Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, Duke of Maine
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Louis-Auguste de Bourbon, Duc de Maine ( March 31, 1670 - May 14, 1736) was an illegitimate son of the French King Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan (1640-1707).
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[edit] Life
Louis Auguste was the favorite son of Louis XIV. In 1692 he married Anne-Louise-Bénédicte de Bourbon-Condé (1676-1753), daughter of Henry III Jules de Bourbon, prince de Condé and granddaughter of the Great Condé.
Like the rest of the King's illegitimate children, Louis Auguste was also legitimized by his father. In the summer of 1714, Louis XIV placed Louis Auguste and his brothers in the line of succession, in case the legitimate line should die out. This controversial decision was made because three heirs to the throne died in one year, leaving only one candidate with an unquestionable claim to the throne: the infant Duke of Anjou. After this child, the succession was questionable, the two main candidates being Philip V of Spain (who was the next blood-heir after Louis, but who had renounced his claim to the throne by treaty), and the Duke of Orléans (who by the King of Spain's renunciation was the next heir, but whose accession might be challenged by Spain). The King hoped to continue his own line on the French throne and prevent civil war by means of legitimising his illegitimate children. However, the legitimate French princes, such as the Prince of Condé and the Duke of Orléans, were not happy to see the illegitimate sons of Louis XIV come between them and the throne.
In August 1715, King Louis' health deteriorated drastically. On August 22, Louis was unable to attend a troop parade in the gardens of Versailles, and he ordered the Duke of Maine take his place at this event. This public display of the duke's "promotion" further concerned the House of Orleans.
On September 1, 1715, the King died. His testament gave the regency to both the Duke of Orléans and the Duke of Maine. However, the next day, the Duke of Orléans ensured the annulment of Louis XIV's will in Parliament.
Displeased with the Duke of Orléans' actions, Louis Auguste (and above all his wife) joined in the Cellamare conspiracy in the hopes of transferring the regency to the King of Spain, but the plot was uncovered, and the couple was send into exile, permanently ending their royal ambitions.
[edit] Brothers and sisters
Louis XIV and Madame de Montespan had seven children amongst whom :
- Louise Françoise of Nantes (1673-1743) . Married Louis III, Prince of Condé
- Françoise Marie of Blois (1677-1749). Married the future regent Philippe II, Duke of Orléans (1674-1723)
- Louis-Alexandre de Bourbon, Comte de Toulouse (1678-1737). Married Marie de Noailles.
[edit] Children
The Duke and Duchess of Maine had seven children who all died without issue.
[edit] Sources
- W.H. Lewis: Louis XIV, the Sun King, ISBN 978-3-453-55034-6
- Wolf, J. B. (1968). Louis XIV. New York: Norton.
