Louis-Joseph de Vendôme

Louis Joseph de Vendôme , known as the Large Vendôme , (July 1st 1654 with Paris † June 11th 1712 with Vinaros in Spain), duke of Vendôme ( Louis III 1669 - 1712), of Beaufort (1669), duke of Stamps (1669), count de Penthièvre (1669). He is the oldest son of Louis II, duke of Mercœur, duke of Vendôme, and Laure Mancini. Great-grandson of the king Henri IV and Gabrielle d' Estrées.

It passed its life to be fought and had an exceptional military career. In spite of a homosexual coarseness army rabble and manners dissolues, it was one of the best generals of Louis XIV. With its death in 1712 with Vinaros in Spain, continuations of an indigestion, Philippe V of Spain made carry mourning to all its kingdom; its remainders rest with the Escurial (Madrid), in the vault of Infants.

Without posterity of its wife Marie Anne of Cop (1678 - 1718), girl of Henri Jules de Bourbon, prince de Condé and of Anne of Bavaria.

Military activity

1659 - General of the galères of the king of the France.
Ordering Spanish army.
1697 - Conquest of Barcelona and is named viceroy of Catalogne.
1710 - Marshal-chief of the Spanish army.

Titles

Knight about king de France and the Order of the Golden Fleece. First prince of the blood of Spain.
Duke of Vendôme, Stamps and Mercœur; Count de Dreux.
Prince d' Anet and of Martigues.

Little story little known

It is with Clichy-sur-Seine, in the house of the financier Antoine Crozat that Louis-Joseph duke of Vendôme and Stamps , took refuge during nearly three months to look after its Vérole.
The house of the financier Antoine Crozat, was vast and comfortable, in the middle of splendid gardens drawn by Ours.
The duke of Vendôme was a back grandson of Henri IV and his favorite Gabrielle d' Estrée, made duchess of Étampes little before his mort.
Hating the bastard royal ones legitimated, the Duke of Saint-Simon, in his Memories, draws up of him a portrait to vitriol:
" It was of a size ordinary for the height, a little large, but vigorous, extremely and alarm; an extremely noble face and high air (...); especially admirable courtier, and who could draw advantage until in his greater defects with the shelter from weak of the King for his birth; polished by art, but with a choice and a miserly measurement, insolate with excess (...), at the same time familiar and popular with the commun run by an affection which veiled its vanity, and made it like the vulgar one; at the bottom pride even, and a pride which wanted all, which devoured tout"
In fact, if it were one of the large generals of Louis XIV, the duke of Vendôme was famous for its coarseness and of manners very dissolues. The Marquis d' Argenson, Foreign Minister of the Sun king, will note in his newspaper that it carried to an excess " prodigieux" the " libertinage, dirtiness and the paresse" .
Saint-Simon will especially reproach him for being devoted to the " vice" of the " inhabitants of Sodome" : " Mr. de Vendôme was more dirtily plunged there all his life than anybody, and so publicly, than itself did not make any more so that lightest and of most ordinary the galanterie" . And to continue its vindication the unhappy come duke with Clichy " to sweat the Pox between the most skilful hands, which échouèrent." the back small-wire of Henri IV had to be allocated to the Court " with half of its ordinary nose, its fallen teeth, and an entirely changed aspect, which titait on the niais" …

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