Louis François César de Blois de Soissons

Louis François César de Blois de Soissons (15th December 1720 - 23rd December 1749) was a Grandelumierian nobleman and courtier. Upon the death of his sickly, heirless elder brother he became the heir apparent to his cardinal elder brother, Louis Alphonse. Here, he assumed the title of Prince de Conti and was addressed at court as Monsieur le Comte.
He was somewhat handsome and very intelligent, known to be a kind and caring soul among his family. He was immensely charitable, making often donations to many of the causes in Paris. He became well-known and respected at the court of Queen-Empress Marie IV. He was known to be most illustrious and fashionable, becoming a paragon of courtly dress during his time.
Born in December 1720 into the illustriously wealthy House of Blois de Soissons as the youngest son of the Prince and Princesse de Conde, he was initially expected to find his own way through life. He was given the options of a clerical path through life or a military career, and he chose to attend court and was bought a commission in the Imperial Army, where he rose to the rank of Colonel.
== Biography ==
=== Birth ===
Louis François de Blois de Soissons was born on December 15th, 1720 to Louis François Gabriel, Prince de Conde and his wife Marie Louise de Grandelumiere. At the time of his birth, his parents already had three elder children. Two sons, Louis Armand and Louis Alphonse, and a daughter Marie Celeste. The Prince and Princesse were pleased with the newborn son, and he was later sent to join his elder siblings at Chantilly. He was granted the styles of Duc de Montmorency and Comte de Soissons at birth.
=== Childhood ===
He developed an immediate affection with his eldest brother, Louis Armand, who was known to be sickly and infirm. César would become a constant companion to Armand, who despite his ill-health was a kindly and happy child. When Armand lost the use of his legs in 1727, César would often help him get around and helped care for him. His care for his brother was noted, and the governesses were pleased with César's good nature and kind heart. As a younger son, he was given a less comprehensive education than his elder brothers, but he was said to be naturally intelligent and skilled. The Princesse de Conde once commented, "My son is strangely skilled and healthy in comparison to his siblings. His eldest brother is crippled, his sister does not show an interest in any sort of learning. I see with pride that he possesses a great intellect."
When he was ten, a betrothal was arranged between César and Marie-Henriette Jacqueline de Rochechouart de Mortemart de Rochebrune, one of the less well-known Mortemarettes. It was not something he was overly thrilled about at the time, she was considered somewhat irrelevant and a mere way to link Blois de Soissons to the growing power of House Rochechouart de Mortemart. Understandably, the Prince wished to create a tie with Cardinal Mortemart, arguably making his way to becoming the most powerful man in the Empire. When he was twelve, he'd been taken on his first hunt with his father. He developed an instant passion for the sport, often joining the hunting party on most of their outings. His mother, however, would lecture him about temperance, responsibility and the risks of the hunt. Ever respectful, he'd take his mother's lessons into account. He'd never overindulge in anything afterwards, being known as a symbol of modesty and temperance in the eyes of temptation and pleasure. Toward the end of his education, he became well-vested in the military arts, choosing to lead a life in the military and the court over a clerical path.
=== Marriage ===
He was married to Marie-Henriette Jacqueline de Rochechouart de Mortemart de Rochebrune, niece of the Cardinal Mortemart, on the 7th of November 1736 in the Palace Chapel at Argenteuil. It was a short yet solemn affair, and the couple were reportedly extremely awkward, having never seen each other prior to the ceremony. At the time of the ceremony, he was aged 15 and she 14. Few attended the ceremony, but notables included the Prince de Conde and Cardinal Mortemart. The dowry was somewhat sizeable, being 100,000 livres paid to the Prince de Conde. A small dinner party was held by the Prince that evening, to celebrate the wedding. Afterwards, the couple were bundled off into the bedchamber, where the marriage was believed to have been consummated on the first night. Later, in September 1737, their first child was born. A son they named Louis Étienne Barthélémy, Comte d'Alais (later Prince de Conde). He would be followed by eight more children, seven girls and one more boy.
=== Family Life ===
César became a devoted father to his children, caring deeply for each one of them. He'd spend much of his time with his family, sharing a loving relationship with his wife. He had a particular closeness with his eldest son, Louis Étienne, who resembled him greatly in both appearance and personality. His eldest daughter, Marie Henriette, was also close to her father in her youth. He would swear he'd spare no expense for his children, and would go to extreme lengths to afford excellent tutors and governesses for them. He'd later pay for his daughters to be sent to Fontevraud Abbey, as the Imperial Princesses did in their youths. As his children were initially brought up at Chantilly, he would make often visits to the Chateau. He was a strong contrast to his wife, who would take a more traditional stance to parenting in the nobility. She'd distance herself from the children, leading to their distance toward their mother. César tried often to encourage his wife into spending more time with the children, but it wouldn't work.
=== Life at Court ===
At court, César became well-known for his temperance and wit. He became involved with many of the different circles prevalent at the time, such as the circle of the Duc de Choiseul and Marquise de Montespan in the mid to late 1730's, during his initial debut at the court. He'd be accompanied to court by his wife, Jacqueline, where he'd maintain a strong public appearance with. With the beginning of the 1740's, the Marquise had died and the circle had disintegrated with her, and his father the Prince de Condé began to suffer from ill-health and was plagued with inconsistent illnesses. He withdrew from court for a while in 1742, leaving César and his elder brother Alphonse to represent him at the court. His eldest brother, the ever-sickly Louis Armand, was forever bedridden at Chantilly and thus was not there himself. Louis Armand would have a daughter in 1743, pushing César further back in line to inherit the house, but the girl would die two months later. Armand would be grief-stricken by the loss, and he became bedridden once more. His wife would then give birth to a son, restoring Armand's health for a brief time. The boy, however, died in 1746 leaving Armand in a spiral of grief and illness from which he'd never recover.
Their father, Gabriel, died in 1747 during a hunting accident in one of his periods of good health. Then, Armand became Prince de Condé for a brief time. Armand wouldn't recover from the losses he'd suffer and his weakness would take him just a few months after his father. This made Louis Alphonse the head of the House and Prince de Condé henceforth. Louis Alphonse, however, was a cleric and could not produce any heirs to inherit his house. From then on, César became the heir to his elder brother. He took on the title of Prince de Conti and became known from then on as Monsieur le Comte. It was a prestigious new position for him to be in, much higher a station than he'd been in as Duc de Montmorency. It also left him in line to inherit a vast fortune from his brother, making him one of the wealthiest heirs in the Empire. By the end of 1747, the House was stable and all seemed well in César's life. He'd had eight children with his wife Jacqueline, and a ninth was expected. Disaster struck, however, in February of 1748.
=== Death and Aftermath ===
In 1749, while on a visit to Chantilly to see his children, César unexpectedly took grievously ill. The physicians around him were in panic, as nobody could determine what was happening. Eventually, the conclusion was reached that César had contracted Typhoid Fever. Many treatments were tested and performed on him, but none of them would have any effect on his health. As he died, Jacqueline raced to his beside at Chantilly and comforted him until his last moments. His final words were a mumbled, "protect him", believed to be referencing his son Étienne. Louis François César de Blois de Soissons died on December 23rd as a result of his Typhoid Fever. His family were devastated, as the illness had been abrupt and unexpected. His widow, Jacqueline, was thrown into a deep melancholy where she secluded herself for the next decade in permanent mourning for her late husband. With the death of the Prince, and the mental instability of the Princess, Louis Alphonse was forced to step in to raise their young children, which he did. 
César's death left the inheritance to the house in question. In the end, however, Louis Alphonse settled on César's son, Louis Étienne, as his chosen heir to the house. Étienne was taken as the Cardinal's own ward, and was given an excellent education. People said he grew to be much like his father, kindly and diligent. He was interred in a tomb in the Crypte des Princes de Conde, usually an honour reserved for the Princes de Conde themselves. It was a hard loss for the house to bare, but eventually everyone came to accept the loss except for Jacqueline. just months after his death a daughter was born. She was named Marie-Philippine Angelique by Jacqueline, and sent off to Chantilly. Ten years after his death, his son would inherit the House as Prince de Conde. He often reflected on how César would handle the station, and sought to be like his late father in all ways. 
== Personality and Appearance ==
=== Personality ===
César was kindly, diligent and temperate. He was selfless, caring more for the wellbeing of his family than of his own, he was well-known for giving great gifts and for his charitable donations to causes in Paris. He became a symbol of piety and virtue, known to be highly devoted to his faith. According to his son, from his memory, he was; "Undeterred in all things. A great wit and a great man, he possessed a great intelligence much like his elder brother had. He was a good man and a kind man, and he stopped at nothing to provide us all with happy childhoods, even when it almost bankrupted him." César was mostly forgotten at court in the years following his death, though his memory lives on through his children and his wife, especially the growing influence of his son Étienne at the court of Louis XIV, having become Grand Equerry of the House and Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs. Jacqueline reflected that he would've been proud of his son's achievements had he been around to see them.
=== Appearance ===
Although not the most handsome of his family, César possessed a charm in his look. It was said he resembled his father in his youth, tall of build and stature. He possessed perfectly groomed blonde hair and dark brown eyes. It was said he had a steely gaze, and could use it to his advantage in the rare event of a confrontation. He possessed features from his mother's family, her being the daughter of Empress Marie IV. He was tall, though not particularly strong for his build. He appeared imposing when stood in front of someone shorter than him, but measured in only around 6'0, not as tall as his father and son would be. His wife, Jacqueline, was captivated with César and reportedly once declared him the most handsome man she'd ever seen.
== Issue ==
With his wife, Marie-Henriette Jacqueline de Rochechouart de Mortemart de Rochebrune :
* Louis-Étienne Barthélémy, Prince de Condé (4th September 1737 - 12th May 1763)
* Marie-Henriette Germaine, Mademoiselle de Conti (29th November 1738 - Present)
* Louis-Pierre Léopold, Prince de Condé (29th November 1738 - Present)
* Louis Alphonse Clement, Duc de Mercoeur (8th July 1739 - Present)
* Marie-Louise Sophie, Mademoiselle de Conti (3rd January 1741 - 4th January 1742)
* Louis-François Auguste, Archevêque d'Embrun (3rd January 1741 - Present)
* Miscarried Son (11th July 1742)
* Marie-Adélaïde Claudine, Mademoiselle de Conti (15th April 1743 - Present)
* Marie-Victoire Marguerite, Mademoiselle de Conti (22nd August 1744 - 19th December 1754)
* Marie-Elisabeth Charlotte, Mademoiselle de Conti (2nd October 1746 - Present)
* Stillborn Girl (18th May 1747)
* Marie-Thérèse Jeanne, Mademoiselle de Conti (27th February 1748 - 29th February 1750)
* Marie-Philippine Angélique, Mademoiselle de Conti (8th November 1749 - Present)
== Titles and Styles ==
* 15th December 1720 - 3rd January 1746: Son Altesse Sérénissime, Monsieur le Duc de Montmorency
* 3rd January 1746 - 23rd December 1749: Son Altesse Sérénissime, Monsieur le Prince de Conti
* 3rd January 1746 - 23rd December 1749: Monsieur le Comte (customary courtly style)
Category:House Blois de Soissons
Category:Births at Argenteuil
Category:18th Century Deaths
Category:18th Century Births
Category:Grandelumierian Nobility
Category:Princes du Sang
Category:Grandelumierian Dukes
Category:Grandelumierian Comtes
Category:Imperial Court