Alphonse Chrétien de Blois

## Archevêque de Sens

Msgr. l'Archevêque de Sens par Thomas Zéphir de Sacleux, c. 1650

### Previous Posts

Chanoine-Comte de Saint-Jean de Lyon (1613 - 1626)Abbé commendataire de Foigny (1626 - 1646)

### Ordination

February 17th 1626, by François d'Escoubleau de Sourdis

## Titles and Occupations

### Court Posts

Confesseur de Henri IV, Empereur de Grandelumière (1654 - Present)

### Military Posts

Contrôleur honorifique du Régiment Impérial de Sancerre (1617 - 1619)

## Biography

### Born

6th October 1601, Château de Blois, Champagne, Grandelumière

### Romantic Interests

Isabelle Polyxène Frabeuil 'de Aymour' (1618)
Marie-Madeleine de Vignerot de Pontcourlay, Duchesse d'Aiguillon (1639 - 1641)

'La Maure', Nonne (1641)

Louise-Henriette de La Baume de Verneuil, Mademoiselle de Verneuil (1649 - 1651)

Marie-Madeleine Pioche de La Vergne, Comtesse de La Fayette (1654 - 1656)

Marie d'Estampes, Comtesse de Selles (1656 - Present)

### Issue

Nicolette Charlène Alphonsine, Bâtarde de BloisÉtienne-Henri Lothaire, Bâtard de Blois

### Mother

Catherine de Lorraine, Comte de Champagne †

### Siblings

Philippe III François, Comte de Champagne †
Jeanne Clémentine de Blois, Duchesse de Joyeuse †

Charlotte de La Trémoille, Comtesse D. de Champagne (In-law)

### Religion

Roman Catholicism

**Alphonse, Archevêque de Sens** (Alphonse Chrétien Thibaud de Blois; born 6th October 1601) was a Grandelumièrian cleric, aristocrat and genealogist; member of the ancient House of Blois.

Alphonse was the youngest child of Thilbaud VII, Comte de Champagne by his wife, the devout Catherine de Lorraine. Seconded and guided by his elder siblings, Alphonse was introduced to the opulent lifestyle of the Blois, gradually growing accustomed to it. Over the course of the quarter of his simple life as *Seigneur de Sancerre*, he remained relatively secluded within the familial holdings as he felt the heavy burden that was his ancestral titulature upon his shoulders. Redirecting his life into one of humility and devoutness - partially motivated by his mother -, benefiting his affectation to the orders of the Holy Church, Alphonse learnt the sense of life accompanied by monks and a wide array of tutors wishing to take care of the next ecclesiastical generation of the Blois. Owing his current position to the Blois' significant status, power and influence at court, Alphonse was greatly aided by his father who stirred back and forth between the Emperor and notable representatives of the Holy See to motivate positive recommendations in his son's favor. He remains to this day a rather discrete but a somewhat influential cleric at court, voluntarily hidden behind the shadows of the Princes of the Church, Alphonse expresses himself using his feather with utmost care.

Monseigneur de Sens was, as mentioned before, a detached individual from the otiose debauched pleasures of the court of Charles XI. He was regarded as an esteemed pious individual, growing up with the popular ideals of Humanism and Mannerism coming directly from Italia and as such was a cultivated cleric whose education directly coincided with studies of his ancestors. Such studies involving a brilliant court of love, stories and poems inspired by the Occitanian practice of *fin'amor*. As of this day he is considered the protector of courtly literature and ideology and noted for his numerous liberalities at the attention of charities and impoverished religious chapters, valuing the nickname of *'Alphonse le Libéral'.* Moreover Alphonse easily demarcates himself from his younger relatives as a more austere type of man akin to his deceased brother, marking a deep change in his life. This is further proven when he is around the new Comte, Phillipe marking the complete opposition of his paternal, Alphonse cannot act but bear the burdensome secret of his nephew within his mind and watch as the young Comte carries his reputation of a philanderer to which Alphonse, in response names Phillipe *'fripon'* in private. A straight, simply-tasted and pious individual of a decaying time attached to the traditional values that represents the House of Blois, Alphonse continues to remain at court surrounded by relatives and other figures of the higher-echelons of Grandelumièrian nobility despite being viewed as 'progressive'.

## Character Synopsis

###### Appearance

Alphonse was considered to be an average typed courtier in terms of appearance following courtly requirements and expectations. Not too benefiting of a prepossessing physique nor of an repulsive complexion, he possessed the happy medium; donning regular features of the Blois genes consisting of a darker brown hair and slightly blue-ish tough brown dominant eyes. Donning a once-consequent amount of hair within his youth, fluttering beside his shoulders, Alphonse had them reduced in length in order to match stricter expectations resulting in a conservative extent. Bearing a somewhat enlarged nose defining most of his expression, - often subject to various mockeries around court - , Sens' complexion with his nose is negligible. Of a lowly generous amount of wrinkles even for his advanced age of 54, his face still maintains some youthly features amongst others. Overally, Alphonse is directly in the process of ageing slowly but surely, sometimes resumed as per his relatives by these words; *An estanche root bearing waning petals to it's surface.* He also spots a discrete perpetual red-ish tint to his cheeks, having more or less of an effect upon his past romantical conquests.. Finally Alphonse stands at the very mere height of 5'5" (165cm) along a weakened stature.

All of these features combined gives Sens a patient and compassionate demeanor to some degree, varying between complete admiration of one' to a complete faint-hearted invididual.

## Issue

With one of his conquests, known as '*La Maure*', he had one daughter:

* Nicolette Charlène Alphonsine de Blois (25th March 1641 - Present; Recognized)

With his mistress, *Louise-Henriette de La Baume de Verneuil*, he had one son:

* Étienne-Henri Lothaire de Blois (12th October 1651 - Present; Recognized)

## Titles, Styles and Honours

### Titles and Styles

* **6th October 1601 - 2nd March 1613:** *Monsieur, le Seigneur de Sancerre*
* **2nd February 1613 - 17th February 1626:** *Mon père,* le Chanoine-Comte de Saint-Jean de Lyon
* **18th February 1626 -** **26th July 1646:** *Mon père,* l'Abbé commendataire de Foigny
* **27th July 1646 - Present:** *Sa Sainte Grâce,* Monseigneur l'Archevêque de Sens
* **27th July 1646 - Present:** *Vicomte de Sens, Baron de Brienon, Nailly... (Lands acquired by Pierre de Charny in 1274)*
* **18th June 1654 - Present:** *Mon père*, l'Abbé de la Trinité de Fécamp

### Honours

* Docteur en Sorbonne (1626)
* Confesseur de l'Empereur (1654)