Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, prince de Dombes

Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, prince de Dombes (March 41700 - October 1 1755) was a grandson of Louis XIV of France and his "Maîtresse-en-titre" Françoise-Athénaïs de Montespan. He was a member of the legitimised house of Bourbon du Maine.

Life

Born at the Palace of Versailles on March 4, 1700, he was the fourth child of Louis-Auguste de Bourbon known as the "duc du Maine" and his famous wife, the salon hostess Anne-Louise-Bénédicte de Bourbon-Condé. Given the title of "prince de Dombes" at his birth, he was the second child of his parents to hold the title [An older brother "Louis Constantin de Bourbon", born 1695 and died 1698, also held the title] .

Unlike his father, the prince de Dombes was of high military skill; Louis-Auguste served under the famous Prince Eugene of Savoy against the Turks in 1717. He also helped in the War of the Polish Succession (1733-1738) and in the War of the Austrian Succession (1740-1748).

Upon the death of his father (who he was very close to) in 1736, he inherited the bulk of his wealth and his titles. He became the "Captain of the Gardes Suisses", Governor of Languedoc, Grand veneur de France and the Count of Eu.

Some 15 years later, he gained the titles of "prince d'Anet" and "comte de Dreux" - they were given to him by his mother who would die in 1753. Little seen at the court of his cousin Louis XV of France, he preferred to stay at his country residence, the Château d'Anet which he continued to embellish till his death. He even created a system which helped to store water for his famous gardens at his home. He was also frequently at his Château at Eu which he used to enjoy hunting in its large estate.

Louis-Auguste remained unmarried and childless all his life. A possible wife was his cousin, the famously vivacious Charlotte Aglaé d'Orléans - daughter of Philippe II d'Orléans and Françoise-Marie de Bourbon (youngest daughter of Louis XIV and Mme de Montespan). Charlotte refused but was later married to the Sovereign Duke of Modena. Another possible candidate was another cousin, Louise-Anne de Bourbon-Condé (1695-1768). She was a daughter of Louise-Françoise de Bourbon -the duc du Maines younger sister (1673-1743).

Louis-Auguste died after a duel in the grounds of the Château de Fontainebleau. He was 55. His younger brother, Louis-Charles de Bourbon, comte d'Eu, was his heir and would die in 1775.

Footnotes

Ancestry

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1= 1. Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, prince de Dombes
2= 2. Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, duc du Maine
3= 3. Anne-Louise-Bénédicte de Bourbon-Condé
4= 4. Louis XIV of France
5= 5. Françoise-Athénaïs, marquise de Montespan
6= 6. Henry III Jules de Bourbon, prince de Condé
7= 7. Countess Palatine Anne-Henriette of Simmern
8= 8. Louis XIII of France
9= 9. Anne of Austria
10= 10. Gabriel de Rochechouart, duc de Mortemart
11= 11. Diane de Grandseigne
12= 12. Louis II de Bourbon, Prince de Condé
13= 13. Claire Clémence de Maillé Brézé
14= 14. Edward, Count Palatine of Simmern
15= 15. Anna Gonzaga
16= 16. Henry IV of France
17= 17. Marie de' Medici
18= 18. Philip III of Spain
19= 19. Margaret of Austria
20= 20. Gaspard de Rochechouart, Marquis of Mortemart
21= 21. Louise de Maure, Countess of Maure
22= 22. Jean de Grandseigne, Marquis of Marsillac
23= 23. Catherine de La Béraudière, Lady of Villenon
24= 24. Henry II de Bourbon, prince de Condé
25= 25. Charlotte-Marguerite de Montmorency
26= 26. Urbain de Maillé, Marquis of Brézé
27= 27. Nicole du Plessis de Richelieu
28= 28. Frederick V, Elector Palatine
29= 29. Elizabeth Stuart
30= 30. Charles I, Duke of Mantua
31= 31. Catherine of Lorraine