Louis VII d'Orange-Nassau

## Louis Valentin Maxime Dieudonné d'Orange-Nassau

Prince d'Orange

*Maréchal* **Louis VII, Prince d'Orange** (Louis Valentin Maxime Dieudonné; 15 Mai 1738 - Présent) is a Dutch nobleman, statesman, and military figure who simultaneously holds the style of *Prince Étranger* at the court of Léopold IV & I. Both at court and around Europe as a whole, he is commonly referred to as the *Maréchal d'Orange*.

[WIP]

## Biography

### **Education & Adolescence**

Several tutors were brought into service of the Prince d'Orange-Nassau following Valentin's arrival at the age his education would begin. At court, the d'Orange family was well-respected and had expectations that were placed upon them on all ends of the social ladder. The court expected each of the d'Orange house members to have a well-taught education, one which their antecedents were already well-known for. His basic education took place at the Château de Lunéville. By age eight, Valentin could read, write, and understand French, Dutch and English, as well as comment on the politics of the time period. By age 11, he was educated in the subjects of astronomy; mathematics; Ecclesiastical Latin; music; geography; commerce; agriculture; law, both ecclesiastical and temporal; chemistry; physics; and lastly, history. The tutors his father hired for him had all sorts of comments recorded concerning the boy's learning temperament, one of them even remarking that "*Difficile est le garçon qui ne veut pas apprendre. Il est souvent silencieux et morose, sauf lorsqu'il est en colère; les expériences avec ce dernier lui ont prouvé sa capacité d'obstination et de morosité remarquables.*" (Difficult is the boy that is unwilling to be taught. He is often silent and morose, save for when angered; the experiences with the latter have proven him to be capable of remarkable obstinence and sullenness.)

His basic education and military education were conducted separately, with his basic education coming first. Often described as a very difficult pupil, he didn't take any particular enjoyment in learning until he reached his late adolescent years, which many have noted to have been sometime during his 15th year. It came as no surprise that it was at around 15 whenever he began his martial education, which is what many believe to be what led him to be so taken with his studies; he consistently revisited the tales of *Alexandre le Grand*, *Hannibal*, *Jules César*, *Henri le Maréchal-Vicomte de Turenne,*and*Louis le Grand Condé*.

## Character Synopsis

### **Personality**

In his youth, Valentin was often considered to be emotionally stunted, practically a recluse himself without any inkling of social wants nor skills in that regard. Though grown out of his infantile introversion through a brief life of exuberant indulgence and reckless spending of unlimited wealth on excessive debauchery, in his majority, he is often described by those who know him best as rather bright in mind and character, as well as perspicuous and sharp-witted, though often crass and boorish in his rare, occasional fits of drinking.

Valentin sustained a child-like passion for all things scientific, historical, and foreign. Throughout his life, he was thrilled by subjects like astrology, architecture, sailing, history, literature, and art, though these passions changed like the seasons, and he was often confined in interest sole to a subject matter he took to work on a particular day, or read of in a particular book (of which he had access to and collected thousands).

He continually shows the controlling side of himself as well, which was discovered early on in his childhood outside of his introverted and reserved disposition by his governess. From the choice of whichever toys he got to play with, to what he would and would not eat, he controlled nearly every aspect of his life and was insistent on not being told otherwise. He sometimes even went as far as threatening to tell his father, the Prince, that he'd been mistreated and out-and-out disrespected by his caretakers if he didn't get what he wanted, which is a trait that he oftentimes acts on in his majority.

## Titles, Styles and Honours

### **Titles**

* **15ème Mai 1738 - 29ème Novembre 1757** *Son Altesse, Monseigneur le Comte de Vianden*
* **29ème Novembre 1757 - Présent** *Son Altesse, Monseigneur le Prince d'Orange*

### **Styles**

* **17ème Avril 1760 - 1er Août 1768** *Son Altesse, Monseigneur le Maréchal d'Orange, Maréchal-Général des Armées Lorrainiennes du Roi*
* **1er Août 1768 - Présent** *Son Altesse, Monseigneur le Maréchal d'Orange, Maréchal-Général des Armées du Roi*