Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon (born August 18, 1692 – died January 27, 1740) was an important French nobleman and politician. He served as the Prime Minister of France from 1723 to 1726. As a member of the royal House of Bourbon, he was known as a prince du sang, meaning he was a prince of the royal blood.

Louis Henri was the oldest son of Louis III, Prince of Condé, and Louise Françoise de Bourbon. His mother was the oldest daughter of King Louis XIV. When his father passed away in 1710, Louis Henri became the head of the Bourbon-Condé family branch. He was known as the Duke of Bourbon at court.

After King Louis XIV died in 1715, Louis Henri joined the regency council. This council was led by Philippe II, Duke of Orléans. They helped govern France because the new king, Louis XV, was still a child.

In 1723, Louis Henri took over from the Duke of Orléans as the chief minister to King Louis XV. One of his big achievements was arranging the King's marriage to the Polish princess Marie Leszczyńska. However, in 1726, King Louis XV removed Louis Henri from his position. He was replaced by Cardinal de Fleury. Louis Henri passed away at his home, the Château de Chantilly, in 1740. His titles were then passed on to his four-year-old son, Louis Joseph.

Early Life and Family
Serving During the Regency
Becoming Prime Minister
- Religious Policies
King's Marriage Plans
Marie Leszczyńska Becomes Queen
Later Life and Wealth
Marriages and Children
Images for kids
See also

Early Life and Family

Louis Henri was born in Versailles, France. He was the eldest son of Louis III, Prince of Condé and Louise Françoise de Bourbon. His mother was a daughter of King Louis XIV. This made Louis Henri a great-grandson of Louis de Bourbon, a famous French general.

As a prince du sang, Louis Henri was very close to the royal family. At one point, he was third in line to the French throne. This was because many other heirs to the throne had passed away. Only Philippe, the 2nd Duke of Orléans and his son were ahead of him.

Serving During the Regency

In September 1715, Philippe d'Orléans became the regent for the young King Louis XV. The King was only five years old. The regent appointed the 23-year-old Duke of Bourbon to his first important role. This was on the Regency Council. This council was the main group that advised the French government while the king was too young to rule.

In 1718, Louis Henri took over as the supervisor of the king's education. This happened after the Duke of Maine was removed from his position. However, the king's actual learning was still mostly handled by his trusted tutor, André-Hercule de Fleury. Fleury remained in his role.

Some people at the time described Louis Henri as having a limited mind and being interested mostly in fun and hunting.

Becoming Prime Minister

The Regency period ended in February 1723 when King Louis XV turned thirteen. Cardinal Dubois, who had been the chief minister, continued in that role for the king. But Cardinal Dubois died in August 1723. After this, the former regent, Philippe d'Orléans, became the king's chief minister. However, he also passed away in December of the same year.

Louis Henri quickly went to see the king that evening. He asked to become the new prime minister. Cardinal de Fleury, who was the king's former tutor, was there. He suggested that the king agree, and Louis XV nodded silently to show his approval. Some sources say that Cardinal Fleury made the king promise that he would always be present when Louis Henri spoke with the king. This was an unusual situation for a prime minister.

One of Louis Henri's first actions as prime minister was to change the minister of police. This gave him more control over things like press censorship and mail. He also promoted many of his supporters to high ranks in the military and royal orders.

Religious Policies

During Louis Henri's time as prime minister, there were discussions about how to treat Protestants in France. The Archbishop of Rouen, Louis III de La Vergne de Tressan, wanted stricter rules against Protestants. While the previous regent had stopped such measures, the Archbishop found Louis Henri more willing to listen. He was given permission to create a new law concerning religious differences.

King's Marriage Plans

One of the most important things Louis Henri did as prime minister was to arrange the king's marriage. King Louis XV had been engaged to Mariana Victoria, a Spanish princess, since 1721. She was only three years old at the time, and the king was eleven. By 1724, the king was fourteen, but the princess was still too young to have children.

Many people felt that France could not wait so long for an heir to the throne. There was a fear that if Louis XV died without a child, Philip V of Spain might try to claim the French throne. This could lead to a war between France and Spain and other European countries.

By the summer of 1724, Louis Henri and his close advisor, the Marquise de Prie, began thinking about ending the king's engagement to the Spanish princess. They wanted to find a wife who could provide an heir sooner. This was a big decision because it would upset Spain.

In April 1725, the seven-year-old Spanish princess was sent back to Madrid. King Louis XV did not even say goodbye to her. A new queen was needed quickly. If Louis died without an heir, the throne would pass to the Duke of Orléans. The Orléans family and the Condé family were rivals, so Louis Henri wanted to avoid this.

Many princesses were considered. These included a daughter of George II of Great Britain, but she could not become Catholic, which was required. Other candidates included Elizabeth of Russia, and several German and Italian princesses.

Marie Leszczyńska Becomes Queen

The final choice for queen was Marie Leszczyńska. She was the daughter of the former king of Poland, Stanislaus. Her father had lost his throne and was living in France with a small income.

Marie was not known for being extremely beautiful or smart. However, she was healthy, kind, generous, and calm. Louis Henri and the Marquise de Prie decided she would be perfect for the King. On March 31, 1725, the royal council agreed to offer the marriage to Marie Leszczyńska. Her name was publicly announced on May 27.

The wedding took place in two parts. First, a ceremony was held in the cathedral of Strasbourg, where the young Duke of Orléans stood in for the king. Then, the bride and groom were officially married in person at Fontainebleau.

Louis Henri remained prime minister until he was dismissed in 1726. The king's tutor, Cardinal Fleury, then took over the role.

Some people, like the memoir writer Saint-Simon, described Louis Henri as foolish and stubborn. However, Cardinal de Fleury said that he found "goodness, honesty, and honor" in the Duke of Bourbon.

Later Life and Wealth

After being removed from government, Louis Henri went to live at his country estate, the Château de Chantilly. This castle is about 40 kilometers northeast of Paris. The château became a beautiful home under his care. He redecorated the building and its gardens. He often entertained guests there.

Louis Henri passed away at Chantilly at the age of 47. His titles were then passed to his four-year-old son, Louis Joseph. His son would hold the title of Prince of Condé for over seventy years.

Chantilly soft porcelain teapot from 1735-1740. The Prince de Condé established Chantilly porcelain.

Louis Henri was a very wealthy man. During the Regency, his various incomes and money from his large estates gave him about 1.8 million livres each year. In 1984, one livre was estimated to be worth about $4.50.

He also made a lot of money by investing in a financial system created by John Law between 1716 and 1720. Louis Henri bought paper money, waited for its value to increase, and then exchanged it for gold before the system failed. On March 3, 1720, he went to Law's bank and took out twenty-five million livres in gold. The bank later closed that year because it ran out of gold. Louis Henri made a huge profit, possibly 20 to 40 million livres, from this system.

Marriages and Children

On July 9, 1713, Louis Henri married Marie Anne de Bourbon in Versailles. She was the oldest daughter of Marie Thérèse de Bourbon and François Louis, Prince de Conti. Louis Henri's younger sister, Louise Élisabeth de Bourbon, married Marie Anne's brother.

Louis Henri and Marie Anne did not have any children. Marie Anne passed away in 1720.

On July 23, 1728, he married Caroline of Hesse. She was a daughter of Ernest Leopold, Landgrave of Hesse-Rotenburg. They had one son:

Louis Joseph de Bourbon (born August 9, 1736 – died May 13, 1818). He later led the Army of Condé during the French Revolutionary Wars.

Caroline had once been considered as a possible wife for King Louis XV. Louis Henri was pardoned by Louis XV in 1730, which ended his exile at the Château de Chantilly. The couple lived at the Palais Bourbon, which had been built by Louis Henri's mother.

Louis Henri also had an illegitimate daughter with Armande Félice de La Porte Mazarin (1691–1729). He officially recognized her:

Henriette de Bourbon (1725–1780), known as Mademoiselle de Verneuil. She married Jean, marquis de Laguiche, in 1740.

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Louis Henri's signature

Louis Henri, Duke of Bourbon facts for kids

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