Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur |
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| Le duc de Mercoeur by Benjamin Foulon |
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| Spouse(s) | Marie de Luxembourg, Duchess of Penthièvre |
| Issue | |
| Françoise | |
| Noble family | Lorraine |
| Father | Nicholas, Count of Vaudémont |
| Mother | Jeanne de Savoie-Nemours |
| Born | 9 September 1558 Nomeny, France |
| Died | 19 February 1602 (aged 43) Nuremberg, Germany |
| Occupation | Governor of Brittany Holy League member |
Philippe-Emmanuel de Lorraine (born September 9, 1558, died February 19, 1602) was a French nobleman and soldier. He held the titles of Duke of Mercœur and Penthièvre. He was also a prince of the Holy Roman Empire. Philippe-Emmanuel was a key member of the Catholic League, a group that fought to protect the Catholic faith in France. He also worked to make the region of Brittany more independent from the French king.
Life of Philippe-Emmanuel
Philippe-Emmanuel de Lorraine was born on September 9, 1558, in Nomeny, France. He was the oldest living son of Nicholas, Count of Vaudémont and Jeanne de Savoie-Nemours. In 1575, he married Marie de Luxembourg. This marriage gave him the title of Duc de Penthièvre. It also gave him claims to the crown of the Duchy of Brittany. In 1578, he became a knight of the Order of Saint Esprit, a special French order.
Rebellion in Brittany
In 1582, King Henry III of France made Mercœur the governor of Brittany. Henry III was married to Mercœur's half-sister. In 1588, Mercœur joined the Catholic League in Brittany. He declared himself the protector of the Roman Catholic Church in that area.
Mercœur's wife, Marie, came from the House of Penthièvre. This family had a long history in Brittany. They were descendants of the House of Dreux, who used to be Dukes of Brittany. However, they had lost control of the dukedom in the Breton War of Succession in the 14th century. Mercœur used his wife's family history to claim that he should be the independent ruler of Brittany. He set up his own government in Nantes. He even called his young son the "prince and duke of Brittany."
Mercœur made an agreement with Spain to help him. He continued to fight for Brittany's independence. This was especially true when Henry of Navarre, a Protestant, became King of France after converting to Catholicism. King Henry IV sent his army, led by the Duc de Montpensier, to fight Mercœur.
With help from the Spanish Royal Army, Mercœur defeated the French royal troops at the Battle of Craon in 1592. However, the king's army soon got stronger with help from English soldiers. King Henry IV eventually marched against Mercœur himself. Mercœur finally gave up at Angers on March 20, 1598. He was the last member of the Catholic League to surrender. To make sure Brittany would stay with the French crown, King Henry IV arranged a marriage. Mercœur's daughter, Françoise, was to marry the king's illegitimate son, César Duc de Vendôme.
Later Years and Death
After surrendering, Mercœur went to Hungary. He joined the army of Emperor Rudolph II. He fought against the Ottoman Turks, who were a powerful empire at the time. Mercœur won two important battles against the Ottomans at the siege of Albe-Royale (Székesfehérvár) in 1601.
He became sick while traveling back to Lorraine and died in 1602. On April 27, a special church service called a Requiem Mass was held for him at Notre Dame de Paris. A famous religious leader, St. François de Sales, gave a speech praising him.
Family
Philippe-Emmanuel married Marie de Luxembourg (1562–1623) on July 12, 1579, in Paris. She was the Duchesse de Penthièvre and the daughter of Sébastien, Duke of Penthièvre.
Philippe and Marie had two children:
- Philippe Louis de Lorraine (born May 21, 1589 – died December 21, 1590)
- Françoise de Lorraine, Duchesse de Mercœur et de Penthièvre (born November 1592 – died September 8, 1669, Paris). Françoise married César de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme. He was an illegitimate son of Henry IV of France. Their wedding took place at Fontainebleau on July 16, 1608.
