Hercule Mériadec, Duke of Rohan-Rohan

Hercule Mériadec
Duke of Rohan-Rohan
Prince of Soubise
Born (1669-05-08)8 May 1669
Paris, France
Died 26 January 1749(1749-01-26) (aged 79)[1]
Rue de Paradis, Paris France
Spouse Marie Sophie de Courcillon
Anne Geneviève de Lévis
Issue
Detail		 Louise Françoise, Duchess of La Meilleraye
Charlotte Armande, Abbess of Jouarre
Jules, Prince of Soubise
Marie Isabelle, Duchess of Tallard
Louise, Princess of Guéméné
Full name
Hercule Mériadec de Rohan
Father François de Rohan
Mother Anne Julie de Rohan

Hercule Mériadec de Rohan (8 May 1669 – 26 January 1749), styled Duke of Rohan-Rohan (from 1717), was a member of the princely House of Rohan. He married twice and was the grandfather of the Maréchal de Soubise. His first wife was the daughter of Madame de Ventadour. He is known in contemporary texts as the prince de Rohan.

Biography

Born in Paris, he was the fourth of eleven children of François de Rohan and Anne Julie de Rohan, whose marriage gave rise to the Soubise line of the House of Rohan. His family claimed ancestry from the regining Dukes of Brittany[2] and at the French court, were allowed the rank of Foreign Prince. This entitled them to the style of Highness and other privileges at court.

His mother was one time mistress of Louis XIV. At the time, it was suspected that his younger brother Armand Gaston Maximilien de Rohan was in fact fathered by Louis XIV. Hercule Mériadec's mother bought the Lordship of Soubise to the family, styling themselves as Prince. Anne Julie herself was Princess of Soubise suo jure.

The second son, Hercule Mériadec became heir apparent in 1689 at the death of his elder brother Louis, who died aged 22. He was styled Prince of Maubuisson[3] (prince de Maubuisson) till 1714 when he was made the Duke of Rohan-Rohan (as opposed to the Duke of Rohan, the title held by his cousins).

He married twice, firstly to Anne Geneviève de Lévis, daughter of Louis Charles de Lévis and Charlotte de La Motte Houdancourt (better known as Madame de Ventadour, governess of the young Louis XV). Anne Geneviève had been widowed in 1692 having married Louis de La Tour d'Auvergne, son of Godefroy Maurice de La Tour d'Auvergne and Marie Anne Mancini. He died in battle and she and Hercule Mériadec were married in Paris on 15 February 1694.[1]

First wife
His first wife (by Largillière)
Second wife
His second wife (by Nattier)

The marriage produced five children, three of whom would have progeny. He lost her only son Jules to smallpox in 1724 as well as his daughter in law Anne Julie de Melun. His grandson Charles, Prince of Soubise, was born in 1710[1] and after the death of his parents, was raised by Hercule Mériadec himself to become a man of the court. Charles was later a great friend of Louis XV and the great-grandfather of the murdered Duke of Enghien through his eldest daughter Charlotte. His second daughter Charlotte Armande succeeded her aunt Anne Marguerite de Rohan as Abbess of Jouarre in 1721.

Hercule Mériadec was responsible for some interior décor at the Hôtel de Soubise engaging Germain Boffrand in the process. This dates from 1730 to 1740.[4]

He outlived his wife by [1] 22 years, Anne Geneviève died in March 1727. The widowed Hercule Mériadec remarried on 2 September 1732 to Marie Sophie de Courcillon who was born in 1713 and had been a mistress of the famous womaniser Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis. Marie Sophie was the daughter of Philippe Egon de Courcillon and Françoise de Pompadour, Duchesse de La Valette. She was also the granddaughter of Philippe de Courcillon, marquis de Dangeau, and Princess Sophia of Löwenstein-Wertheim-Rochefort.

He died in Paris on the Rue de Paradis.[5] His grandson, Charles succeeded him to the Rohan-Soubise titles.

Issue

Ancestry

Titles, styles, honours and arms

Titles and styles

References and notes

  1. 1 2 3 4 van de Pas, Leo. "Hercule Mériadec de Rohan". Genealogics .org. Retrieved 2010-04-08.
  2. ↑ By the time of Hercule Mériadec's birth, the Duchy of Burgundy had long been absorbed into the Kingdom of France which was then ruled by the House of Bourbon. Louis XIV was on the throne at the time of his birth
  3. ↑ Velde, François. "French principalities". Hereldica.org. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  4. ↑ Ayers, Andrew. "The architecture of Paris: an architectural guide By Andrew Ayers". Googlebooks.org. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
  5. ↑ von Rosen, Laurent Tahon. "Ducs de France: les 32 quartiers des ducs français et de leurs épouses". Googlebooks.org. Retrieved 2010-04-07.
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