Noble families are a strong and pervasive political and military presence in Medieval and Early Modern societies. For the cape & sword swashbuckling adventure genre nobles are part of the setting. Frequently the heroes are lower ranking members of the noble class or the gentry. Their patrons and their opponents are often high ranking nobles or royalty and even when the heroes aren't engaged directly with the higher levels of society, the royals and peers of the realm will appear as part of the backdrop and color of the setting. So in my campaign I've used a lot of nobles, some fictional and many who are real.
The highest nobility in France are the Royal Family, the Princes and Princesses of the Blood, and the Peers and Dukes of the realm. Since they are few in number they are nearly all actual historical personages. Here are some links I've found useful in locating real nobles in Europe, especially in France.
- Monarchies in Europe (Wikipedia)
- French Duchies (site in French)
- List of French Dukedoms (table of French Duchies including dates of creation and change)
- French Noble Families (Wikipedia List)
- Racine: French Coats of Arms (site in French)
Using the list of French Dukedoms above I created this list of the extant French Duchies as of the 1624 date of my campaign.
French Duchies
Title
|
Date of Creation
|
Surname
|
Current Status
|
Duc d'Angoulême
|
1619
|
Valois
|
Charles de Valois
|
Duc d'Anjou
|
1356
|
Royal family
|
Gaston de Bourbon
|
Duc d'Aumale
|
1547
|
Lorraine-Guise
|
Charles of
Guise, duc d'Aumale
|
Duc de Bar
|
1354
|
Bar, Anjou, Lorraine
|
Held by duc de Lorraine
|
Duc de Beaufort
|
1597
|
Estrées, Bourbon-Vendôme
|
César, Duke of Vendôme
|
Duc de Bellegarde
|
1620
|
Saint-Lary
|
Roger Saint-Lary
|
Duc de Brissac
|
1620
|
Cossé
|
Francis de
Cossé 2nd duc de Brissac
|
Duc de Candale
|
1621
|
Nogaret de La Valette
|
Henri de
Nogaret de La Valette
|
Duc de Chartres
|
1528
|
Royal Family,
Este, Savoie-Nemours
|
Redeemed by the Crown 1623; in 1626 given to Gaston de
Bourbon
|
Duc de Châteauroux
|
1616
|
Bourbon-Condé
|
Henry de
Bourbon, prince de Condé
|
Duc de Châtellerault
|
1583
|
Bourbon-Montpensier, Orléans
|
Marie de Bourbon,
Duchess de Montpensier till 1627; extinct 1693
|
Duc de Chaulnes
|
1621
|
Albert
|
Honoré d'Albert (b. 1581)
|
Duc de Fronsac
|
1608
|
Orléans-Longueville
|
François III d'Orléans-Longueville
|
Duc de Guise
|
1528
|
Lorraine
|
Charles de
Lorraine, duc de Guise; Extinct 1688
|
Duc de Joyeuse
|
1581
|
Joyeuse, Lorraine-Guise
|
Henriette Catherine de Joyeuse, wife of the Duke de Guise;
Extinct 1675
|
Duc de La Valette
|
1622
|
Nogaret de La Valette
|
Bernard de Nogaret
|
Duc de Lesdiguières
|
1620
|
Bonne, Créquy
|
François de Bonne
|
Duc de Longueville
|
1505
|
Orléans
|
Henri II
d'Orléans AKA
Henri de
Valois-Loungueville
|
Duc de Luynes
|
1619
|
Albert
|
Louis-Charles d'Albert
|
Duc de Mayenne
|
1573
|
Lorraine-Guise, Gonzaga
|
Charles de
Gonzague duc de Nevers
|
Duc de Mercœur
|
1569
|
Lorraine
|
Françoise
Lorraine-Mercœur & her husband César de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme
|
Duc de Montbazon
|
1595
|
Rohan
|
Hercule de Rohan-Montbazon
|
Duc de Montmorency
|
1551
|
Montmorency
|
Henri II de Montmorency
|
Duc de Nemours
|
1524
|
Savoie
|
Henri de Savoy
|
Duc de Nevers
|
1539
|
Albret, Cleves, Gonzaga
|
Charles de
Gonzague duc de Nevers
|
Duc de Penthièvre
|
1569
|
Luxembourg, Lorraine, Bourbon-Vendôme
|
César de Bourbon
|
Duc de Piney
|
1581
|
Luxembourg, Albert,
|
Léon d'Albert de Luynes through his wife
Marguerite-Charlotte de Luxembourg
|
Duc de Rethel
|
1581
|
Gonzaga
|
Charles de
Gonzague duc de Nevers
|
Duc de Retz
|
1581
|
Gondi
|
Possibly Jean
François de Gondi Archbishop of Paris
|
Duc de Rohan
|
1603
|
Rohan
|
Henri II duc
de Rohan
|
Duc de Sully
|
1606
|
Béthune
|
Maximilien de Béthune
|
Duc de Thouars
|
1563
|
La Trémoille
|
Henri de La Trémoille
|
Duc de Valois
|
1406,1498,1630
|
Royal family
|
1626 given to Gaston de Bourbon
|
Duc de Vendôme
|
1515
|
Bourbon
|
César, Duke of Vendôme
|
Duc de Ventadour
|
1578
|
Lévis
|
Henri de
Lévis de Ventadour
|
Duc d'Elbeuf
|
1581
|
Lorraine
|
Charles de Lorraine
|
Duc d'Epernon
|
1581
|
Nogaret de La Valette
|
Jean Louis de
Nogaret de La Valette
|
Duc d'Estouteville
|
1537
|
Estouteville,
Bourbon-Saint-Pôl, Orléans-Longueville,
|
Held by duc de Longueville
|
Duc d'Halluin
|
1588
|
Hallwin, Schomberg
|
Charles de Schomberg
|
Duc d'Orléans
|
1392
|
Royal family
|
1626 given to Gaston de Bourbon after marriage to Marie de
Bourbon
|
Duchess de Chevreuse
|
1555
|
Lorraine, Lorraine-Guise
|
Marie de Rohan; Sold 1655
|
Duchesse de Montpensier
|
1608
|
Bourbon, Orléans
|
Marie de Bourbon
|
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