  antoine nompar de caumont, duc de lauzun (1632 â november 19, 1723) was a french courtier and soldier. he was the only love interest of the "greatest heiress in europe", anne marie louise d'orlÃ©ans, duchess of montpensier, cousin of louis xiv. ==biography== he was the son of gabriel, comte de lauzun, and his wife charlotte, daughter of henri-nompar de caumont, duc de la force. he was brought up with the children of his relative, the marÃ©chal de gramont. one of them, armand de gramont, comte de guiche, became the lover of henrietta anne stuart, duchess of orlÃ©ans, while a daughter, catherine charlotte, afterwards princess of monaco by marriage to louis i grimaldi, was the object of the one passion of lauzun's life. he entered the army, and served under turenne, also his kinsman, and in 1655 succeeded his father as commander of the cent gentilshommes de la maison de roi. then known as the comte de puyguilhem (or pÃ©guilin, as contemporaries simplified his name), he rose rapidly in louis xiv's favour, became colonel of the royal regiment of dragoons, and was gazetted marÃ©chal de camp. he and madame de monaco belonged to the cÃ´terie of the young duchess of orlÃ©ans. his rough wit and skill in practical jokes pleased louis xiv, but his jealousy and violence were the causes of his undoing. he prevented a meeting between louis xiv and madame de monaco, and it was jealousy in this matter, rather than hostility to louise de la valliÃ¨re, which led him to promote madame de montespan's intrigues with the king. he asked this lady to secure for him the post of grand-master of the artillery, and on louis's refusal to give him the appointment he turned his back on the king, broke his sword, and swore that never again would he serve a monarch who had broken his word. the result was a short sojourn in the bastille, but he soon returned to his function as court buffoon. meanwhile, anne, duchess of montpensier (la grande mademoiselle) had fallen in love with the little man, whose ugliness seems to have exercised a certain fascination over many women. he naturally encouraged one of the greatest heiresses in europe, and the wedding was fixed for december 21, 1670. then, on the 18th, louis sent for his cousin and forbade the marriage. madame de montespan had never forgiven lauzun's fury when she failed to procure the grand-mastership of the artillery, and now, with louvois, secured his arrest. he was removed in november
1632_births 1723_deaths Dukes_of_Lauzun French_military_personnel Jacobite_military_personnel_of_the_Williamite_War_in_Ireland Morganatic_spouses