Charles Joseph, comte Bresson

Charles Joseph, comte Bresson

Charles-Joseph, comte Bresson (Epinal, 27 March 1798 - Naples, 2 November 1847) was a French diplomat. He won the confidence of Louis-Philippe of France thanks to his successful marriage negotiations for three of his children, the Prince royal, princess Louise d'Orléans and the duc de Montpensier. He died by suicide.

Life

The son of a chef de division in the ministry of foreign affairs, Bresson soon became destined for a diplomatic career. Hyde de Neuville, ministre de la Marine under Charles X, put him in charge of a mission to Colombia.

In 1830 he was ordered to notify Switzerland of Louis-Philippe's accession to the French throne, before becoming first secretary to the French embassy in London under Talleyrand. He was one of two diplomats given the task of forcing the Belgian government to accept the decisions of the London Conference, a task he acquitted well. To the king's satisfaction, he then led the marriage negotiations as to a match between the new king of Belgium Leopold I with princess Louise d'Orléans. That success brought him to the height of favour with Louis-Philippe. During this era he also became the lover of the Belgian ambassador's wife, the comtesse Le Hon, allegedly fathering her son Léopold (born 1832).[1]

In 1833, he was made chargé d'affaires in Berlin with the title of minister plenipotentiary. He re-established relations (with strong compromies) between France and Prussia, ensuring the latter did not undertake any closer rapprochement with Russia. On 10 November 1834 he was appointed France's Foreign Minister in the temporary Hugues-Bernard Maret ministry, but he did not even have the time to reach Paris before that ministry fell. He thus remained in Berlin to arrange the 1837 marriage of the Prince royal to princess Helen of Mecklenburg-Schwerin, of a family allied to the Prussian royal family. After this diplomatic success, Louis-Philippe made him a peer of France on 6 May 1839. In the Chambre des pairs Bresson strongly defended the Paris fortifications project of 1841 in which the king took particular interest.

He was then made ambassador to Madrid and played a major role in the difficult marriage negotiations to marry Isabella II of Spain to her cousin the duke of Cadiz (which occurred on 10 October 1846) and the duke of Montpensier to princess Luisa Fernanda, a sister of Isabella II. During these negotiations France's interests were vigorously opposed to those of the July Monarchy's erstwhile ally the United Kingdom, and so count Bresson had to thwart sometimes disloyal manoeuvres by Sir Henry Bulwer, the British ambassador to Spain. In reward for this success, Bresson's son was made a grandee of Spain, 1st class, with the title of 'duke of Sainte-Isabelle'. Bresson himself was recalled to France in 1847, spending a few weeks in London before being appointed ambassador to Naples, a post he had only just taken up when he cut his throat with a razor and died, probably due to domestic troubles.

Political offices
Preceded by
Henri de Rigny
Foreign Minister
1834-1834
Succeeded by
Henri de Rigny

Source

  • (French) Adolphe Robert & Gaston Cougny, Dictionnaire des Parlementaires français, Paris, Dourloton, 1889

Notes and references

  1. ^ Source : Jean-Marie Rouart, Morny. Un voluptueux au pouvoir, Paris, Gallimard, coll. Folio, 1997, p. 114

Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Charles Joseph — may refer to: Charles Joseph (musician), jazz trombone player from New Orleans Charles Joseph (athlete) (born 1952), retired athlete from Trinidad and Tobago Charles Joseph, comte Bresson (1798–1847), French diplomat Charles Joseph, comte de… …   Wikipedia

  • Charles-Joseph Bresson — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Bresson. Charles Joseph, comte Bresson est un diplomate et homme politique français né à Épinal (Vosges) le 27 mars 1798 et mort suicidé à Naples (Italie) le 2 novembre 1847. Il gagna la confiance de Louis… …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Charles Gravier, comte de Vergennes — (20 December 1717 – 13 February 1787) was a French statesman and diplomat. He served as Foreign Minister from 1774 during the reign of Louis XVI, notably during the American War of Independence. Vergennes rose through the ranks of the diplomatic… …   Wikipedia

  • Charles Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord — Charles de Talleyrand Périgord Talleyrand by Pierre Paul Prud hon 1st Prime Minister of France In office 9 July 1815 – 26 Sept …   Wikipedia

  • Charles-Frédéric Reinhard — Karl Friedrich Reinhard French Minister of Foreign Affairs In office 20 July 1799 – 22 November 1799 Preceded by …   Wikipedia

  • Charles François Dumouriez — Charles François du Périer Dumouriez (25 January 1739 – 14 March 1823) was a French general during the French Revolutionary Wars. He shared the victory at Valmy with General François Christophe Kellermann, but later deserted the Revolutionary… …   Wikipedia

  • Charles de Freycinet — 43rd Prime Minister of France In office 28 December 1879 – 23 September 1880 Preceded by William Waddington …   Wikipedia

  • Charles Jean-Baptiste Fleuriau, comte de Morville — (30 October 1686, Paris 2 February 1732) was a French statesman. Son of Joseph Fleuriau d Armenonville, he was ambassador to Holland, then Secretary of State for the Navy from 28 February 1722 to 16 August 1723. When car …   Wikipedia

  • Vincent-Marie Viénot, comte de Vaublanc — Vincent Marie de Vaublanc Pour les articles homonymes, voir Vaublanc (homonymie). comte de Vaublanc Vincent Marie Viénot de Vaublanc …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ambassade de France en Allemagne — France …   Wikipédia en Français

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”