François Louis of Bourbon-Conti , count of Walk, count de Clermont, prince of the Roche-sur-Yon, then 3rd prince de Conti (1685), known as Large Conti , was born in Paris the April 30th 1664 and died in Paris the February 9th (or February 22nd) 1709.

Biography

Wire of Armand of Bourbon-Conti (1629 - 1666), first prince de Conti, and of the princess born Anne Marie Martinozzi, he is the younger brother of Louis Armand Ier of Bourbon-Conti (1661 - 1685), 2nd prince de Conti. He is baptized the day of his birth in the church Saint-Sulpice with for godfather his uncle, the Grand Cop, and for godmother his aunt, the duchess of Longueville.

Regarded as an intelligent child, it accepted an excellent education and was characterized at the same time by its independence of mind and approval from its manners. These qualities, allied with a high birth, were considered to be dangereous because of Louis XIV which was wary about it and held it remotely. In 1683, it took part, with his/her brother, with the seats of Courtrai and Dixmude, and was distinguished the following year with the seat from Luxembourg where it went up to the attack of one bastion to the head of his pomegranates. In 1685, it assisted, with his/her brother, the partisans of the Emperor in Hungary, contributing to the defeat of the Turks with Gran.

From there, he wrote some letters, which were intercepted, in which he made fun of Louis XIV by calling it “the king of the theater”. This mockery was worth to him, with its return in France, to be temporarily exiled with Chantilly, where it was wounded by a stag at the time of a hunting, the October 9th 1685 (it was to preserve a scar between the eye and the temple). He became prince de Conti with dead of his older brother Louis Armand Ier of Bourbon-Conti the November 9th 1685. The June 2nd 1686, on the authorities of his/her uncle, the Large Cop, Louis XIV conferred to him the quality of knight of the Ordre of the Holy Spirit with the others princes of blood.

As of the September 25th 1688, the War of the league of Augsburg having burst, Conti left like simple volunteer to take part in the Siège of Philippsburg. In May 1689, it followed his/her close friend the marshal of Luxembourg to the Netherlands and took share with the victory of Fleurus in 1690. In 1692, It took part in the seat of Mons and with that of Namur, it was named general Lieutenant the May 3rd. With Steinkerque the August 3rd, it had two horses killed under him. It was wounded of a blow of saber before cutting down its attacker with the battles of Neerwinden in 1693.

Returned into the court, haloed military prestige, Conti penetrated in the good graces of the Grand Dolphin, which completed to alienate the king to him. With the dolphin, it made the countryside of Flanders in 1694, returning to the Cour at the end of September.

With died of his/her cousin, the duke of Longueville, in 1694, and in accordance with the will of this last, Conti claimed with the Principauté of Neuchâtel and entered in competition with the sister of the duke, the duchess of Nemours. Though the courts had pronounced in its favor, it could not obtain Swiss requested military aid and, by order of the king, had to incline in 1699.

In 1697, Louis XIV offered to him the throne of Poland, vacant following the death of Jean Sobieski the previous year, and ensured its election the June 25th 1697 thanks to the bribes distributed by the abbot of Polignac. Conti started from rather bad grace for its kingdom, borrowing a squadron ordered by Jean Bart. It is true that it left in Versailles the duchess of Bourbon, for which it had a tender affection. To overcome his preventions, Louis XIV gave to him 2.400.000 books and 100.000 books for his expenses for crews. While arriving at Dantzig, it found its rival, the voter of Saxony Auguste II the Fort, already installed on the Polish throne and gave to its squadron the order to bring back it at once to France where it arrived the December 12th and where the king made him despite everything good figure.

Conti lived then in an quasi-idleness, being devoted to increase and embellish its properties, in particular its Château of Isle-Adam. But the vexations met by the French Armies during the first times of the War of succession of Spain convainquirent Louis XIV to name Conti, whose military qualities were highly estimated, with the head of the troops in Italy. But the prince fell seriously sick before to have been able to join the face and died in Paris in February 1709. According to its last wills, it was buried near his mother in the church Saint-Andre-of-Arcs.

Marriage and descent

With the permission of the king and an exemption of the Pope, because of the close relationship, it married, the June 28th 1688 with Versailles, the grand-daughter of the Large Cop, Marie-Therese de Bourbon-Cop (1666 - 1732), girl of his cousin Henri Jules de Bourbon-Cop (1643 - 1709), 5th prince de Condé and of the Palatine Princess Anne of Bavaria (1648-1723). She liked it passionately, but him, homosexual notorious, was interested very little in her. They had nevertheless seven children:

Sources

  • Wikipedia contributors (2005). François Louis, Prince off Conti. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 09:56, January 29,2006 from http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fran%C3%A7ois_Louis,_Prince_of_Conti&oldid=28154429.
  • Conti, François-Louis de Bourbon, prince of. (2006). Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved January 29,2006, from Encyclopædia Britannica Premium Service http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9026044
  • Personal site on the house of Cop

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