La Rochefoucauld was proud of his ancient aristocratic ancestry (until his father’s death in 1650, he bore the title of prince de Marcillac). Married in 1628, he saw service in several military campaigns, from 1629 on, and became embroiled in various Court intrigues, as a partisan of the Queen, Anne of Austria. When, on Louis XIII’s death in 1642, she became Regent, he continued to support her, though hostile to her minister Mazarin. Deeming himself slighted by Mazarin, he joined the rebellious aristocratic faction in the civil war known as the Fronde (1648-53); he was already the lover of Mme de Longueville, sister of the Prince de Condé, the leader of the faction. He was severely wounded in the fighting more than once. Condé and …
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Citation: Moriarty, Michael. "François de La Rochefoucauld". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 13 November 2010 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=12672, accessed 21 November 2024.]
