House of Castries
Encyclopedia
The house of la Croix de Castries (la kʁwa də kastʁ) is a French
noble family from Languedoc
. Castries
was named after one of its members.
, on a cross, or
". Family tradition holds that one of the family's members was saint Roch, the pilgrim apostle who dedicated his life to the service of the sick and plague-victims in the 13th century. The La Croix de Castries family, however, was not ennobled until the end of the 15th century, as Nobles of the Sword
. It was admitted to the honours of court in 1744, 1753, 1776, and 1786.
, on 4 June 1817 he was re-created duc de Castries et Pair de France.
The ducal title, fallen into disuse due to the death of the third duke without issue, was re-created as a courtesy title
in 1907 by René Edmond Marie Gabriel de La Croix de Castries (1842–1913), comte de Castries, an old diplomat belonging to a cadet branch
of the family.
, a navy minister, several lieutenant general
s and Field Marshal
s, knights knighted by the king, and masters of the royal bedchamber.
By year of birth, notable members are:
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
noble family from Languedoc
Languedoc
Languedoc is a former province of France, now continued in the modern-day régions of Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées in the south of France, and whose capital city was Toulouse, now in Midi-Pyrénées. It had an area of approximately 42,700 km² .-Geographical Extent:The traditional...
. Castries
Castries
Castries , population 10,634, aggl. 37,963 , is the capital city of Saint Lucia, a country in the Caribbean. The district with the same name had a population of 61,341 in 2001-05-22, and stretches over an area of ....
was named after one of its members.
History
Their heraldic shield is "azureAzure
In heraldry, azure is the tincture with the colour blue, and belongs to the class of tinctures called "colours". In engraving, it is sometimes depicted as a region of horizontal lines or else marked with either az. or b. as an abbreviation....
, on a cross, or
Or (heraldry)
In heraldry, Or is the tincture of gold and, together with argent , belongs to the class of light tinctures called "metals". In engravings and line drawings, it may be represented using a field of evenly spaced dots...
". Family tradition holds that one of the family's members was saint Roch, the pilgrim apostle who dedicated his life to the service of the sick and plague-victims in the 13th century. The La Croix de Castries family, however, was not ennobled until the end of the 15th century, as Nobles of the Sword
Nobles of the Sword
The Nobles of the Sword refers to the class of traditional or old nobility in France during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern periods. This class was heir to a militaristic ideology of professional chivalry...
. It was admitted to the honours of court in 1744, 1753, 1776, and 1786.
Duc de Castries
The title of duc de Castries was conferred by brevet in 1784, with the promise that the title duc de Guinness would revert to them, to Armand Charles Augustin de La Croix de Castries. Under the Bourbon RestorationBourbon Restoration
The Bourbon Restoration is the name given to the period following the successive events of the French Revolution , the end of the First Republic , and then the forcible end of the First French Empire under Napoleon – when a coalition of European powers restored by arms the monarchy to the...
, on 4 June 1817 he was re-created duc de Castries et Pair de France.
- 1784-1842 : Armand Charles Augustin de La Croix (1756–1842), first duc de Castries.
- 1842-1866 : Edmond Eugène Philippe Hercule de La Croix (1787–1866), second duc de Castries, son of the former.
- 1866-1886 : Edmond Charles Auguste de La Croix (1838–1886), third duc de Castries, nephew of the former.
The ducal title, fallen into disuse due to the death of the third duke without issue, was re-created as a courtesy title
Courtesy title
A courtesy title is a form of address in systems of nobility used for children, former wives and other close relatives of a peer. These styles are used 'by courtesy' in the sense that the relatives do not themselves hold substantive titles...
in 1907 by René Edmond Marie Gabriel de La Croix de Castries (1842–1913), comte de Castries, an old diplomat belonging to a cadet branch
Cadet branch
Cadet branch is a term in genealogy to describe the lineage of the descendants of the younger sons of a monarch or patriarch. In the ruling dynasties and noble families of much of Europe and Asia, the family's major assets – titles, realms, fiefs, property and income – have...
of the family.
Notable members of the family
The house of Castries has included a marshal of FranceMarshal 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...
, a navy minister, several lieutenant general
Lieutenant General
Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
s and Field Marshal
Field Marshal (France)
Maréchal de camp was a general officer rank used by the French Army until 1848.The rank originated from the older rank of sergeant major general . Sergeant Major General was third in command in an army, after the General and the Lieutenant General. One of his tasks was to dispose the troops on the...
s, knights knighted by the king, and masters of the royal bedchamber.
By year of birth, notable members are:
- Armand Pierre de La Croix de Castries (c. 1659-1747), archbishopArchbishopAn archbishop is a bishop of higher rank, but not of higher sacramental order above that of the three orders of deacon, priest , and bishop...
of Albi then of ToursToursTours is a city in central France, the capital of the Indre-et-Loire department.It is located on the lower reaches of the river Loire, between Orléans and the Atlantic coast. Touraine, the region around Tours, is known for its wines, the alleged perfection of its local spoken French, and for the...
. - Jean-François de la Croix, first marquis de Castries (1663–1728), King's lieutenant généralLieutenant GeneralLieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. The rank traces its origins to the Middle Ages where the title of Lieutenant General was held by the second in command on the battlefield, who was normally subordinate to a Captain General....
in Languedoc. - Charles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix, marquis de CastriesCharles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix, marquis de CastriesCharles Eugène Gabriel de La Croix de Castries, marquis de Castries, baron des États de Languedoc, comte de Charlus, baron de Castelnau et de Montjouvent, seigneur de Puylaurens et de Lézignan was a French marshal...
(1727–1801), marshal of France and naval minister. - Louis Augustin de La Croix de Castries (1728–1737), knight of MaltaKnights HospitallerThe Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of Saint John of Jerusalem of Rhodes and of Malta , also known as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta , Order of Malta or Knights of Malta, is a Roman Catholic lay religious order, traditionally of military, chivalrous, noble nature. It is the world's...
. - Armand Charles Augustin de la Croix, duc de Castries and pair de France (1756–1842).
- Eugène de la Croix, baron then comte de Castries (1790–1825).
- Elisabeth de Mac-Mahon, born Elisabeth de La Croix de Castries (1834–1900), wife of Patrice de Mac-Mahon, the third president of the French Republic.
- Christian de CastriesChristian de CastriesChristian Marie Ferdinand de la Croix de Castries was the French commander at the Battle of Dien Bien Phu in 1954. Castries was born into a distinguished military family and enlisted in the army at the age of 19. He was sent to the Saumur Cavalry School and in 1926 was commissioned an officer but...
(1902–1990), general, who commanded the reduced camp at Diên Biên PhuDien Bien PhuĐiện Biên Phủ is a city in northwestern Vietnam. It is the capital of Dien Bien province, and is known for the events there during the First Indochina War, the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, during which the region was a breadbasket for the Việt Minh.-Population:...
. - René de la Croix, marquis, called duc de Castries, (1908–1986), historian and member of the Académie françaiseAcadémie françaiseL'Académie française , also called the French Academy, is the pre-eminent French learned body on matters pertaining to the French language. The Académie was officially established in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu, the chief minister to King Louis XIII. Suppressed in 1793 during the French Revolution,...
. - Henri de La Croix de Castries (born 1954), president of the board of directors of AXAAXAAXA S.A. is a French global insurance group headquartered in the 8th arrondissement of Paris. AXA is a conglomerate of independently run businesses, operated according to the laws and regulations of many different countries. The AXA group of companies engage in life, health and other forms of...
.