House of La Rochefoucauld

The title of Duke de La Rochefoucauld is a French peerage, from the great House La Rochefoucauld, cadets of the Lusignan family, whose origins go back to Lord Rochefoucauld in Charente in the 10th century with Foucauld 1st (973–1047), first Lord of La Roche then La Rochefoucauld, possibly son of Adémar, Lord of La Roche (952–1037). They got the title of Baron in the 13th century, then became Count in 1528 with François I de La Rochefoucauld, godfather of King François I and in 1622, François V de La Rochefoucauld, whose son François VI was a leading figure of La Fronde and the author of the Maxims, was made Duke by Louis XIII. They are also, since 16th century, Prince of Marcillac. Then they become during the 18th century: Duke of Liancourt (François XII, eminent philanthropist, saying to Louis XVI : “Sir, it’s not a revolt, it’s a revolution”), Duke of Anville and Duke of Estissac. Afterwards : Prince de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel, Duke of Doudeauville, Duke of Estrées and Duke of Bisaccia. They are also: Marquises of Montendre, of Barbezieux, of Surgères and Bayers; also Count de Duretal, Count de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel and Baron de Verteuil. They were : Blessed of the Catholic Church (the two brothers bishops massacred together at the French Revolution Pierre-Louis and François-Joseph de La Rochefoucauld-Bayers), cardinals (François, Dominique, …), bishops, grand maîtres de la garde robe and Leader of the Kings hunts, chambellans, ministers, lieutenants general of the armies, UK field marshal, Denmark marshal, ambassadors, grand hospitaller of the Order of Malta, presidents and founders of multiple clubs (jockey club, polo, …). Many of them were elevated in the Order of the Légion d’Honneur and around 40 of them were/are members of the Sovereign Order of Malta (including 10 nowadays). The castle of La Rochefoucauld is still in the famille since the 10th century. Also to be noted : The La Rochefoucauld-Montbel owned the Lascaux caves at the moment of their discovery and are closely linked to the Pellevoisin sanctuary (holy Mary apparitions) in France.

Origins of the name
Authors have advanced, but without evidence, that the first member of this family, Adémar, known as Amaury or Esmerin, by Viscounty of Limoges, or the son of the lord Hugh I of Lusignan. This latter hypothesis could be reinforced by the armorial bearings of the family. The work of André Debord leaves it to the house of Montbron in the 12th century.

The seigniory of La Roche was originally a barony in the 13th century. The descendants of Foucauld I de La Roche and of Jarsande, united their name Foucauld.

Lords then Barons de La Rochefoucauld (10th–15th centuries)

 * 1) Adémar de La Roche, (952–1037).
 * 2) Foucauld I de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), Lord de La Rochefoucauld (978–1047), married and had four children
 * 3) Guy I de La Rochefoucauld(son of preceding), Lord de La Rochefoucauld, founded in 1060 the priory of Saint-Florent de La Rochefoucauld.
 * 4) Guy II de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), Lord de La Rochefoucauld (1081). He married Eve, they had three children.
 * 5) Guy III de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), Lord de La Rochefoucauld (died 1120).
 * 6) Aymar de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), Lord de La Rochefoucauld et de Verteuil (died in 1140). Led several wars against Wulgrin II, count of Angoulême. He married Mathilde de Chabanais.
 * 7) Guy IV de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), Lord de La Rochefoucauld, Verteuil, Marthon, Blanzac. He was in war against William of Angoulême; in 1170 he assisted the dedication of the Abbaye de Saint-Amant-de-Boixe. Married the daughter of Aimery, vicomte de Rochechouart, and they had two children.
 * 8) Foucauld II de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding) Lord de La Rochefoucauld. He served in the army of the King Philip II Augustus, and was made prisoner in 1198 at the battle of Gisors. He was father of four children.
 * 9) Guy V de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), founded the Cordeliers Convent d'Angoulême in 1230.
 * 10) Aimeri I de La Rochefoucauld (brother of preceding and son of Foucauld II), Lord de La Rochefoucauld in 1219, and of Verteuil comte de la Marche. He died after 1250. He married Létice de Parthenay, and they had five children.
 * 11) Guy VI de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), Lord de La Rochefoucauld, de Verteuil, de Marthon, de Saint Claud, de Saint Laurent, de Blanzac et de Cellefrouin, rallied to the cause of Hugues VII de Lusignan, comte de La Marche, against the King of France Louis IX. In 1295, he retired to the abbaye de Grosbos, and he died th same year. He married Agnès de Rochechouart, and they had nine children.
 * 12) Aimeri II de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), baron de La Rochefoucauld, Lord de Verteuil, de Marthon, de Saint Claud, de Saint Laurent, de Blanzac, de Monteil et de Cellefrouin (v.1265–1295). In 1280 he married Dauphine de La Tour-d'Auvergne, and they had five children.
 * 13) Guy VII de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), baron de La Rochefoucauld. Served the King Philip V of France against the County of Flanders (1317–1318). Excommunicated by Aiguelin de Blaye (bishop of Angoulême). Founder of the Couvent des Carmes de La Rochefoucauld (1329). Killed next to the King of France (Jean II) at the Battle of Poitiers (1356). He married in 1309 Agnès de Culant and they had nine children.
 * 14) Aimeri III de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), baron de La Rochefoucauld. Rendered service to the King Philippe VI (1338). Died 16 September 1362. He married Rogette de Grailly, and they had Gui VIII.
 * 15) Guy VIII de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), baron de La Rochefoucauld, governor of l'Angoumois, councillor et Grand Chamberlain of France of Kings Charles V, Charles VI and of Philip II of Burgundy. Battled in Bordeaux, William de Montferrand, partisan of the English. He married Jeanne de Luxembourg, then Marguerite de Craon who gave him eight children.
 * 16) Foucauld III de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), baron de La Rochefoucauld, councillor, chamberlain of king Charles VII (died 1467). Chevalier (1451), participated in the siege of Fronsac. Rescued King Charles VII and his château (from 12 July until 27 July 1453, at the battle of Castillon, which marked the end of the Hundred Years War. He married Jeanne de Rochechouart who gave him three children.
 * 17) Jean I de La Rochefoucauld, baron de La Rochefoucauld, councillor and Grand Chamberlain of France for the kings Louis XI and Charles VIII, and governor of Bayonne.

Comtes de La Rochefoucauld (and princes de Marcillac) (16th Century)
King Francis I gave to his godfather Francois I de La Rochefoucauld the title of Comte de La Rochefoucauld in April 1528.


 * 1) François I de La Rochefoucauld, comte de La Rochefoucauld (died 1541). Chambellan of Kings Charles VIII and Louis XII.  He married Louise de Crussol.
 * 2) François II de La Rochefoucauld, comte de La Rochefoucauld, prince de Marcillac, baron de Verteuil, etc. (1494–1533). Married Anne de Polignac (1518).
 * 3) François III de La Rochefoucauld (1521 – 24 August 1572), comte de La Rochefoucauld, prince de Marcillac, comte de Roucy, baron de Verteuil, etc. He married first Sylvie Pic de la Mirandole, and second Charlotte de Roye (died 8 April 1571), comtesse de Roucy, sister-in-law to Louis I de Bourbon-Condé. Protestant, he was killed at the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre.
 * 4) François IV de La Rochefoucauld (1554 – 15 March 1591) (son of preceding). Comte de La Rochefoucauld, prince de Marcillac, comte de Roucy, baron de Verteuil, etc. Married with Claude d'Estissac (27 September 1587). Protestant, he was killed at Saint-Yrieix by the Catholic League (French).

Dukes de La Rochefoucauld (17th–21st Centuries)


Louis XIII raised the comté de La Rochefoucauld into a duchy-pairie on 22 April 1622.


 * 1) François V de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), duc de La Rochefoucauld (7 September 1588 – 8 February 1650). Catholic, married to Gabrielle du Plessis-Liancourt (July 1611).
 * François de La Rochefoucauld.jpg]]
 * 1) François VI de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), duc de La Rochefoucauld (15 December 1613 – 17 March 1680). Married Andrée de Vivonne (20 January 1628). moralist writer (Maximes, Mémoires), He wrote a history of the Fronde.
 * 2) François VII de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), duc de La Rochefoucauld (15 June 1634 – 12 January 1714). Grand veneur de France. Married Jeanne du Plessis-Liancourt, one of his cousins.
 * 3) François VIII de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), duc de La Rochefoucauld (17 August 1663 – 22 April 1728). Married Magdeleine Charlotte le Tellier, daughter of François Michel Le Tellier de Louvois.
 * 4) François IX de La Rochefoucauld (son of preceding), duc de La Rochefoucauld (1681–1699).
 * 5) Alexandre I de La Rochefoucauld (son of François VIII), duc de La Rochefoucauld (29 September 1690 – 1762). Married Elisabeth-Marie-Louise-Nicole de Caylard de Toiras d'Amboise (30 July 1715).
 * 6) François X de La Rochefoucauld (son of Alexandre) (1717–1718)
 * 7) François XI de La Rochefoucauld (son of Alexandre) (1720–1721)
 * 8) Marie-Louise-Elisabeth (daughter of Alexandre). Married (28 February 1732) to her cousin Jean-Baptiste Louis Frédéric de La Rochefoucauld de Roye, duc d'Anville. As Alexandre had no surviving male heir, by letters patent of Louis XV, the title duc de La Rochefoucauld was transmitted to the male issue of Marie-Louise-Elisabeth on the condition that she married a member of the La Rochefoucauld family. She chose her cousin Jean-Baptiste.
 * 9) Louis-Alexandre de La Rochefoucauld (1743–1792, assassinated), son of Marie-Louise-Elisabeth and Jean-Baptiste. He inherited two ducal titles and is known as duc de La Rochefoucauld-d'Anville. Member of the Académie des sciences, member of the Assembly of notables de 1787, deputy of the nobility at the French States-General of 1789. He was a victim of the September massacres in Gisors. He died without heir, and the title passed to his first cousin.
 * Duc-de-liancourt.png ]]
 * 1) François XII (Alexandre-Frédéric) duc de La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt (Paris, 11 January 1747 – 27 March 1827). Philanthropist, creator of the École des Arts et Métiers, propagator of vaccination in France. It was he who, on 12 July 1789, responded to Louis XVI who asked "It is a revolt?": "No, Sire, it's a Revolution".  He was in the liberal opposition party during the Bourbon Restoration.
 * 2) François, duc de La Rochefoucauld (1765-1848), duc de La Rochefoucauld (Paris, 8 September 1765 – 3 September 1848). Married Marie-Françoise de Tott (1770–1854), at La Haye (24 September 1793). His first brother was Alexandre, comte de La Rochefoucauld (1767–1841), married Adélaïde de Pyvart de Chastullé, a San Domingo heiress allied to the Beauharnais family. Mme de La Rochefoucauld became dame d'honneur to the empress Josephine, and their eldest daughter married Francesco Borghese [fr], a brother-in-law of Pauline Bonaparte, Princess Borghese. La Rochefoucauld became ambassador successively to Vienna (1805) and to The Hague (1808–1810), where he negotiated the union of the Kingdom of Holland with France. During the "Hundred Days" he was made a peer of France. He subsequently devoted himself to philanthropic work, and in 1822 became deputy to the Chamber of Deputies and sat with the constitutional royalists. He was again raised to the peerage in 1831. His descendants became Dukes of Estissac and Princes of La Rochefoucauld-Montbel. The duke second brother was Frédéric Gaëtan, marquis de La Rochefoucauld-Liancourt, (1779–1863).
 * 3)  François XIV de La Rochefoucauld, duc de La Rochefoucauld (The Hague, 11 September 1794 – Paris, 11 December 1874). Married in (Paris, 10 June 1817) with Zénaide Chapt de Rastignac (b. Paris, 1798 – Paris, 19 December 1875). Alfred de La Rochefoucauld, duc de La Roche-Guyon, second son of François XIV de La Rochefoucauld and Zénaide Chapt de Rastignac is the start of the cadet branch of the family La Rochefoucauld – La Roche-Guyon
 * 4)  François XV de La Rochefoucauld, duc de La Rochefoucauld (14 April 1818 – 4 December 1879). Married (Paris, 1852) with Radegonde-Euphrasie Bouvery (Paris, 13 March 1832 – Paris, 7 November 1901).
 * 5)  François-Alfred-Gaston XVI, duc de La Rochefoucauld (Paris, 21 April 1853 – Monaco, 24 February 1925). Married (11 February 1892) with Mattie-Elizabeth Mitchell (Portland (Oregon), 28 August 1866 – Paris, 21 February 1933).  They rest at the chapel of château de La Rochefoucauld. Mattie-Elizabeth Mitchell was the daughter of U.S. Senator John H. Mitchell.
 * 6) François XVII de La Rochefoucauld (François-Marie-Alfred) (Paris, 25 June 1905 – Paris, 11 March 1909). Interred in the chapel of château.
 * 7) Marie-François-Gabriel-Alfred, duc de La Rochefoucauld (Paris, 27 September 1854 – Paris, 29 July 1926). Brother of François XV, the ducal title was transferred to him.  Married (5 June 1884) with Pauline Piscatory de Vaufreland.
 * 8) Jean de La Rochefoucauld, duc de La Rochefoucauld, duc de Liancourt, prince de Marcillac, duc d'Anville (Paris, 10 March 1887 – Paris, 3 January 1970). Married (Paris, 27 December 1917) with Edmée Frish de Fels (Paris, 1895–1991).
 * 9) François XVIII de La Rochefoucauld, duc de La Rochefoucauld, duc de Liancourt, duc d'Anville (Paris, 12 December 1920 – 29 novembre 2011). Married (Paris, 11 October 1950) with Sonia Marie Matossian.
 * 10) François XIX de La Rochefoucauld (François-Alexandre), 15th duc de La Rochefoucauld, 10th duc de Liancourt, duc d'Anville, prince de Marcillac (born 2 April 1958, Neuilly-sur-Seine), son of François XVIII.
 * 11) François de La Rochefoucauld, 11th duke de Liancourt, prince de Marcillac (born 1986), heir to the ducal title, son of François XIX.   Other famous living member is, Dominique Prince de La Rochefoucauld-Montbel (1950), Grand Hospitaler of the Order of Malta, president of the french association.

Marquises of Montendre and Surgères
These branches were formed by Louis de La Rochefoucauld, Lord of Montendre, Montguyon, Roissac and des Salles, who was a younger son of François I de La Rochefoucauld, comte de La Rochefoucauld (d. 1541), by his second marriage Barbe du Bois. He married Jacquette de Mortemer in 1534. His son was François de La Rochefoucauld (d. 1600), Lord of Montguyon, Baron of Montendre, who married Hélène de Goulard (only daughter and heiress of Egmond Goulard, Lord of Marsay). His son, Isaac de La Rochefoucauld (d. c. 1626), Lord of Montguyon, Baron of Montendre, married Hélène de Fonsèque (daughter of Charles de Fonsèque, Lord of Surgères) in 1600. Among others, they were the parents of Charles, progenitor of the Montendre branch and François, progenitor of the Surgères branch.

Marquis of Montendre

 * 1) Charles de La Rochefoucauld, 1st Marquis of Montendre (son of Isaac). He married Renée Thévin in 1633.
 * 2) Charles-Louis de La Rochefoucauld, 2nd Marquis of Montendre. He married Anne de Pithou (daughter of Pierre de Pithou, Lord of Luyere).
 * 3) Isaac Charles de La Rochefoucauld (d. 1702), Count of Montendre. Fought in the Siege of Mainz, the Battle of Fleurus, the Siege of Mons, the Siege of Barcelona, the Battle of Cremona (where he was wounded), and the Battle of Luzzara (where he was killed). No issue.
 * 4) François de La Rochefoucauld (1672–1739), 3rd Marquis of Montendre, He married Marie-Anne von Spanheim (daughter of Baron Ezéchiel von Spanheim, Prussian Ambassador to England). No issue.
 * 5) Louis de La Rochefoucauld (d. 1742), 4th Marquis of Montendre. He married Suzanne d'Argouges in 1710. No issue.

Marquis of Surgères

 * 1) François de La Rochefoucauld (c. 1620–c. 1680), 1st Marquis of Surgères. He married Anne de Philippier
 * 2) Charles-François de La Rochefoucauld (c. 1643–c. 1714), 2nd Marquis of Surgères. He married Anne de La Rochefoucauld (daughter of Benjamin de La Rochefoucauld, baron d'Estissac) in 1662.
 * 3) François de La Rochefoucauld (1664–1731), 3rd Marquis of Surgères. He married Angélique Lee (widow of François Lucas de Démuin) in 1704.
 * 4) Alexandre-Nicolas de La Rochefoucauld (1709–1760), 4th Marquis of Surgères, Lieutenant General of the King's Armies. He married Jeanne-Thérèse Fleuriau de Morville (daughter of Charles-Jean-Baptiste Fleuriau de Morville) in 1728.
 * 5) Jean-François de La Rochefoucauld (1735–1789), 5th Marquis of Surgères, governor of Chartres. He married Anne Chauvelin de Grosbois, daughter of Germain Louis Chauvelin, Marquis of Grosbois) in 1752.

Dukes of Doudeaville (1782–1995), of Bisaccia (1851–1995), and of Estrées (1892–1907)
The title Duke of Doudeauville (Duc de Doudeauville) was created for Ambroise-Polycarpe, 6th Marquis of Surgères (premier Baron of the Boulonnais), in 1780 by King Louis XVI in the Peerage of France. It was also created in 1782 by Charles III in the Kingdom of Spain (through his wife as heir to the title of Duke of Doudeauville of the Le Tellier de Courtanvaux family), granting him the Rank of Grandee of Spain, 1st Class. The title was recognized by the peerage ordinance of 4 June 1814; a Hereditary peer of France on 19 August 1815, Hereditary Duke-Peer on 31 August 1817 by King Louis XVIII during his 2nd reign. The title became extinct in 1995 upon the death of the 7th Duke. The Duke of Bisaccia (Duca di Bisaccia) title was created for Sosthènes II on 16 May 1851 by King Ferdinand II in the peerage of the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies (second creation; through his grandmother's family, the Montmorency-Lavals). Inscription among the Bavarian nobility as Princes under the title Duke of Bisaccia (Herzog von Bisaccia), on 24 November 1855 by King Maximilian II. It also became extinct in 1995. The designation of the title of Duke of Doudeauville was changed to Duke of Estrées in Spain in 1893 by King Alfonso XIII when it was transferred to Sosthènes II's second son, Charles, but became extinct upon the Duke's death, without male issue, in 1907.


 * 1) Ambroise-Polycarpe de La Rochefoucauld (1765–1841) (son of 5th Marquis of Surgères), 1st Duke of Doudeauville, 6th Marquis of Surgères, Grandee of Spain (under the title Duke of Doudeauville). He married Bénigne le Tellier de Louvois (founder of the Religieuses de Nazareth in 1822).
 * 2) Sosthènes I de La Rochefoucauld (1785–1864), 2nd Duke of Doudeauville. He married Élisabeth de Montmorency-Laval (a daughter of Minister of Foreign Affairs Duke Mathieu de Montmorency).
 * 3) Stanislas de La Rochefoucauld (1822–1887), 3rd Duke of Doudeauville. He married Marie de Colbert-Chabanais.
 * 4) Sosthènes II de La Rochefoucauld (1825–1908), 4th Duke of Doudeauville, 1st Duke of Bisaccia. He married Princess Yolande of Polignac (daughter of Prime Minister Prince Jules de Polignac).
 * 5) Charles Marie François de La Rochefoucauld (1863–1907), Duke of Estrées (took the Spanish title, not recognized in France, by transfer). He married Princess Charlotte of La Trémoïlle (daughter of Prince Louis Charles de La Trémoille).
 * 6) Armand François Jules Marie de La Rochefoucauld (1870–1963), 5th Duke of Doudeauville, President of the Jockey-Club de Paris and the Polo de Paris. He married Princess Marié Lise Radziwill.
 * 7) Sosthènes III de La Rochefoucauld (1897–1970), 6th Duke of Doudeauville. He married Countess Leonor de Saavedra of Torrehermosa.
 * 8) Armand Charles François Marie de La Rochefoucauld (1902–1995), 7th Duke of Doudeauville. He married Esther Millicent Clarke and had a natural son with Clémentine Elisabeth Brandt.
 * 9) Armand Sosthènes de La Rochefoucauld (b. 1944). He married Geneviève Rose Blanche Fourny.
 * 10) Édouard François Marie de La Rochefoucauld (1874–1968), 2nd Duke of Bisaccia. He married Camille de Colbert-Chabanais.
 * 11) Marie-Carmen de La Rochefoucauld (1902–1999). She married Count of Mailly-Nesles in 1928.
 * 12) Stanislas de La Rochefoucauld (1903–1965), Count. He married Sophie Alice Cocea in 1926; and Princess Jeanne Princess of San Felice de Viggiano in 1947.
 * 13) Élisabeth de La Rochefoucauld (1909–2006) married Elliot Robert Le Gras du Luart de Montsaulnin in 1929; and Mario Fausto Maria Pinci in 1958.

Marquis of Bayers; Baron of La Rochefoucauld-Bayers (1817)
This branch was originated by Geoffroy de La Rochefoucauld, Lord of Verteuil (d. c. 1329) from whom descended Guillaume de La Rochefoucauld, Lord of Nouans (d. c. 1487). One of his sons, Guillaume de La Rochefoucauld (d. c. 1512) founded the branch by Bayers building the Château de Bayers becoming Lord of Bayers (Seigneur de Bayers). His descendant, Louis-Antoine de La Rochefoucauld-Bayers, obtained the title, Marquis of Bayers.

The male line of this branch became extinct in 1940 upon the death of Raoul-Gustave de La Rochefoucauld, Marquis of Bayers (1845–1940), who died without issue from his marriage to Elisabeth de Griffon-Sénéjac. The female line ended with Victoria de La Rochefoucauld-Bayers (1880-1950), the daughter of a cousin of Raoul-Gustave, who died unmarried in 1950.


 * François-Joseph de La Rochefoucauld-Bayers (d. 1792), Bishop-Count of Beauvais and Peer of France, deputy of the clergy of Clermont at the Estates General of 1789, massacred with his brother at Carmes Prison.
 * Pierre-Louis de La Rochefoucauld-Bayers (1744–1792), brother of the previous, Bishop of Saintes, deputy of the clergy of Saintes in the Estates General of 1789, massacred with his brother at Carmes Prison.
 * Charles-François de La Rochefoucauld-Bayers (1753–1819), deputy to the Estates General of 1789.
 * Jean de La Rochefoucauld-Bayers (1757–1834), a soldier and politician; created Baron of La Rochefoucauld-Bayers in 1817.