Louis Napoléon Lannes
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Louis Napoléon Auguste Lannes, 2nd duc de Montebello (30 July 1801 – 18 July 1874) was a French diplomat and politician.


Life and career

Born in Paris, he was the son of
Jean Lannes Jean Lannes, 1st Duke of Montebello, Prince of Siewierz (10 April 1769 – 31 May 1809), was a French military commander and a Marshal of the Empire who served during both the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. He was one of Napoleon's ...
, 1st
duc de Montebello Duke of Montebello (french: duc de Montebello) was a title created by French Emperor Napoleon I in 1808 as a victory title for Marshal Jean Lannes, one of Napoleon's most daring and talented generals. Lannes commanded the advance guard in the cros ...
, Marshal of the Empire, who died from wounds received during the Battle of Essling on 22 May 1809, and his second wife, Antoinette Scholastica Guéhenneuc. He was made a peer of France on 27 January 1827 by
Charles X Charles X (born Charles Philippe, Count of Artois; 9 October 1757 – 6 November 1836) was King of France from 16 September 1824 until 2 August 1830. An uncle of the uncrowned Louis XVII and younger brother to reigning kings Louis XVI and Lou ...
in consideration of services rendered by his father; however, he took his seat at the
Palais du Luxembourg The Luxembourg Palace (french: Palais du Luxembourg, ) is at 15 Rue de Vaugirard in the 6th arrondissement of Paris. It was originally built (1615–1645) to the designs of the French architect Salomon de Brosse to be the royal residence of the ...
(meeting place of the Chamber of Peers) after the Revolution of 1830. In the meantime, he had traveled to the United States, then was attached to the Embassy of France in Rome, with the Vicomte de Chateaubriand. Lannes at first appeared, by his votes, to be linked to the
Legitimist The Legitimists (french: Légitimistes) are royalists who adhere to the rights of dynastic succession to the French crown of the descendants of the eldest branch of the Bourbon dynasty, which was overthrown in the 1830 July Revolution. They ...
faction (which supported the claims to the French throne of the elder line of the House of Bourbon), but he was soon to join fully in support of the
July Monarchy The July Monarchy (french: Monarchie de Juillet), officially the Kingdom of France (french: Royaume de France), was a liberal constitutional monarchy in France under , starting on 26 July 1830, with the July Revolution of 1830, and ending 23 F ...
and usually then voted with the
Doctrinaires During the Bourbon Restoration (1814–1830) and the July Monarchy (1830–1848), the Doctrinals (french: doctrinaires) were a group of French royalists who hoped to reconcile the monarchy with the French Revolution and power with liberty. Hea ...
. He spoke in many discussions about press freedom, the hereditary peerage (1831), imprisonment for debt, budget and progress in the army (1832). Back in diplomacy, Lannes was sent on a mission to Denmark at the Court of Copenhagen (1833), then as Minister Plenipotentiary at Berlin. In the Chamber of Peers, he supported the Cousin amendment law repealing the day of mourning in honor of
Louis XVI Louis XVI (''Louis-Auguste''; ; 23 August 175421 January 1793) was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French Revolution. He was referred to as ''Citizen Louis Capet'' during the four months just before he was ...
on 21 January. He supported the platform of Partisan laws of September 1835, and proposed to his colleagues to bring them to the manager of the newspaper ''La Tribune.'' In 1836, the Duke was appointed as ambassador of France to the Swiss Confederation in place of the Marquis de Rumigny, who was considered too favorable to Swiss liberals. He had conflicting sympathies, his appointment being intended to please Austria, with which France was seeking to get closer both to break its isolation in Europe, and to ensure the marital prospects of Prince
Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans Ferdinand Philippe, Duke of Orléans (Ferdinand Philippe Louis Charles Henri Joseph; 3 September 1810 – 13 July 1842) was the eldest son of King Louis Philippe I of France and Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily. He was born in exile in his moth ...
, the heir to the throne. He obtained, from the confederal authorities, the internment of political refugees who might disturb the security of neighboring states, and the expulsion of Prince
Louis Napoleon Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
(who lived in Swiss territory at the castle of
Arenenberg Arenenberg is an estate with a small chateau, Schloss Arenenberg, in the municipality of Salenstein at the shore of Lake Constance in Thurgau, Switzerland that is famous as the final domicile of Hortense de Beauharnais. Today it houses the ' ...
), but how this application was submitted nearly led to war between the two countries. He was then appointed to represent France in Naples, at the court of the King of the Two Sicilies, Ferdinand II (1838). The Duke of Montebello was recalled from Naples on 1 April 1839, replacing
Louis-Mathieu Molé Louis-Mathieu Molé (24 January 1781 – 23 November 1855), also 1st Count Molé from 1809 to 1815, was a French statesman, close friend and associate of Louis Philippe I, King of the French during the July Monarchy (1830–1848). Biograph ...
as foreign minister in an interim ministry, which was dissolved the following 12 May. He then handed the foreign ministry portfolio to Marshal Soult, Duke of Dalmatia, and returned to the Chamber of Peers where he spoke on literary property, on the
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
, on the Greek loan, and on child labor in factories. He returned to Naples as ambassador in 1840, where he negotiated the marriage of the
Duke of Aumale Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...
with Marie Caroline de Bourbon, Princess of Salerno (1844). On 9 May 1847, the Duke of Montebello replaced Admiral baron de Mackau as Minister of Marine and Colonies in the Guizot ministry. He presented, as such a report to the king in which he pronounced against the emancipation of slaves, and several bills relating to the court of assizes in the colonies, the body administering the control and accounts of the Navy and participated in discussions on the budget, land clearing, on the teaching and practice of medicine and pharmacy. The Duke of Montebello left government following the Revolution of 1848. However, soon after, as part of a coalition of "old parties", the duke was elected, on 13 May 1849, to the Second Republic's Legislative Assembly. The duke represented the department of Marne, where he owned large vineyards. Lannes was part of the commission which called for an extension and confined himself to vote consistently with the majority: for the Roman expedition, for the law-Falloux Parieu on free education, and for the restriction of universal suffrage. He did not immediately support the coup d'état of 2 December 1851. But he changed his mind and, on 15 February 1858, he was appointed ambassador to Russia instead of Count Rayneval. In this position, where he remained until 1864, he had to negotiate, among other things, the agreement of 6 April 1861, for the reciprocal guarantee works of art and spirit. By decree of Emperor
Napoleon III Napoleon III (Charles Louis Napoléon Bonaparte; 20 April 18089 January 1873) was the first President of France (as Louis-Napoléon Bonaparte) from 1848 to 1852 and the last monarch of France as Emperor of the French from 1852 to 1870. A nephew ...
, on 5 October 1864, he was appointed a Senator. He retired as ambassador on 6 January 1866. He had long represented the canton of Ay in the General Council of the Marne, which was one of the vice-presidents. He died at Chateau de
Mareuil-sur-Ay Mareuil-sur-Ay (, literally ''Mareuil on Ay'') is a former commune in the Marne department in north-eastern France. Since January 2016, Mareuil-sur-Aÿ is part of the administrative commune Aÿ-Champagne. Its population was 1,113 in 2019. The ...
in Marne in 1874, aged 72.


Family

He married Eleanor Jenkinson in 1830, a daughter of Sir Charles Jenkinson. They had two daughters and six sons. One of his brothers was Gustave de Montebello.


Decorations

* France: Grand Cross of the
Legion of Honour The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon ...
(30 October 1844) * Russia:
Order of St. Andrew The Order of St. Andrew the Apostle the First-Called (russian: Орден Святого апостола Андрея Первозванного, translit=Orden Svyatogo apostola Andreya Pervozvannogo) is the highest order conferred by both the ...
(conferred by the Emperor of Russia after his stay in Nice in 1864)


Sources

* ''Larousse encyclopédique en couleurs'', France Loisirs, 1978 * « Louis Napoléon Lannes », in Adolphe Robert, Edgar Bourloton et Gaston Cougny, ''Dictionnaire des parlementaires français (1789–1891)'', XIXe siècle *
État présent de la noblesse française contenant le dictionnaire de la noblesse contemporaine et l'armorial général de France d'après les manuscrits de Ch. d'Hozier
' by Antoine Bachelin-Deflorenne, libr. des bibliophiles, 1887 p. 1360 {{DEFAULTSORT:Lannes, Louis Napoleon 1801 births 1874 deaths Politicians from Paris 2 2 French Foreign Ministers Ministers of Marine and the Colonies Members of the Chamber of Peers of the Bourbon Restoration Members of the Chamber of Peers of the July Monarchy Members of the National Legislative Assembly of the French Second Republic French Senators of the Second Empire Ambassadors of France to the Kingdom of Naples Ambassadors of France to Switzerland 19th-century French diplomats École Polytechnique alumni Grand Croix of the Légion d'honneur Ambassadors of France to the Russian Empire