The French
lordship
A lordship is a territory held by a lord. It was a landed estate that served as the lowest administrative and judicial unit in rural areas. It originated as a unit under the feudal system during the Middle Ages. In a lordship, the functions of econ ...
of Montpensier (named after the village of
Montpensier
The French lordship of Montpensier (named after the village of Montpensier, département of Puy-de-Dôme), located in historical Auvergne, became a countship in the 14th century.
It changed hands from the House of Thiern, to the House of Beau ...
,
département
In the administrative divisions of France, the department (french: département, ) is one of the three levels of government under the national level (" territorial collectivities"), between the administrative regions and the communes. Ninety ...
of
Puy-de-Dôme
Puy-de-Dôme (; oc, label=Auvergnat, lo Puèi de Doma or ''lo Puèi Domat'') is a department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region in the centre of France. In 2019, it had a population of 662,152.[Auvergne
Auvergne (; ; oc, label= Occitan, Auvèrnhe or ) is a former administrative region in central France, comprising the four departments of Allier, Puy-de-Dôme, Cantal and Haute-Loire. Since 1 January 2016, it has been part of the new region Au ...]
, became a
countship
Count (feminine: countess) is a historical title of nobility in certain European countries, varying in relative status, generally of middling rank in the hierarchy of nobility. Pine, L. G. ''Titles: How the King Became His Majesty''. New York: ...
in the 14th century.
It changed hands from the House of Thiern, to the House of Beaujeau, to the House of Drieux, to the House of Beaujeau again, and finally to the House of Ventadour, before it was sold in 1384 by Bernard and Robert de Ventadour to
John, Duke of Berry
John of Berry or John the Magnificent (French: ''Jean de Berry'', ; 30 November 1340 – 15 June 1416) was Duke of Berry and Auvergne and Count of Poitiers and Montpensier. He was Regent of France during the minority of his nephew 1380-1388 ...
, whose sons Charles and John were the first two to hold the title of ''Count of Montpensier''.
After their deaths without issue, their younger sister Marie brought the countship to her third husband,
John I, Duke of Bourbon
John of Bourbon (1381–1434) was Duke of Bourbon, from 1410 to his death and Duke of Auvergne since 1416. He was the eldest son of Louis II and Anne of Auvergne. Through his mother, John inherited the County of Forez.
During the Armagnac†...
(1381–1434). The countship was subsequently held by
Louis de Bourbon Louis de Bourbon may refer to:
* Louis I, Duke of Bourbon (1279 – 1342), Count of Clermont-en-Beauvaisis and La Marche, and the first Duke of Bourbon
* Louis II, Duke of Bourbon, called the Good (1337 – 1410), third Duke of Bourbon
* Louis de ...
, the younger son of John and Marie, and by his descendants up to
Charles de Bourbon-Montpensier, the famous constable, who became duke of Bourbon by his marriage with his cousin,
Suzanne de Bourbon, in 1505.
In 1384–1434 and 1505–27, Montpensier followed the succession in
Duchy of Auvergne, and from 1434 onwards that of
Dauphinate of Auvergne.
Confiscated by King
Francis I Francis I or Francis the First may refer to:
* Francesco I Gonzaga (1366–1407)
* Francis I, Duke of Brittany (1414–1450), reigned 1442–1450
* Francis I of France (1494–1547), King of France, reigned 1515–1547
* Francis I, Duke of Saxe-Lau ...
, the countship was restored in 1538 to Louise de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier, Louise de Bourbon, sister of the Charles III, Duke of Bourbon, Constable of France, and widow of the prince de La Roche-sur-Yon, and to her son Louis III de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier, Louis, and was erected into a duchy in the peerage of France (''duché-pairie'') in 1539. Marie, Duchess of Montpensier, Marie, daughter and heiress of Henry, Duke of Montpensier, brought the duchy to her husband Gaston, Duke of Orléans, brother of Louis XIII of France, Louis XIII, whom she married in 1626, and their daughter and heiress, known as ''Anne, Duchess of Montpensier, La Grande Mademoiselle'' was duchess of Montpensier.
When Mademoiselle Anne died childless, her heir (but an ancestress' Huguenot marriage after being a nun may have been regarded invalid) was Elisabeth Charlotte, Princess Palatine, the then wife of Duke of Orléans. The title subsequently remained in the Orléans family, and was borne in particular by Antoine Philippe (1775–1807), son of Philippe Egalité, and by Antoine Marie Philippe Louis (1824–1890), son of King Louis-Philippe of France, Louis-Philippe and father-in-law of King Alphonso XII of Spain. Mademoiselle de Montpensier was a title conferred upon some women of the royal family, namely during the years previous to the French Revolution.
Seigneurs of Montpensier (12th century)
# Guy of Thiers, Seigneur of Montpensier
# Agnès of Thiers, Dame of Montpensier - ''daughter who married'' Humbert IV of Beaujeu, Sire of Beaujeu and Seigneur of Montpensier (Humbert I)
# Guichard I of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier - ''son''
# Guichard II of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier - ''son''
# Humbert II of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier - ''son''
# Jeanne of Beaujeu, Dame of Montpensier (Jeanne I) - ''daughter who married'' Jean II of Drieux, Count of Dreux, Seigneur of Montpensier (Jean I)
# Robert V of Dreux, Seigneur of Montpensier - ''son''
# Jean III of Dreux, Seigneur of Montpensier (Jean II) - ''brother''
# Pierre of Dreux, Seigneur of Montpensier ''brother''
# Jeanne I of Dreux, Dame of Montpensier (Jeanne II) - ''daughter''
# Louis I of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier - ''descendant of a brother of Humbert II of Beaujeu, Seigneur of Montpensier
# Marguerite of Beaujeu, Dame of Montpensier - ''daughter who married'' Ebles VIII of Ventadour, Viscount of Ventadour, Seigneur of Montpensier
# Bernard of Ventadour, Seigneur of Montpensier (1346–1384) - ''son''
Counts of Montpensier (1384)
# Charles de Valois, Count of Montpensier (1362–1382) - ''son of John, Duke of Berry, John de Valois, Duke of Berry and Auvergne''
# John de Valois, Count of Montpensier (1363–1401) - ''brother''
# Marie, Duchess of Auvergne, Marie of Valois, Countess of Montpensier (1375–1434) - ''sister of John; in 1400 she married
John I, Duke of Bourbon
John of Bourbon (1381–1434) was Duke of Bourbon, from 1410 to his death and Duke of Auvergne since 1416. He was the eldest son of Louis II and Anne of Auvergne. Through his mother, John inherited the County of Forez.
During the Armagnac†...
''
# Louis I, Count of Montpensier, Louis I de Bourbon, Count of Montpensier (1405–1486) - ''third and younger surviving son''
# Gilbert, Count of Montpensier, Gilbert de Bourbon, Count of Montpensier (1448–1496) - ''son of Louis I''
# Louis II, Count of Montpensier, Louis II de Bourbon, Count of Montpensier (1483–1501) - ''son of Gilbert''
# Charles III, Duke of Bourbon, Charles III de Bourbon, Count of Montpensier (1490–1527) - ''brother of Louis II''
Dukes of Montpensier (1539)
# Louise de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier (1482–1561) - ''sister of Charles III''
# Louis, Duke of Montpensier, Louis de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier (1513–1582) - ''son of Louise''
# François de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier (1542–1592) - ''son of Louis''
# Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier (1573–1608) - ''son of François''
# Marie de Bourbon, Duchess of Montpensier (1605–1627) - ''daughter of Henri''
# Anne Marie Louise d'Orléans, Duchess of Montpensier (''La Grande Mademoiselle'') (1627–1693) - ''daughter of Marie''
# Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, Philippe de France, Duke of Orléans (1640–1701) - ''first cousin of Anne Marie Louise, given title in 1695 by Louis XIV''
# Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1674–1723) - ''son of Philippe''
# Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Louis d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1703–1752) - ''son of Philippe''
# Louis Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, Louis Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1725–1785) - ''son of Louis''
# Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (''Philippe Égalité'') (1747–1793) - ''son of Louis Philippe I''
# Louis-Philippe of France, Louis Philippe d'Orléans, King of the French, Duke of Montpensier (1773–1850) - ''son of Louis Philippe Joseph''
# Prince Philippe, Count of Paris, Philippe d'Orléans, Count of Paris, Duke of Montpensier (1838–1894) - ''grandson of Louis Philippe''
# Prince Philippe, Duke of Orléans (1869–1926), Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1869–1926) - ''son of Philippe''
# Prince Jean, Duke of Guise, Jean d'Orléans, Duke of Guise, Duke of Montpensier (1874–1940) - ''cousin of Philippe''
# Henri, Count of Paris (1908–1999), Henri d'Orléans, Count of Paris, Duke of Montpensier (1908–1999) - ''son of Jean''
# Henri, Count of Paris (born 1933), Henri d'Orléans, Count of Paris, Duke of France, Duke of Montpensier (born 1933-2019) - ''son of Henri''
# Jean, Count of Paris, Jean d'Orléans, Count of Paris, Duke of Vendôme (born 1965) - ''son of Henri''
Courtesy title
The title Duke of Montpensier has been used as a courtesy title by other members of the House of Orléans:
* Antoine Philippe, Duke of Montpensier, Antoine Philippe d'Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1775–1807) second son of Louis Philippe II, Duke of Orléans
* Antoine, Duke of Montpensier, Antoine d'Orléans, Duke of Montpensier (1824–1890) youngest son of Louis-Philippe of France, Louis Philippe, King of the French
* Duchess Marie Therese of Württemberg, Duchess Marie Therese of Württemberg, Duchess of Montpensier (born 1934), wife of Henri, Count of Paris (born 1933), Henri, comte de Paris, duc de France
See also
*List of consorts of Montpensier
*House of Bourbon
*House of Bourbon-Montpensier
*House of Orléans
*La Princesse de Montpensier (novella)
*La Princesse de Montpensier
References
*{{EB1911 , wstitle=Montpensier, Counts and Dukes of , volume=18 , page=789
Counts of Montpensier,
Dukes of Montpensier,