The House of Choiseul is a French noble family of chivalric extraction, first mentioned in 1060. Originally from Champagne, its cradle is the village of Choiseul (in the modern day Haute-Marne department). An illustrious house, its members held prominent political, ecclesiastical and military positions within the Kingdom of France. The Choiseul family is one of the oldest French families still in existence, having been identified among the families surviving into the 21st century who have been able to prove their filiation in the male line, both natural and legitimate, without interruption back to a first ancestor attested by a deed dating from before 1250.
History The Choiseul-Praslin Family were decendants of the counts of Langres. Renaud III de Choiseul, comte de Langres and Lord de Choiseul, was the family's head. Renaud married Alix de Dreux, daughter of Louis VI of France, in 1182. The family formed into the Langres, Clémont, Aigremont, Beaugré, Allecourt, Frontières, Praslin, Plessis branches. It also took the name Choiseul-Gouffier from the 18th century onwards.
It has produced several marshals: Jean de Baudricourt (?–1499), seigneur of Baudricourt and of Choiseul Charles de Choiseul, comte of the Plessis-Praslin (1563–1626), who served under Henri IV and Louis XIII César de Choiseul du Plessis-Praslin, duc de Choiseul (1598–1675), who defied Turenne at Rethel (1650), when he commanded the Spanish army César, duc de Choiseul (1602–1675), French marshal and diplomat, generally known for the best part of his life as marshal du Plessis-Praslin Claude de Choiseul, comte de Choiseul-Francières (1632–1711), who distinguished himself in the battle of Seneffe against the Dutch Republic and made a marshal in 1693
Two bishops and an archbishop: Gilbert de Choiseul du Plessis Praslin (1613–31 December 1689 at Tournai), Bishop of Comminges from 1644 to 1670; brother of marshal César de Choiseul du Plessis-Praslin Gabriel-Florent de Choiseul-Beaupré (1718–1723), bishop of Saint-Papoul, bishop of Mende Antoine-Clériade de Choiseul-Beaupré (1754–1774), Archbishop of Besançon
Also a famous minister, a diplomat, etc. : Étienne François, duc de Choiseul (1719–1785), ambassador then Secretary of State to Louis XV César Gabriel de Choiseul, duc de Praslin (1712–1785), cousin of the former, ambassador then secretary of state to Louis XV Marie-Gabriel-Florent-Auguste de Choiseul-Gouffier (1752–1817), French writer Claude Antoine Gabriel, duc de Choiseul-Stainville (1760–1838), French writer and peer Charles de Choiseul-Praslin (1805–1847), 5th Duke of Praslin, French député and peer Gaston Louis Philippe de Choiseul-Praslin (1834–1906), 6th Duke of Praslin, married to Mary Elizabeth Forbes, sister of H. De Courcy Forbes Horace de Choiseul-Praslin (23 February 1837 – 26 December 1915) Comte Eugène Antonio (Antoine) Horace de Choiseul-Praslin, a French politician.
Lineage
Renard II of Choiseul (–1239)
Renier I de Choiseul Renier II de Choiseul Renier III de Choiseul Pierre Gaillehaud I de Choiseul Pierre Gaillehaud II de Choiseul Pierre Gallehaud III de Choiseul Nicolas de Choiseul (died 1537) Ferry I de Choiseul (died 1569)
Ferry II de Choiseul César de Choiseul, 1st Duke of Choiseul (1602–1675) (1634–1672) (1664–1684) (1637–1705) Augustine Françoise de Choiseul (1697–1728) Gilbert de Choiseul du Plessis-Praslin (1613–1689) Jean de Choiseul Marceau de Choiseul (died 1595) François I de Choiseul Jacques de Choiseul François II de Choiseul (died 1709) Hubert de Choiseul (died 1727) César Gabriel de Choiseul, 1st Duke of Praslin (1712–1785) (1735–1791) (1756–1808) (1778–1841) Charles de Choiseul, 5th Duke of Praslin (1805–1847) Gaston de Choiseul, 6th Duke of Praslin (1834–1906) Gabriel de Choiseul (1879–1966) (1920–1945) (1944–2019) (1837–1915) Jean de Choiseul Pierre III de Choiseul René II de Choiseul Chrétien de Choiseul (died 1593) Louis-François de Choiseul (died 1666) Louis de Choiseul (died 1690) François-Joseph, comte de Choiseul-Beaupré (died 1711) François Joseph de Choiseul, Marquis of Stainville (1696–1769) Étienne François de Choiseul, Duke of Choiseul (1719–1785) (1724–1774) Jacques Philippe de Choiseul, Duke of Stainville (1727–1789) Marie Thérèse de Choiseul (1766–1794) Béatrix de Choiseul (1729–1794) Antoine de Choiseul (died 1648) (1629–1686) (1664–1726) (1697–1763) Charles Marie de Choiseul (1698–1768) Marie Gabriel Florent Christophe de Choiseul (1728–1753) Marie-Gabriel-Florent-Auguste de Choiseul-Gouffier (1752–1817) (1773–1840) Artur Octavien François de Choiseul-Gouffier (1832–1915) (1754–1796) (1782–1854) (1779–1835) (1733–1794) Claude Antoine Gabriel de Choiseul, Duke of Choiseul (1760–1838) Antoine Clériadus de Choiseul-Beaupré (1707–1774) (1685–1767) Maximilien de Choiseul François de Choiseul Maximilien de Choiseul Henri Louis de Choiseul Maximilien Jean de Choiseul-Meuse François Joseph de Choiseul (1767–1838) Jean de Choiseul Louis de Choiseul Claude de Choiseul, Marquis of Francières (1632–1711)
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