The Constable of France (French connétable de France, from Latin comes stabulari 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 Francois 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. Note that there are gaps in the dates as the position was not always filled following the demise of its occupant. Latin is an ancient Indo-European language originally spoken in Latium, the region immediately surrounding Rome. ... A count is a nobleman in most European countries, equivalent in rank to a British earl, whose wife is also still a countess (for lack of an Anglo-Saxon term). ... The Great Officers of the Crown were appointed by the King of France and there were seven all told. ... A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. ... Chamberlain can have several meanings: A chamberlain is an officer in charge of managing the household of a sovereign. ... // For other uses see Butler (disambiguation) The butler is a senior servant in a large household. ... For other uses, see Chancellor (disambiguation). ... A Commander-in-Chief is the commander of a nations military forces or significant element of those forces. ... Kings ruled in France from the Middle Ages to 1848. ... Bors Dilemma - he chooses to save a maiden rather than his brother Lionel Chivalry[1] is a term related to the medieval institution of apple juice. ... Philip I (French: Philippe Ier) (May 23, 1052 – July 29, 1108) was King of France from 1060 to 1108. ... Events May - The Norman leader Robert Guiscard conquers Taranto. ... Cardinal Richelieu was the French chief minister from 1624 until his death. ... François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières (1 April 1543 – 21 September 1626) was soldier of the French Wars of Religion and Constable of France. ... A duke is a nobleman, historically of highest rank and usually controlling a duchy or dukedom. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... As a Christian ecclesiastical term, Catholic - from the Greek adjective , meaning general or universal[1] - is described in the Oxford English Dictionary as follows: ~Church, (originally) whole body of Christians; ~, belonging to or in accord with (a) this, (b) the church before separation into Greek or Eastern and Latin or... Baton of a modern Marshal of France The Marshal of France (French: Maréchal de France) is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. ...

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. Fleurs-de-lys on the flag of Quebec The fleur-de-lis (also spelled fleur-de-lys; plural fleurs-de-lis or -lys) is used in heraldry, where it is particularly associated with the France monarchy (see King of France). ...

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.

Colonel General is a senior military rank which is used in some of the world’s militaries. ... A regiment is a military unit, consisting of a variable number of battalions - - commanded by a colonel. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ... The Oriflamme was the sacred banner of the Abbey of St. ... The Grand maître des arbalétriers or Grand Master of the Crossbowmen (more precisely, of the Arbalesters) or Grand Master of the Archers was the title of a commander of the foot soldiers of the French army (the ost) in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance. ... A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles. ... The Grand Master of Artillery or Grand Maître de lartillerie was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France during the Ancien Régime. ... The Great Officers of the Crown were appointed by the King of France and there were seven all told. ... A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. ...

Constables of France

Constables of the Kings of France, 1060–1626

• 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
• 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 of British since 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 (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
• Henri I de Montmorency (1570–1621) 1593–1621
• 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. Montmorency is the name of one of the oldest and most distinguished families in France, derived from the city of Montmorency, now in the Val-dOise département, in the immediate neighborhood of Enghien-les-Bains and Saint-Denis, and about 9 m. ... Amaury VI de Montfort (1195-1241) was the son of the elder Simon de Montfort and Alice of Montmorency, and the brother of the younger Simon de Montfort. ... Raoul I of Brienne (d. ... Raoul II of Brienne (d. ... Traitor redirects here. ... Geneva Convention definition A prisoner of war (POW) is a soldier, sailor, airman, or marine who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or immediately after an armed conflict. ... City flag City coat of arms Motto: Fluctuat nec mergitur (Latin: Tossed by the waves, she does not sink) Paris Eiffel tower as seen from the esplanade du Trocadéro. ... Charles de la Cerda (1327 – January 8, 1354, LAigle), Franco-Spanish nobleman and soldier, was the son of Alfonso de la Cerda (d. ... James of Bourbon (1319 – April 6, 1362) was the son of Louis I, Duke of Bourbon and Mary of Avesnes. ... Walter VI of Brienne (c. ... Combatants Kingdom of England Gascony France Commanders Edward, the Black Prince Captal de Buch John II of France Strength 9,000 12,000 Casualties Minimal 2,500 killed or wounded The Battle of Poitiers was fought between the Kingdom of England and France on September 19, 1356, resulting in the... Statue of du Guesclin in Dinan Bertrand du Guesclin (c. ... Olivier de Clisson (1326 - April 23, 1407), French soldier, was the son of the Olivier de Clisson who was put to death in 1343 on the suspicion of having wished to give up Nantes to the English. ... Philip of Artois (1358 – June 16, 1397, Micalizo), son of John of Artois, Count of Eu and Isabeau of Melun, was Count of Eu from 1387 until his death, succeeding his brother Robert. ... Charles dAlbert (c1337 -1415)was constable of France and joint commander of the French army at Agincourt where he was killed He was born into a old Gascon family around 1337, he was the son of Arnaud Lord of Albert and fought under Bertrand du Guesclin as a young... Combatants Kingdom of England Kingdom of France Commanders Henry V of England Charles dAlbret Strength About 6,000 (but see Modern re-assessment). 4/5 longbowmen, 1/5 dismounted men-at-arms. ... Waleran III of Luxembourg (1355 – October 25, 1415, Agincourt), Count of Ligny and Saint Pol, was a French nobleman and soldier. ... Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac (1360 – June 12, 1418) was count of Armagnac, count of Charolais and constable of France. ... Charles II (February 15, 1543 – May 14, 1608), known as the Great, was Duke of Lorraine from 1545 until his death. ... John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan, (c. ... The Battle of Verneuil (occasionally Vernuil) was a battle of the Hundred Years War, fought on 17 August 1423 near Verneuil in Normandy and was a significant English victory. ... Arthur III (August 24, 1393 – December 26, 1458), known as the Justicier and as Arthur de Richemont, was Count (Earl) of Richmond in England and, for eleven months at the very end of his life, Duke of Brittany after inheriting the title upon the death of his nephew. ... John II of Bourbon (1426 – 1488) was Duke of Bourbon and Auvergne from 1456 to his death, following his father Charles I of Bourbon. ... Charles III of Bourbon-Montpensier (February 17, 1490 – 1527 in Rome) was Count of Montpensier and Dauphin of Auvergne. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Anne, First Duke of Montmorency (March 15, 1493 – November 12, 1567), was a soldier and constable of France. ... The Battle of Saint-Denis was fought on November 10, 1567 between Catholics and Protestants during the French Wars of Religion in Saint-Denis near Paris, France . ... Henri I de Montmorency (1534 - 1614), Marshal of France, became duc de Montmorency on his brothers death in 1579, had been governor of Languedoc since 1563. ... François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières (1 April 1543 – 21 September 1626) was soldier of the French Wars of Religion and Constable of France. ... Henry VI (December 6, 1421 – May 21, 1471) was King of England from 1422 to 1461 (though with a Regent until 1437) and then from 1470 to 1471, and King of France from 1422 to 1453. ... John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury (1384/90 – 17 July 1453) was an important English military commander during the Hundred Years War. ...

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 (gran 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 Neuchatel. Both titles were strictly honorific. The County of Artois was a Carolingian county, established by the counts Odalric and Ecfrid of Artois, then integrated into the County of Flanders, first by Baldwin II of Flanders around 898, then by Arnulf I of Flanders. ... Bonaparte as general Napoleon Bonaparte ( 15 August 1769 – 5 May 1821) was a general of the French Revolution and was the ruler of France as First Consul (Premier Consul) of the French Republic from November 11, 1799 to May 18, 1804, then as Emperor of the French (Empereur des... A title used by Napoleon Bonaparte following his seizure of power in France. ... The Great Officers of the Crown were appointed by the King of France and there were seven all told. ... Louis I Napoleon Bonaparte, King of Holland, Grand Duke of Berg and Cleves, Count of Saint-Leu (Lodewijk Napoleon in Dutch) (September 2, 1778 – July 25, 1846) was the fifth surviving child and fourth surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino. ... Baton of a modern Marshal of France The Marshal of France (French: Maréchal de France) is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. ... Louis Alexandre Berthier, Marshal of France Louis Alexandre Berthier, prince de Neuchâtel (February 20, 1753 – June 1, 1815), marshal of France, Vice-Constable of France beginning in 1808, and chief of staff under Napoleon, was born at Versailles. ... The French Army (French: Armée de Terre) is the land-based component of the French Armed Forces. ... The chief of staff is the chief aide to the commander of larger military formations and units. ... Neuchâtel (German: Neuenburg) is a city in Switzerland which is the capital of the Canton of Neuchâtel. ...

Movies

If I Were King, 1938, with Francois 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. If I Were King is a 1938 film with Basil Rathbone. ... François Villon (1431 - c. ... Ronald Colman (February 9, 1891 – May 19, 1958) was an English actor. ... Louis XI the Prudent (French: Louis XI le Prudent) (July 3, 1423 – August 30, 1483), also informally nicknamed luniverselle aragne (old French for universal spider), or the Spider King, was King of France (1461–1483). ... Kings ruled in France from the Middle Ages to 1848. ... Basil Rathbone (13 June 1892 – 21 July 1967) was an English actor most famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes and swashbuckler film villain roles. ...

See also

• Constable
• Lord High Constable

A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in law enforcement. ... The Lord High Constable of England is the seventh of the Great Officers of State, ranking beneath the Lord Great Chamberlain and above the Earl Marshal. ...

External links

• Heraldica
• French Heraldry site