marguerite of Lorraine was a duchess of Orléans and Alençon. She was born in Nancy, Lorraine to Francis II, Duke of Lorraine, and Countess Christina of Salm. On 31 January 1632, she married Gaston, Duke of Orléans, son of Henry IV of France and Marie de' Medici...
, the Duchess of Orléans and wife of Gaston, Duke of Orléans
Gaston, Duke of Orléans
Gaston of France, , also known as Gaston d'Orléans, was the third son of King Henry IV of France and his wife Marie de Medici. As a son of the king, he was born a Fils de France. He later acquired the title Duke of Orléans, by which he was generally known during his adulthood...
.
As it appeared unlikely that he would succeed to the duchy, he was destined for the church. He was made coadjutor bishop of Toul, in spite of his youth, in 1619 and succeeded to the see in 1624, but never actually received any sacred orders. He studied philosophy and theology at the University of Pont-à-Mousson
Pont-à-Mousson
Pont-à-Mousson is a commune in the Meurthe-et-Moselle department in north-eastern France.Population : 14,592 . It is an industrial town , situated on the Moselle River...
, 1622—1629. He returned to Nancy in June 1629. The thesis he prepared on the sacrament of penance was printed in Holland in 1627 with a dedication to Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII
Pope Urban VIII , born Maffeo Barberini, was pope from 1623 to 1644. He was the last pope to expand the papal territory by force of arms, and was a prominent patron of the arts and reformer of Church missions...
. After his promotion to the cardinalate, he received private lessons from two Jesuit priests.
Nicholas Francis was named abbot in commendam
In Commendam
In canon law, commendam was a form of transferring an ecclesiastical benefice in trust to the custody of a patron...
— a lucrative sinecure
Sinecure
A sinecure means an office that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour, or active service...
— of several abbeys and was sent on several embassies by his brother, Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine
Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine
Charles IV was Duke of Lorraine from 1624 to 1634, when he abdicated under French pressure in favor of his younger brother, and again from 1661 until 1675.- Biography :...
, and by Louis XIII of France
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...
.
He was created cardinal 19 January 1626, but in pectore
In pectore
In pectore is a term used in the Catholic Church to refer to appointments to the College of Cardinals by the Pope when the name of the newly appointed cardinal is not publicly revealed...
, the appointment remaining unproclaimed until 30 August 1627. He never received the red hat or a cardinal-deaconry. When in 1634 his brother Charles was pressured into resigning his realm
Realm
A realm is a dominion of a monarch or other sovereign ruler.The Old French word reaume, modern French royaume, was the word first adopted in English; the fixed modern spelling does not appear until the beginning of the 17th century...
in his favor, he became sovereign Duke of Lorraine. He wrote to Pope Urban VIII, 4 March 1634, resigning the cardinalate to marry his cousin Claude of Lorraine, the second daughter of Henry I, on 17–18 February. On 8 March 1634, the pope declared him in nullo e sacris ordinis constitutum, depriving him of the cardinalate and the diocese of Toul. In the consistory
Consistory
-Antiquity:Originally, the Latin word consistorium meant simply 'sitting together', just as the Greek synedrion ....
of 22 March 1634, the pope communicated the news to the cardinals.
Immediately following Nicholas's accession to the dukedom, the French invaded the duchy and forced the new duke to sign a treaty recognizing their right to occupy it. In April 1634, Nicholas himself fled into exile, and soon after abdicated himself, returning the claim to the duchy to his older brother, Charles
Charles IV, Duke of Lorraine
Charles IV was Duke of Lorraine from 1624 to 1634, when he abdicated under French pressure in favor of his younger brother, and again from 1661 until 1675.- Biography :...
. With one brief exception, Charles would not, however, be able to return to his duchy until 1661.
Ancestry
Family and issue
He married his first cousin Claude Françoise de Lorraine who died in childbirth:- Ferdinand Philippe, Hereditary Prince of Lorraine, suo jureSuo jureSuo jure is a Latin phrase meaning "in her [or his] own right".It is commonly encountered in the context of titles of nobility, especially in cases where a wife may hold a title in her own right rather than through her marriage....
Duke of Bar (29 December 1639 – 1 April 1659) - Charles Léopold, Duke of LorraineCharles V, Duke of LorraineCharles V , Karl V. Leopold, , son of Nicolas François, Duke of Lorraine, and Claude Françoise de Lorraine. Karl Leopold was born in Vienna and became the brother in law of Emperor Leopold and son in law of emperor Ferdinand III...
(3 April 1643 – 18 April 1690) married Eleonora Maria of Austria and had issue; - Anne Eléanore of Lorraine (12 May 1645 – 28 February 1648) died in infancy;
- Anne Marie Thérèse of Lorraine (30 July 1648 – 17 June 1661) Abbess of Remiremont, no issue;
- Marie Anne of Lorraine (born 30 Jul 1648, date of death unknown).