Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Louis de Luxembourg (1418–12 December 1475) belonged to the Ligny branch of the House of Luxemburg and was Constable of France.

Louis was the eldest son of Peter of Luxembourg and Margueritte des Baux. His older sister Jacqueline, better known as Jacquetta of Luxembourg, married John of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Bedford, and Louis was initially a supporter of the Lancastrian cause in the Hundred Years' War.

He was brought up by his uncle, John II of Luxembourg, Count of Ligny, who named Louis as heir to his estates. However, King Charles VII of France sequestrated the estates on John's death in 1441. As a result, Louis sought a rapprochement with the French king and duly had his inheritance restored to him. However, the county of Guise was claimed by Charles, Count of Maine. The affair was settled by an agreement that Louis's sister Isabelle would marry the Count of Maine and receive the disputed lands as her dowry.

Louis became a close friend of the Dauphin Louis, the future King Louis XI of France and fought with him in Flanders and in Normandy. However, in 1465 Louis broke with his friend, now King, to join with Charles, Count of Charolais, the King's brother, Charles, Duke of Berry, and many other great noblemen, in the League of the Public Weal and the war that followed. In the Treaty of Conflans which ended the war, Louis was appointed Constable of France and received the hand of the King's sister-in-law, Maria of Savoy.

After this, he was persistently disloyal to the King, conspiring with Charles, Count of Charolais, and with Edward IV of England, his nephew by marriage. At the negotiations which led to the Treaty of Picquigny, ending Edward's half-hearted invasion of France, the English king handed Louis's disloyal correspondance to the French king. Saint-Pol was arrested, tried for treason, convicted, and beheaded.

Louis de Luxembourg married twice, first to Jeanne de Marle, Countess of Marle and Soissons (died 1462), and secondly to Maria of Savoy. He left at least nine legitimate children.

The writings of Philippe de Commines are a major source on the life of Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol.