Florimond Claude, Comte de Mercy-Argenteau facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Florimont-Claude de Mercy-Argenteau
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Florimont-Claude Mercy-Argenteau (1757)
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| Austrian Ambassador to France | |
| In office 1766–1790 |
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| Monarch | Maria Theresa of Austria Joseph II of Austria Leopold II of Austria |
| Preceded by | Georg Adam von Starhemberg |
| Succeeded by | Franz Paul von Blumendorf |
| Austrian Ambassador to Russia | |
| In office 15 June 1761 – 6 October 1763 |
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| Monarch | Maria Theresa of Austria |
| Preceded by | Nikolaus I, Prince Esterházy |
| Succeeded by | Joseph Maria Karl von Lobkowitz |
| Austrian Ambassador to Sardinia-Piedmont | |
| In office 14 June 1754 – 18 December 1760 |
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| Monarch | Maria Theresa of Austria |
| Preceded by | Georg Barré |
| Succeeded by | Johann Sigismund von Khevenhüller-Metsch |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 20 April 1727 Liège, Prince-Bishopric of Liege, Holy Roman Empire |
| Died | 25 August 1794 (aged 67) London, Great Britain |
| Nationality | Austrian |
Florimont-Claude, Count of Mercy-Argenteau (born April 20, 1727 – died August 25, 1794) was an important Austrian diplomat. He worked as an ambassador for Austria in several countries, including France, Russia, and Italy. He is best known for his time in Paris, where he was a close advisor to Queen Marie Antoinette.
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Life of Florimont-Claude de Mercy-Argenteau
Florimont-Claude was born in Liège, a city that was part of the Holy Roman Empire at the time. His father was Antoine, Count of Mercy-Argenteau. Florimont-Claude began his career in diplomacy, which means working for his country to build relationships with other nations. He joined the Austrian diplomatic service in Paris.
Early Diplomatic Roles
Mercy-Argenteau served as an ambassador in several important European courts.
- He was the Austrian ambassador in Turin, a city in Italy. There, he worked at the court of King Charles Emmanuel III of Sardinia.
- Later, he became the Austrian ambassador in St. Petersburg, Russia. He served at the court of Catherine the Great, a powerful empress.
Ambassador to France
In 1766, Mercy-Argenteau became the Austrian ambassador to France. This was a very important job. His main goal was to make the alliance between France and Austria stronger. An alliance is like a strong friendship between two countries.
This alliance became even stronger in 1770. This was when the future King of France, Louis XVI, married Archduchess Maria Antonia of Austria. She was the youngest daughter of Empress Maria Theresa. Maria Antonia later became known as Queen Marie Antoinette. Mercy-Argenteau played a big part in making this marriage happen.
Influence at the French Court
When Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette became King and Queen of France in 1774, Mercy-Argenteau's influence grew. He became one of the most powerful people at the French court. This was because he had a lot of influence over Queen Marie Antoinette. However, this close relationship made Marie Antoinette unpopular with some French nobles and the French people. They felt she listened too much to foreign advice.
Mercy-Argenteau stayed in Paris during the difficult years leading up to the French Revolution. This was a time of great change and unrest in France. He supported the finance ministers, who were in charge of the country's money.
Later Career and Death
In 1792, Mercy-Argenteau was appointed governor-general of the Austrian Netherlands. This area is now part of Belgium. He was very good at this job because of his experience and skills.
Even though he had once favored peaceful solutions, Mercy-Argenteau supported Austria's decision to go to war against France after the French Revolution began. In July 1794, he was chosen to be the Austrian ambassador to Britain. However, he died in London just a few days after arriving.
