Louis, Duke of Vendôme

Louis de Bourbon (October 1612 – 6 August 1669), was Duke of Mercœur and later the second Duke of Vendôme, and the grandson of Henry IV of France and Gabrielle d'Estrées. He became Duke of Vendôme in 1665, after the death of his father.

Louis
Duke of Vendôme
Louis in 1630, by Daniel Dumonstier
Born	October 1612 Paris, France
Died	6 August 1669 (aged 56) Aix-en-Provence, France
Spouse	Laura Mancini ​ ​ (m. 1651; died 1657)​
Issue	Louis Joseph, Duke of Vendôme Philippe, Duke of Vendôme
Names Louis de Bourbon-Vendôme
House	Bourbon-Vendôme
Father	César de Bourbon
Mother	Françoise de Lorraine
Signature

Louis was the son of César de Bourbon, Légitimé de France, Duke of Vendôme and Françoise de Lorraine (1592–1669), daughter of Philippe Emmanuel, Duke of Mercœur (d. 1602).^[1] Louis had a military career and was Governor of Provence from 1653 to 1669. After the death of his wife in 1657, he entered the church and became a cardinal and legate of France.^[1] As a cardinal, he was styled as the cardinal de Vendôme.^[2]

Louis married Laura Mancini, niece of Cardinal Mazarin, on 4 February 1651.^[3] Their children:

• Louis Joseph de Bourbon (1654–1712), Duke of Vendôme and Marshal of France; married Marie Anne de Bourbon^[2] no issue;
• Philippe de Bourbon (1655–1727), called le prieur de Vendôme, last Duke of Vendôme; never married; no issue.^[2]
• Jules César de Bourbon (1657–1660) died in infancy.

• Pavillon Vendôme

• Kamen, Henry (2000). Who's who in Europe, 1450-1750. Routledge.
• Orr, Clarissa Campbell, ed. (2004). Queenship in Europe 1660-1815: The Role of the Consort. Cambridge University Press.
• Pitts, Vincent Joseph (2000). La Grande Mademoiselle at the Court of France: 1627-1693. Johns Hopkins University Press.