Emmanuel Félicité de Durfort, IV. duc de Duras

Golden Fleece - Knights: Spanish Branch

• academie.francaise.fr

Emmanuel Félicité de Durfort, duc de Duras

English translation

• Emmanuel-Félicité de DURFORT DURAS (1715-1789)
• Elected in 1775 to chair 34
• Preceded by: Pierre-Laurent Buirette de Belloy
• Successor: Dominique-Joseph Garat

biography

• born - on 19 December 1715.
• Aide de Villars and the king, he took part all the wars of Louis XV, was Marchal of France. Duke and peer, knight of the king's orders, first gentleman of the King's Chamber, Governor of Franche-Comt, the city and the citadel of Besanon, ambassador to Spain, Knight of the Golden Fleece. Friend of Mademoiselle de Lespinasse and philosophers, he was chosen by them to hold the head in Acadmie Marchal de Richelieu; read May 2, 1775, replacing Belloy, he was by reu Buffon May 15, 1775. In 1778, he, on behalf of the Academy, of representations to the King about a library of Regu-lation, it was Reut Chabanon and protector of the Academy of Besanon .
• Died September 6, 1789. <><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><
• en.wikipedia

Life

• Aged 18, by his father's abdication of the title, he was already a duke and a musketeer. He took part in all Louis XV's campaigns - that in Italy (1733-1734), on the Rhine (1735 et 1743), in Bavaria (1742), in Flanders (1744-1745) and in Germany (1760-1761). He served as French ambassador to Spain (1752-55), after which he was made a peer of France in December 1755 and marshal of France in March 1775. He was then given command of Brittany, the governorship of Franche-Comté and the post of premier gentilhomme de la chambre du roi. In 1755, he was made governor of Château Trompette.
• In 1757, he was made head of the "comédie française" and the "comédie italienne". He was elected to seat 34 of the Académie française on 2 May 1775. It is said he contributed to the editing of the articles on military science for the Encyclopédie. Also a bibliophile, his library was dispersed at auction in 1790.
• His first marriage, in May 1733, was to Charlotte Antoinette de la Porte Mazarin (1719 - 1735), only daughter of the duc de Mazarin. His second, in June 1736, was to Louise Maclovie de Coëtquen, daughter of Malo III de Coëtquen, the phantom of Combourg mentioned by Chateaubriand. In 1761 he sold part of her dowry, including the county of Combourg to the father of Chateaubriand.