Bourbon-Vendôme

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House of Bourbon-Vendôme (Légitimé de France)

Country:	France
Parent house:	House of Bourbon (legitimised royal branch)
Titles:	duc de Vendôme, duc de Beaufort duc d'Étampes duc de Mercœur comte de Penthièvre later duc
Founder:	César de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme
Founding year:	1595
Dissolution:	1727
Ethnicity:	French

The Bourbon-Vendôme family was an illegitimate branch of the senior line of the House of Bourbon, being thus part of the Capetian dynasty. It was founded by César de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme. He was the illegitimate son of King Henry IV of France and his mistress, Gabrielle d'Estrées.

1 History
2 The House of Bourbon-Vendôme
- 2.1 Gallery
3 Ancestry of the Bourbon-Vendôme's
4 Other Illegitimate Houses
5 See Also

[edit] History

César was legitimised in 1595, and was created the first duc de Vendôme by his father, the king, in 1598. The title of duc de Vendôme was chosen because it had previously been used by the father of Henry IV of France. The title was used by the Bourbon-Vendôme family for over a century after its start.

[edit] The House of Bourbon-Vendôme

In total, there were three Bourbon ducs de Vendôme. The title passed directly from father to son for three generations:

César de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme - the first holder of the title. It was the same title that his paternal grandfather has used. Antoine of Navarre was the duc de Vendôme from 1537 to 1562. In 1608, César married Françoise de Lorraine, duchesse de Mercoeur et de Penthièvre (1592 - 1669), daughter and heiress of Philippe Emmanuel, duc de Mercoeur, who was a rival of his father, Henry IV.

They had three children:

Louis II, duc de Vendôme (1612–1669), who was the next holder of the title.
Elisabeth, Mlle de Vendôme (1614-1664), who married Charles Amadeus of Savoy, 6th Duke of Nemours.
François, duc de Beaufort (1616–1669).

The second duc was Louis II de Bourbon-Vendôme. He held the title from 1665–1669. He also had three children with his wife, Laura Mancini, niece of Cardinal Mazarin:

Louis Joseph (1654-1712), the third duc de Vendôme and Marshal of France.
Philippe (1655-1727), called le prieur de Vendôme
Jules César (1657-1660)

The third holder of the title was Louis Joseph de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme. He married Marie Anne de Condé (1678-1718), a daughter of Henry III Jules de Bourbon, prince de Condé and granddaughter of Le Grand Condé. They had no children. As he had no heirs at the time of his death, his titles were inherited by his younger brother, Philippe de Vendôme. Philippe was the fourth and last duc de Vendôme. The Grand Prior for France in the Order of Malta, he was a French army commander. He held the title from 1712 to 1727.

On his death, the title reverted back to the Crown. After the extinction of the Bourbon-Vendôme, the title was used as a courtesy title by the Comte de Provence, the younger brother of Louis XVI.