Constable of France

2 October 1369: Joyoud being Presented to the Constable of France Bertrand du Guesclin

The Constable of France (Template:Lang-fr, from Latin comes stabuli for "count of the stables"), as the First Officer of the Crown, was one of the original five Great Officers of the Crown of France (along with seneschal, chamberlain, butler, and chancellor) and Commander in Chief of the army. He, theoretically, as Lieutenant-general of the King, outranked all the nobles and was second-in-command only to the King. He was also responsible for military justice and served to regulate the Chivalry. His jurisdiction was called the connestablie. The office was established by King Philip I in 1060 with Alberic becoming the first Constable. The office was abolished in 1627 in accordance with the Edict of January 1627 by Cardinal Richelieu, upon the death of François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières, after his conversion from Protestantism to Catholicism in 1622. The position was replaced by the Dean of Marshals (Doyen des maréchaux), in reality the most senior Marshal of France in a strictly ceremonial role. A few constables died in battle or were executed for treason, mostly for political intrigue.

Badge of Office

The badge of office was a highly elaborate sword called the "Royal Sword" (Fr. 'de Charlemagne') surnamed "Joyous". This sword dated from the 1300s and was contained in a blue scabbard embellished with fleur-de-lis in column from hilt to point. Traditionally, the constable was presented with the sword on taking his office.

Persons Subordinate to the Constable of France

• Maréchaux de France
  • Colonel-general - a special position in the French army, which commands all the regiments of the same branch of service (ie. infantry, cavalry, Dragoons,...)
  • Lieutenant-general - the highest general rank of the French army
  • Maréchal de camp (Field Marshall) - the lowest general rank
• Porte-Oriflamme - a very prestigious position, though unofficial, which carries the royal banner in battle.
• Grand Master of Archers (Grand-Maître des Arbalétriers - commander of the crossbow-men)
• Grand Master of Artillery (Grand-Maître de l'artillerie). From the beginning of the XVII century, the Grand Master of the Artillery became a Great Officer of the Crown and was no longer subordinate to the Constable.
• Lieutenant-general of the Realm - Occasionally appointed and served as a pseudo-viceroy to oversee royal business in a region and served directly under the King.

Constables of France

Note that there are gaps in the dates as the position was not always filled following the demise of its occupant.

Constables of the Kings of France, 1060–1626

Under the Capétien kings:

• Alberic 1060–1065
• Balberic 1065–1069
• Gauthier 1069–1071
• Adelelme 1071–1075
• Adam 1075–1085
• Thibaut, Seigneur de Montmorency 1085–1107
• Gaston de Chanmont 1107–1108
• Hugues le Borgne de Chanmont 1108–1135
• Mathieu de Montmorency (d1160) 1138–?
• Simon de Neauphle-le-Chateau 1165–?
• Raoul de Clermont (died 1191) 1174–1194
• Dreux IV de Mello (1148–1218) 1194–1218
• Mathieu I LeGrand Baron de Montmorency (died 1231) 1218–1231
• Amaury VI de Montfort (died 1249) 1231–1240
• Humbert V de Beaujeu (died 1250) 1240–1248
• Gilles II de Trasignies (died 1275) 1248–1277
• Humbert VI de Beaujeu (died 1285) 1277
• Raoul II de Clermin (died 1302) 1277–1307
• Gaucher de Chatillon (1249–1329) 1307–1329

Under the Valois kings

• Raoul I of Brienne, Count of Eu and Guînes (d. 1344) 1329–1344
• Raoul II of Brienne, Count of Eu and Guînes (executed for treason 1350) 1344–1350, a POW in England after his capture in 1346, executed immediately on his return to Paris.
• Charles de la Cerda (died 1354) 1350–1354
• Jacques de Bourbon, Count of La Marche (1319–1362) 1354–1356
• Walter VI of Brienne (c. 1304–1356, killed in the Battle of Poitiers) 1356
• Robert Morean de Fiennes (1308–1372) 1356–1370
• Bertrand du Guesclin (1320–1380) 1370–1380
• Olivier IV de Clisson (1336–1407) 1380–1392
• Philip of Artois, Count of Eu (1358–1397) 1392–1397
• Louis de Sancerre (1341–1402) 1397–1402
• Charles d'Albret, Comte de Dreux (died 1415, killed in the Battle of Agincourt) served twice: 1402–1411 and 1413–1415
• Waleran, Count of Saint Pol (died 1413) 1411–1413
• Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac (died 1418) 1415–1418
• Charles II, Duke of Lorraine (1365–1431) 1418–1425
• John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan (b.circa 1381– died at the Battle of Verneuil 1424) served 1424
• Arthur III, Duke of Brittany (Arthur de Richemont)(1393–1458) 1425–?
• Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol (1418–1475) 1465–?
• Jean II le Bon de Bourbon (1426–1488) 1483
• Charles III, 8th duc de Bourbon (1490–1527, killed during the Sack of Rome). 1518–1523
• Anne de Montmorency, Grand Maitre de France (1492–1567, killed in the Battle of Saint-Denis) 1538–1567

Under the Bourbons

• Henri I de Montmorency (1570–1621) 1593–1621
• Charles d'Albert, duc de Luynes (1621)
• François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières, Marechal de France (1543–1636) 1622–1626 The last constable.

Henry VI of England, who claimed the throne of France, appointed John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury as Constable in 1445.

First Empire

Allegedly, the Bourbon family, through the Comte d'Artois, offered Napoleon Bonaparte, as First Consul, the title of Constable of France if he would restore the Bourbons as kings of France. In 1808, Napoleon also appointed the Grand Dignitaries of the French Empire (Grands dignitaires de l'Empire Français). In doing this he appointed as Constable his younger brother Louis Bonaparte, King of Holland, and as Vice-Constable, Marshal of the Empire Louis Alexandre Berthier, the French Army Chief of staff and Prince of Neuchâtel. Both titles were strictly honorific.

Movies

If I Were King, 1938, with François Villon (played by Ronald Colman), who was appointed by Louis XI, King of France (played by Basil Rathbone) to be Constable of France for one week.

Henry V, with Charles d'Albret, Comte de Dreux (played by Richard Easton), who was appointed by Charles VI of France, (played by Paul Scofield), killed in the Battle of Agincourt (1415) in one of the major scenes in the movie, depicted as falling from his horse into the mud (historical tradition holds he was drowned in the mud due to the weight of his armor, disabled by having his horse fall on him).

See also

• Constable
• Lord High Constable
• Joan of Arc

External links

• Heraldica
• French Heraldry site