Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, 3rd Duke of Richelieu
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| 3rd Armand Jean de Vignerot du Plessis |
Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, 3rd Duke of Richelieu (pronounced [aʁmɑ̃ d(ə) viɲəʁo dy plɛsi]; 13 March 1696 – 8 August 1788), was a French soldier, diplomat and statesman. He joined the army and participated in three major wars. He eventually rose to the rank of Marshal of France.
He was the son of
Early years
Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis was born in
Apart from his reputation as a man of exceptionally loose morals, he attained, in spite of a limited education, distinction as a
Military career
In 1733–1734, he served in a Rhine campaign during the War of the Polish Succession. The following decade during the War of the Austrian Succession he fought with distinction at Dettingen and Fontenoy, where he directed the grapeshot upon the British columns, and three years afterwards he made a brilliant defence of Genoa.
Seven Years War
Siege of Menorca
In 1756 during the
While waiting for suitable employment, the Duc took command of the French forces on the southern coast around
Invasion of Hanover
The French ministers were deeply unhappy with
His army now occupied most of Hanover, capturing the capital in the autumn. His orders were to smash the Army of Observation and occupy all of Hanover, before turning east and launching an attack on the Prussian fortress of Magdeburg. Instead Richelieu, fearing that his army was not in a condition to face battle, concluded the Convention of Klosterzeven which allowed the enemy to escape destruction. He was heavily criticised for this in Paris, where the terms were considered far too lenient.
The Duc then led his army into winter quarters at
His pillaging campaigns in Hanover procured him the sobriquet of the petit père de la maraude.
Political career and intrigue
His real public career began ten years after his service in the Rhine campaign. After the wars, he plunged again into court intrigue. Initially, he was the best friend of King
After Pompadour's death in 1764, his position in court was restored and he developed an amiable friendship with the King's last mistress,
Private life
The duke was such a renowned womanizer that it is said
He was married three times. At the age of fourteen, against his will, he was forced to marry
In 1721, Mme de Polignac and the Marquise de Nesle fought a famous duel over him.[4] In 1729, he began an affair with Émilie du Châtelet, and although it ended, they continued to be frequent correspondents for over a decade.
He was also the lover of the famous
Children
- Louis Antoine Sophie de Vignerot du Plessis (4 February 1736 – 1791), married Adélaide Gabrielle de Hautefort in 1765 and had issue; married Marie Antoinette de Gallifet and had issue;
- Jeanne Sophie Elisabeth Septimanie de Vignerot du Plessis(1 March 1740 – 14 October 1773), married Don Casimir Pignatelli, Count of Egmont, Duke of Bisaccia; no issue.
References
Sources
- Marshal de Richelieu's Mémoires, published by JL Soulavie in nine volumes (1790), are partially spurious.
- Williams, H. Noel, The Fascinating Duc de Richelieu (1910). Copy at HathiTrust.
- Cole, Hubert, First Gentleman of the Bedchamber: The Life of Louis-François-Armand, Maréchal Duc de Richelieu, Heinemann (1965).
- This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Richelieu, Louis François Armand du Plessis, Duc de". Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 23 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. p. 305.
- Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1912). . Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 13. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
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