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The Constable of France (from Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
 comes stabuli for "count
Count

A count is a nobleman in European countries; The word count comes from French language comte, itself from Latin comes?in its Accusative case comitem?meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor"....
 of the stables"), as the First Officer of the Crown, was one of the original five Great Officers of the Crown of France
Great Officers of the Crown of France

The Great Officers of the Crown were the most important wikt:officers of state of the royal court in France during the Ancien R?gime and Bourbon Restoration....
 (along with seneschal
Seneschal

A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the s?n?chal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli....
, chamberlain
Grand Chamberlain of France

The Grand Chambellan de France – here translated as Grand Chamberlain of France to distinguish it from the similar but different position of Grand Chamberman of France, translated as "Grand Chamberman of France", although both positions could equally be translated by the word Chamberlain – was one of the Great Officers of t...
, butler
Butler

A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In the great houses of the past, the household was sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries....
, and chancellor
Chancellor

Chancellor or chancellour is an official title used in countries whose civilization has arisen directly or indirectly out of the Roman Empire....
) 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
Chivalry

Chivalry is a term relating to the medieval institution of knighthood. It is usually associated with ideals of knightly virtues, honor and courtly love....
.






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The Constable of France (from Latin
Latin

Latin is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. Through the Military history of the Roman Empire, Latin spread throughout the Mediterranean and a large part of Europe....
 comes stabuli for "count
Count

A count is a nobleman in European countries; The word count comes from French language comte, itself from Latin comes?in its Accusative case comitem?meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor"....
 of the stables"), as the First Officer of the Crown, was one of the original five Great Officers of the Crown of France
Great Officers of the Crown of France

The Great Officers of the Crown were the most important wikt:officers of state of the royal court in France during the Ancien R?gime and Bourbon Restoration....
 (along with seneschal
Seneschal

A seneschal was an officer in the houses of important nobles in the Middle Ages. In the French administrative system of the Middle Ages, the s?n?chal was also a royal officer in charge of justice and control of the administration in southern provinces, equivalent to the northern French bailli....
, chamberlain
Grand Chamberlain of France

The Grand Chambellan de France – here translated as Grand Chamberlain of France to distinguish it from the similar but different position of Grand Chamberman of France, translated as "Grand Chamberman of France", although both positions could equally be translated by the word Chamberlain – was one of the Great Officers of t...
, butler
Butler

A butler is a domestic worker in a large household. In the great houses of the past, the household was sometimes divided into departments with the butler in charge of the dining room, wine cellar, and pantries....
, and chancellor
Chancellor

Chancellor or chancellour is an official title used in countries whose civilization has arisen directly or indirectly out of the Roman Empire....
) 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
Chivalry

Chivalry is a term relating to the medieval institution of knighthood. It is usually associated with ideals of knightly virtues, honor and courtly love....
. His jurisdiction was called the connestablie. The office was established by King Philip I
Philip I of France

Philip I , called the Amorous, was List of French monarchs from 1060 to his death. His reign, like that of most of the early House of Capet, was extraordinarily long for the time....
 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
François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières

Fran?ois de Bonne, duc de Lesdigui?res was soldier of the French Wars of Religion and Constable of France.He was born at Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur, to a family of Civil law notary with pretensions to nobility....
, after his conversion from Protestantism
Protestantism

Protestantism is a movement within Christianity that originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the three principal traditions of Christianity, together with Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy....
 to Catholicism
Catholicism

Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its Theology and doctrines, its Catholic liturgy, Ethics, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
 in 1622. The position was replaced by the Dean of Marshals (Doyen des maréchaux), in reality the most senior Marshal of France
Marshal of France

The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements....
 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
Fleur-de-lis

The fleur-de-lis is a stylized design of either an Iris or a Lilium that is now used purely decoratively as well as symbolically, or it may be "at one and the same time political, dynasty, artistic, emblematic and symbolic", especially in heraldry....
 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
    Marshal of France

    The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements....
    • Colonel-general
      Colonel General (France)

      A Colonel General was an officer of the French army during the Ancien R?gime, Napoleonic era and the Bourbon Restoration.The positions were not military ranks, but rather Great Officers of the Crown of France....
       - a special position in the French army, which commands all the regiment
      Regiment

      A regiment is a military unit, composed of variable numbers of battalions, commanded by a Colonel. Depending on the nation, military branch, mission, and organization, a modern regiment resembles a brigade, in that both range in size from a few hundred to 5,000 soldiers ....
      s 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
    Oriflamme

    The Oriflamme was the battle standard of the King of France.It was originally the sacred banner of the Abbey of St. Denis, a monastery near Paris....
     in battle.
  • Grand Master of Archers
    Grand Master of Crossbowmen

    The Master of Crossbowmen or more precisely, Master of Arbalesters or Master of Archery was the title of a commander of the Infantry of the French army in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance....
     (Grand-Maître des Arbalétriers - commander of the crossbow-men
    Crossbow

    A crossbow is a weapon consisting of a Bow mounted on a stock that shoots projectiles, often called bolts. The medieval crossbow was called by many names, most of which derived from the word Ballista, a siege engine resembling a crossbow in mechanism and appearance....
    )
  • Grand Master of Artillery
    Grand Master of Artillery

    The Grand Master of Artillery or Grand Ma?tre de l'artillerie was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France during the Ancien R?gime....
     (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
    Great Officers of the Crown of France

    The Great Officers of the Crown were the most important wikt:officers of state of the royal court in France during the Ancien R?gime and Bourbon Restoration....
     and was no longer subordinate to the Constable.
  • Lieutenant-general of the Realm - Occasionally appointed and served as a pseudo-viceroy
    Viceroy

    A viceroy is a royal official who governs a country or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king....
     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
    Montmorency family

    Montmorency, the name of one of the oldest and most distinguished families in France, derived from the city of Montmorency, Val-d'Oise, now in the Val-d'Oise d?partement in France, in the immediate neighborhood of Enghien-les-Bains and Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, about 9 miles northwest of Paris....
     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
Valois

Valois is a district, in the city of Pointe-Claire, Quebec, Canada. It was once a separate village, many years ago, but was then merged with Pointe-Claire....
 kings
  • Raoul I of Brienne, Count of Eu
    Raoul I of Brienne, Count of Eu

    Raoul I of Brienne was the son of John II of Brienne, Count of Eu and Jeanne, Countess of Gu?nes.He succeeded his father as Count of Eu in 1302, and his mother as Count of Gu?nes in 1332....
     and Guînes (d. 1344) 1329–1344
  • Raoul II of Brienne, Count of Eu
    Raoul II of Brienne, Count of Eu

    Raoul II of Brienne was the son of Raoul I of Brienne, Count of Eu and Gu?nes and Jeanne de Mello. He succeeded his father in 1344 as Count of Eu and Count of Gu?nes, as well as in his post as Constable of France....
     and Guînes (executed for treason
    Treason

    In law, treason is the crime that covers some of the more serious acts of loyalty to one's sovereignty or nation. Historically, treason also covered the murder of specific social superiors, such as the murder of a husband by his wife ....
     1350) 1344–1350, a POW in England after his capture in 1346, executed immediately on his return to Paris.
  • Charles de la Cerda
    Charles de la Cerda

    Charles de la Cerda , Franco-Castilian nobleman and soldier, was the son of Alfonso de la Cerda and Isabelle d'Antoing.A boyhood companion and favorite of John II of France, he commanded the Crown of Castile galleys at the Battle of L'Espagnols-sur-Mer, where he was defeated by Edward III of England after a long and desperate struggle....
     (died 1354) 1350–1354
  • Jacques de Bourbon, Count of La Marche (1319–1362) 1354–1356
  • Walter VI of Brienne
    Walter VI of Brienne

    Walter VI of Brienne was Count of Brienne, Conversano, and Lecce, and titular Duchy of Athens. Walter was the son of Walter V of Brienne, Duke of Athens, and Jeanne de Chatillon , the daughter of the Count of Porcien, a constable of France to King Philip IV of France....
     (c. 1304–1356, killed in the Battle of Poitiers
    Battle of Poitiers (1356)

    The Battle of Poitiers was fought between the Kingdoms of Kingdom of England and France in the Middle Ages on 19 September 1356 near Poitiers, resulting in the second of the three great English victories of the Hundred Years' War: Battle of Cr?cy, Poitiers, and Battle of Agincourt....
    ) 1356
  • Robert Morean de Fiennes (1308–1372) 1356–1370
  • Bertrand du Guesclin
    Bertrand du Guesclin

    Bertrand du Guesclin , known as the Eagle of Brittany, was a Brittany knight and French military commander during the Hundred Years' War. He was Constable of France from 1370 to his death....
     (1320–1380) 1370–1380
  • Olivier IV de Clisson (1336–1407) 1380–1392
  • Philip of Artois, Count of Eu
    Philip of Artois, Count of Eu

    Philip of Artois , 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 IV of Artois, Count of Eu....
     (1358–1397) 1392–1397
  • Louis de Sancerre (1341–1402) 1397–1402
  • Charles d'Albret
    Charles d'Albret

    File:Armoiries Albret moderne.pngCharles d'Albret was Constable of France two different times: from 1402 until 1411, and again from 1413 until 1415....
    , Comte de Dreux (died 1415, killed in the Battle of Agincourt
    Battle of Agincourt

    The Battle of Agincourt was an English victory against a much larger French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday 25 October 1415 ...
    ) served twice: 1402–1411 and 1413–1415
  • Waleran, Count of Saint Pol
    Waleran III of Luxembourg, Count of Ligny

    Waleran III of Luxembourg , Count of Ligny and Count of Saint Pol, was a French nobleman and soldier.He was the son of Guy of Luxembourg, Count of Ligny and Mahaut of Ch?tillon, Countess of Saint Pol....
     (died 1413) 1411–1413
  • Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac
    Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac

    Bernard VII, Count of Armagnac was the Count of Charolais, Count of Armagnac, and Constable of France. He was the son of John II of Armagnac and Jeanne de P?rigord....
     (died 1418) 1415–1418
  • Charles II, Duke of Lorraine
    Charles II, Duke of Lorraine

    File:Pierre Woeiriot08.jpgCharles II , called the Bold was the duke of Lorraine from 1390 to his death and constable of France from 1418 to 1425....
     (1365–1431) 1418–1425
  • John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan
    John Stewart, 2nd Earl of Buchan

    John Stewart, Earl of Buchan, was the son of Robert Stewart, 1st Duke of Albany and his second wife Muriella Keith. John succeeded to the Earldom of Buchan after the death of his uncle Alexander Stewart, Earl of Buchan ....
     (b.circa 1381– died at the Battle of Verneuil
    Battle of Verneuil

    The Battle of Verneuil was a battle of the Hundred Years' War, fought on 17 August 1424 near Verneuil-sur-Avre in Normandy and was a significant English victory....
     1424) served 1424
  • Arthur III, Duke of Brittany
    Arthur III, Duke of Brittany

    Arthur III , known as the Justicier and as Arthur de Richemont, was Lord of Parthenay and titular Count of Richmond in England and for eleven months at the very end of his life, Duke of Brittany and Count of Montfort after inheriting those titles upon the death of his nephew....
     (Arthur de Richemont)(1393–1458) 1425–?
  • Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol
    Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol

    Louis de Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol, of Brienne, de Ligny, and Conversano, belonged to the Ligny branch of the House of Luxemburg and was Constable of France....
     (1418–1475) 1465–?
  • Jean II le Bon de Bourbon
    John II, Duke of Bourbon

    John II of Bourbon was Duke of Bourbon and Rulers of Auvergne from 1456 to his death, following his father Charles I, Duke of Bourbon. His mother was Agnes of Burgundy....
     (1426–1488) 1483
Under the Valois Angoulême
  • Charles III, 8th duc de Bourbon
    Charles III, Duke of Bourbon

    Charles III of Bourbon-Montpensier, Eighth Duke of Bourbon was Count of Montpensier and Rulers of Auvergne. His father, Gilbert, Count of Montpensier, died in 1496, and his elder brother Louis II, Count of Montpensier in 1501, at which time he inherited the family lands in Auvergne ....
     (1490–1527, killed during the Sack of Rome
    Sack of Rome (1527)

    The Sack of Rome on 6 May 1527, carried out by the mutinous troops of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, marked a crucial imperial victory in the conflict between the Holy Roman Empire and the League of Cognac ? the alliance of France, Milan, Venice, Florence and the Papacy....
    ). 1518–1523
  • Anne de Montmorency
    Anne de Montmorency

    Anne de Montmorency, duc de Montmorency, List of honorary British Knights , was a France soldier, statesman and diplomat. He became Marshal of France and Constable of France....
    , Grand Maitre de France (1492–1567, killed in the Battle of Saint-Denis
    Battle of Saint-Denis (1567)

    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....
    ) 1538–1567
Under the Bourbon
Bourbon

Bourbon may refer to:...
s
  • Henri I de Montmorency (1570–1621) 1593–1621
  • Charles d'Albert, duc de Luynes (1621)
  • François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières
    François de Bonne, duc de Lesdiguières

    Fran?ois de Bonne, duc de Lesdigui?res was soldier of the French Wars of Religion and Constable of France.He was born at Saint-Bonnet-en-Champsaur, to a family of Civil law notary with pretensions to nobility....
    , Marechal de France (1543–1636) 1622–1626 The last constable.


Henry VI of England
Henry VI of England

Henry VI was Kingdom of England 1422?1461 and then 1470?1471, and King of France as the de jure monarch from 1422 to 1429....
, who claimed the throne of France, appointed John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury
John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury

John Talbot, 1st Earl of Shrewsbury was an important England military commander during the Hundred Years' War, as well as the only House of Lancaster Constable of France....
 as Constable in 1445.

First Empire

Allegedly, the Bourbon
House of Bourbon

The House of Bourbon is an important European royal house, a branch of the Capetian dynasty. Bourbon kings first ruled Kingdom of Navarre and France in the 16th century....
 family, through the Comte d'Artois, offered Napoleon Bonaparte, as First Consul
First Consul

First Consul was a title used by Napoleon Bonaparte following his seizure of power in France.Originally, three equal Consuls made up the government established by Bonaparte and Emmanuel Joseph Siey?s after the coup of 18 Brumaire , which established the French Consulate in France ....
, 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
Louis Bonaparte

Louis Napol?on Bonaparte, Prince Fran?ais, King of Holland, Comte de Saint-Leu-la-For?t was the fifth surviving child and fourth surviving son of Carlo Buonaparte and Letizia Ramolino....
, King of Holland, and as Vice-Constable, Marshal of the Empire
Marshal of France

The Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements....
 Louis Alexandre Berthier
Louis Alexandre Berthier

Louis Alexandre Berthier, 1st Princes of Wagram de Wagram, 1st Duc de Valengin, 1st Sovereign Prince de Neuch?tel , marshal of France, Vice-Constable of France beginning in 1808, and Chief of Staff under Napoleon I of France, was born at Versailles to Jean Baptiste Berthier and first wife Marie Fran?oise Lhuillier de La S...
, the French Army
French Army

The French Army, officially the Arm?e de Terre , is the Army component of the Military of France and its largest. As of 2007, the army employs 134,000 regular soldiers, 15,500 reservists, and 25,750 civilians....
 Chief of staff and Prince of Neuchâtel
Neuchâtel

Neuch?tel is the Capital of the Swiss Cantons of Switzerland of Neuch?tel on Lake Neuch?tel.The city has approximately 31,500 inhabitants , by and large French-speaking, although the city is sometimes referred to historically by the German language name , which has the same meaning, since Prussia ruled the area until 1848....
. Both titles were strictly honorific.

Movies

If I Were King
If I Were King

If I Were King is a 1938 in film biopic historical drama film starring Ronald Colman as medieval poet Fran?ois Villon, and featuring Basil Rathbone and Frances Dee....
, 1938, with François Villon
François Villon

Fran?ois Villon was a France poet, thief, and vagabond. He is perhaps best known for his Testaments and his Ballade des Pendus, written while in prison....
 (played by Ronald Colman
Ronald Colman

Ronald Colman was an England Academy Award and Golden Globe-winning actor....
), who was appointed by Louis XI
Louis XI of France

Louis XI , called the Prudent and the Universal Spider or the Spider King, was the List of French monarchs from 1461 to 1483....
, King of France (played by Basil Rathbone
Basil Rathbone

Basil Rathbone, Military Cross , was a South African Republic England actor most famous for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes and of suave villains in such swashbuckler films as The Mark of Zorro , Captain Blood , and The Adventures of Robin Hood ....
) to be Constable of France for one week.

Henry V
Henry V (1989 film)

Henry V is a 1989 in film film directed by Kenneth Branagh, and based upon the William Shakespeare Henry V about the Henry V of England. Branagh stars in the title role with Derek Jacobi as the Chorus ....
, with Charles d'Albret
Charles d'Albret

File:Armoiries Albret moderne.pngCharles d'Albret was Constable of France two different times: from 1402 until 1411, and again from 1413 until 1415....
, Comte de Dreux (played by Richard Easton
Richard Easton

Richard Easton is a Canadian actor. He is best known in for his portrayal of Brian Hammond in the 1970s BBC serial The Brothers ....
), who was appointed by Charles VI of France
Charles VI of France

Charles VI , called the Well-loved and the Mad , was the List of French monarchs from 1380 to 1399, as a member of the House of Valois....
, (played by Paul Scofield
Paul Scofield

David Paul Scofield, Order of the Companions of Honour, Order of the British Empire was an England award-winning actor of stage and screen. Noted for his distinctive voice and delivery, Scofield received an Academy Award and a BAFTA Award for his performance as Sir Thomas More in the 1966 in film film A Man for All Seasons , a reprise of...
), killed in the Battle of Agincourt
Battle of Agincourt

The Battle of Agincourt was an English victory against a much larger French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday 25 October 1415 ...
 (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
    Constable

    A constable is a person holding a particular office, most commonly in Police. The office of constable can vary significantly in different jurisdictions....
  • Lord High Constable
    Lord High Constable

    There are two current and one former royal offices in the United Kingdom of Lord High Constable:* The Lord High Constable of England* The Lord High Constable of Scotland...
  • Joan of Arc
    Joan of Arc

    Saint Joan of Arc also known as the Maid of Orleans, is a national heroine of France and a Roman Catholic saint. A peasant girl born in eastern France, she led the French army to several important victories during the Hundred Years' War, claiming divine guidance, and was indirectly responsible for the coronation of Charles VII of Franc...


External links