The Mensdorff-Pouilly family is an old

aristocratic family Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. Th ...

originally from

Lorraine Lorraine, also , ; ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; ; ; is a cultural and historical region in Eastern France, now located in the administrative region of Grand Est. Its name stems from the medieval kingdom of ...

, whose members can trace back their noble lineage back to 1397.Régis Valette, ''Catalogue de la noblesse française subsistante'', pages 137 et 156, 2002. The family derived its name from the barony of Pouilly at

Stenay Stenay () is a commune in north-eastern France. It lies in the Meuse department, which is located in the Lorraine portion of the Grand Est region. Its inhabitants are called ''Stenaisiens''. History In 679, the assassinated king Dagobert ...

Meuse The Meuse or Maas is a major European river, rising in France and flowing through Belgium and the Netherlands before draining into the North Sea from the Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta. It has a total length of . History From 1301, the upper ...

History

In 1790, during the French Revolution, Albert Louis de Pouilly (1731–1795), member of an old

French nobility The French nobility () was an Aristocracy, aristocratic social class in France from the France in the Middle Ages, Middle Ages until its abolition on 23 June 1790 during the French Revolution. From 1808 to 1815 during the First French Empire, ...

dating back to 14th century, emigrated with his family. His sons Albert and

Emmanuel Immanuel or Emmanuel (, "God swith us"; Koine Greek: ) is a Hebrew name that appears in the Book of Isaiah (7:14) as a sign that God will protect the House of David. The Gospel of Matthew ( Matthew 1:22 –23) interprets this as a prophecy of ...

changed the family name to Mensdorff-Pouilly, which refers to a village in the county of Roussy in

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

. Apart from already holidng the title of Comte in the

Nobility of France The French nobility () was an aristocratic social class in France from the Middle Ages until its abolition on 23 June 1790 during the French Revolution. From 1808 to 1815 during the First Empire the Emperor Napoléon bestowed titles that we ...

, received in 1760 by

Louis XV Louis XV (15 February 1710 – 10 May 1774), known as Louis the Beloved (), was King of France from 1 September 1715 until his death in 1774. He succeeded his great-grandfather Louis XIV at the age of five. Until he reached maturity (then defi ...

, the family added another title in the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

, after escaping the French Revolution. In 1808, the family was incorporated into the

Austrian nobility The Austrian nobility () is a status group that was officially abolished in 1919 after the fall of Austria-Hungary. Austria's system of nobility was very similar to that of Germany (see German nobility), as both countries were previously part of ...

. Emmanuel von Mensdorff-Pouilly received an

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ** Austria-Hungary ** Austria ...

comital 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: ...

title from the Emperor Francis I, and he was recognized as

noble A noble is a member of the nobility. Noble may also refer to: Places Antarctica * Noble Glacier, King George Island * Noble Nunatak, Marie Byrd Land * Noble Peak, Wiencke Island * Noble Rocks, Graham Land Australia * Noble Island, Gr ...

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

(the '' Inkolat'') in 1839. Through Emmanuel's wife,

Princess Sophie of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld Princess Sophie Friederike Karoline Luise of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (16 August 1778 – 9 July 1835) was a princess of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, the sister of Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld and King Leopold I of Belgium, and the maternal ...

, the family is closely related to the royal families of

Belgium Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. It borders Norway to the west and north, and Finland to the east. At , Sweden is the largest Nordic count ...

Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

and the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. As a result of the marriage of Count Alexander von Mensdorff-Pouilly with Alexandrine von

Dietrichstein The House of Dietrichstein was one of the oldest and most prominent Austrian nobility, Austrian noble families originating in the Duchy of Carinthia. The family belonged to the Uradel, high nobility (German: ''Hochadel''). The Mikulov Castle, Niko ...

(1824–1906), daughter of

Joseph Franz, Prince of Dietrichstein Joseph Franz, Prince of Dietrichstein (28 March 1798 – 10 July 1858), was a German prince, Major general, 9th Prince (''Fürst'') of Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg, Count of Proskau-Leslie, Baron (''Freiherr'') of Hollenburg, Finkenstein and T ...

, Alexander changed his branch's name to ''Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein''. He received the

hereditary title Hereditary titles, in a general sense, are nobility titles, positions or styles that are hereditary and thus tend or are bound to remain in particular families. Though both monarchs and nobles usually inherit their titles, the mechanisms often d ...

Prince A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...

von Dietrichstein zu

Nikolsburg Mikulov (; ) is a town in Břeclav District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 7,600 inhabitants. From the 16th to the 19th century, it was the cultural centre of the Jewish community of Moravia. The historic centr ...

in 1868 from

Franz Joseph I of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...

. The

princely A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The fema ...

branch of the family died out with the death of Alexander, Prince von Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg (1899-1964), but the comital line still exists. The family motto is ''Fortitudine et caritate''.https://biblio.hiu.cas.cz/records/e17d3113-99fa-4537-83b5-cbc571ca0e8b?locale=de

Notable members

* Count

Emmanuel von Mensdorff-Pouilly Emmanuel Graf von Mensdorff-Pouilly (24 January 1777 – 28 June 1852) was an army officer in the Imperial and Royal Army during the Napoleonic Wars, Imperial-Royal Army of the Austrian Empire, and vice-governor of Mainz. He was the uncle of Q ...

(1777–1852),

Vice Governor A lieutenant governor, lieutenant-governor, or vice governor is a high officer of state, whose precise role and rank vary by jurisdiction. Often a lieutenant governor is the deputy, or lieutenant, to or ranked under a governor — a " second-in-com ...

of the

Fortress of Mainz The Fortress of Mainz was a fortressed garrison town between 1620 and 1918. At the end of the Napoleonic Wars, under the term of the 1815 Peace of Paris, the control of Mainz passed to the German Confederation and became part of a chain of str ...

. **

(1778–1835), wife of Emmanuel and sister of both King

Leopold I of Belgium Leopold I (16 December 1790 – 10 December 1865) was the first king of the Belgians, reigning from 21 July 1831 until his death in 1865. The youngest son of Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld, Leopold took a commission in the Imperial Rus ...

and

Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld Princess Victoria of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld (Marie Louise Victoire; 17 August 1786 – 16 March 1861), later Princess of Leiningen and subsequently Duchess of Kent and Strathearn, was a German princess and the mother of Queen Victoria of the ...

, thus the aunt of

Queen Victoria Victoria (Alexandrina Victoria; 24 May 1819 – 22 January 1901) was Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until Death and state funeral of Queen Victoria, her death in January 1901. Her reign of 63 year ...

of the United Kingdom. *

Alexander von Mensdorff-Pouilly, Prince von Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg Count Alexander Konstantin Albrecht von Mensdorff-Pouilly, 1st Prince von Dietrichstein zu Nikolsburg (; 4 August 1813 in Coburg – 14 February 1871) was an Austrian general, diplomat and politician, including two years as Minister of Foreign ...

(1813–1871), son of Emmanuel and Sophie; Austrian Foreign Minister (1864–1866). *

Count Albert von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein Albert Viktor Julius Joseph Michael Graf von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein (5 September 1861 – 15 June 1945) was an Austro-Hungarian diplomat who served as Ambassador to London at the outbreak of World War I. Early life Born in Lemberg ...

(1861–1945), younger son of Alexander; Austrian diplomat. * Countess Clotilde von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein (1867–1942), daughter of Prince Alexander * Count (born 1948), Czech animator.

Gallery

File:Emanuel Graf Mensdorff-Pouilly.jpg,

File:Friedrich von Amerling - Portrait of Count Alexander von Mensdorff-Pouilly, Prince von Dietrichstein zu Nicolsburg.jpg, Alexander von Mensdorff-Pouilly File:Count Albert Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein by de László.jpg, Albert von Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein

Coats of arms

File:Pouilly-Wappen Hdb.png, Original arms of the Pouilly family File:Mensdorff-Pouilly-Grafen-Wappen.png,

Comital 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: ...

arms of the Mensdorff-Pouilly family in 1844 File:Dietrichstein-Mensdorff-Pouilly.jpg,

Princely A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The fema ...

arms of the Mensdorff-Pouilly-Dietrichstein branch in 1868

Literature

* Eddie de Tassigny: ''Les Mensdorff-Pouilly. Le destin d'une famille émigrée en 1790''. Le Bois d’Hélène, Bihorel 1998.

References

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