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{{Short description|Position in the royal household of the King of France}}
The '''Grand Master of France''' or '''Grand Maître de France''' was, during the [[Ancien Régime]] and [[Bourbon Restoration]] in [[France]], one of the [[Great Officers of the Crown of France]] and head of the "[[Maison du Roi]]", the king's royal household. The position was called '''Souverain Maître d'hôtel du Roi''' until 1380 and '''Grand Maître d'hôtel du Roi''' until 1463. The position is roughly equivalent to the positions of [[Lord Steward]] and [[Master of the Household]] in the United Kingdom.▼
[[File:Orn ext Grand Maitre de France.svg|thumb|Ornaments of the Grand Master]]
 
▲The '''Grand Master of France''' or '''({{lang-fr|Grand Maître de France'''}}) was, during the {{lang|fr|[[Ancien Régime]]}} and [[Bourbon Restoration in France|Bourbon Restoration]] in [[France]], one of the [[Great Officers of the Crown of France]] and head of the "{{lang|fr|[[Maison du Roi]]}}", the king's royal household. The position was called '''Souverain Maître d'hôtel du Roi''' until 1380 and '''Grand Maître d'hôtel du Roi''' until 1463. The position is roughly equivalentsimilar to the positionsthat of [[Lord Steward]] and [[Master of the Household]] in the United KingdomEngland.
 
==History==
The original name of the office was Sovereign Master of the Hotel of the King (French: ''Souverain Maître d'hôtel du Roi'''), until 1380, then becoming Grand Master of the Hotel of the King (French: ''Grand Maître d'hôtel du Roi''), until 1463, before finally becoming Grand Master of France. The symbol of the Grand Master was a blue [[Baton (symbol)|baton]] charged with golden fleur-de-lis, similar to the royal coat of arms of France, capped with a golden representation of the French royal crown. The Grand Master was entitled to bear this symbol of his office in his [[coat of arms]], two being crossed in [[saltire]] behind the shield.
 
== Duties ==
The position was a successor to the earlier positions of [[Mayor of the Palace]] and [[Seneschal]] of France. One of the highest posts in the French court, the "Grand maître" directed the [[Maison du Roi]], appointed new officers to the "Maison" (who would swear an oath of service in his hands) and managed the budget of the "Maison". He was also responsible for policing the court and he managed the king's lands (which made him a sort of Minister of the Interior). In practice however, the military branch of the Maison du Roi was frequently run by the [[Constable of France]] or the [[Secretary of State for War (France)|Secretary of State for War]].
 
He had numerous ceremonial duties. At the death of the king he would lead the funeral procession and, at the king's tomb, he would break his baton, throw it into the tomb and intone "Gentlemen, the King is dead; you are free from his service"; he would then take a new baton and intone "Gentlemen, the King is alivelives, and gives you your positionsposts."▼
The symbol of the "Grand maître" was his golden [[Baton (symbol)|baton]], given to him by the king, and his [[coat of arms]] featured two crossed batons behind the shield.
 
In the [[Early Modern France|Early Modern period]], most of the real work of the Grand maître was accomplished by his secretaries, and not by himself personally. His role was thus generally symbolic, although he often took personal charge of his ceremonial duties. Furthermore, with the creation of the [[Secretary of State of the Maison du Roi]] in the 16th century, the Grand maître was forced to share some of his duties: in general the Secretary's oversight was purely formal, as the officers of the "Maison du Roi" were under the direct authority of the Grand Maître of France; yet, the "Secrétaire d'État à la Maison du Roi" was in charge of recruiting officers for the "Maison du Roi", and would receive prospective applications for posts and submit them to the king for his approval.▼
▲He had numerous ceremonial duties. At the death of the king he would lead the funeral procession and, at the king's tomb, he would break his baton, throw it into the tomb and intone "Gentlemen, the King is dead; you are free from his service"; he would then take a new baton and intone "Gentlemen, the King is alive and gives you your positions."
 
== Officeholders ==
The position was frequently given to the highest of the [[French nobility|nobility]] and the king's close friends. [[François I of France|François I]] gave the position to his former teacher Artus Gouffier, then to his uncle [[René de Savoie]], the "grand bâtard de Savoie", then to his friend [[Anne de Montmorency]]. In [[1559]], with the forced demission of Montmorency, the position fell into the hands of the [[Dukes of Lorraine]], who used the positions to increase their influence in the court, to such a point that [[Henri III of France|Henri III]] forced [[Henry I, Duke of Guise]] to cut-back on his responsibilities. In [[1594]], the position passed into the control of the [[House of Bourbon]] and the [[Princes of Condé]], who maintained control until the [[French Revolution]] (except for the period 1654–1656).
 
The position was frequently given to the highest of the [[French nobility|nobility]] or to the king's close friends. [[Francis I of France|Francis I]] conferred it upon his former teacher [[Artus Gouffier, Lord of Boissy|Artus Gouffier]], then to his uncle [[René de Savoie]], the "grand bâtard de Savoie", then to his friend [[Anne de Montmorency|Anne, duc de Montmorency]].
▲In the [[Early Modern France|Early Modern period]], most of the real work of the Grand maître was accomplished by his secretaries, and not by himself personally. His role was thus generally symbolic, although he often took personal charge of his ceremonial duties. Furthermore, with the creation of the [[Secretary of State of the Maison du Roi]] in the 16th century, the Grand maître was forced to share some of his duties: in general the Secretary's oversight was purely formal, as the officers of the "Maison du Roi" were under the direct authority of the Grand Maître of France; yet, the "Secrétaire d'État à la Maison du Roi" was in charge of recruiting officers for the "Maison du Roi", and would receive prospective applications for posts and submit them to the king for his approval.
 
In 1559, with the dismissal of Montmorency, the office fell into the hands of the [[Dukes of Guise]], who used the position to increase their influence at court to such a point that [[Henry III of France|Henry III]] forced [[Henry I, Duke of Guise]] to reduce his scope of authority. In 1594, the position passed into the control of the [[House of Bourbon]] and the [[Princes of Condé]], who maintained control until the [[French Revolution]] (except for the period 1654–1656, when it was held by [[Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano|Thomas of Savoy-Carignano]], who had replaced the Guises as foremost of the ''[[Foreign Prince|princes étrangers]]'').<ref>{{cite book|last= Spanheim|first= Ézéchiel|author-link=Ezekiel, Freiherr von Spanheim|editor= Emile Bourgeois|editor-link= Emile Bourgeois|title= Relation de la Cour de France|url= https://archive.org/details/relationdelacou00spangoog|series= le Temps retrouvé|year = 1973|publisher=Mercure de France|location= [[Paris]]|language= French|page= [https://archive.org/details/relationdelacou00spangoog/page/n154 134]}}</ref>
==Grand Masters of France==▼
 
▲== Grand Masters of France ==
[[File:Grand Maître de France.jpg|thumb|Coat of arms of [[Louis Joseph, Prince of Condé]], the last Grand Maître de France]]
* ca. 1300: Arnould de Wesemal
* 1310: Mathieu II de Trie
* 1321: Jean de Beaumont (†died cac. 1344)
* 1343: [[Gui de Ceriz]] (†died 1369)
* 1347: Robert III de Dreux (1288-13511288–1351)
* ca. 1350: {{ill|John of Châtillon (1283–1363) |fr|Jean II de Châtillon|de|Johann I. (Châtillon)|lt=Jean I de Châtillon}} (†died 1363)
* ca. 1350: Jean II de Melun (†died 1381)
* ca. 1350: Pierre I de Villiers (†died cac. 1390)
* ca. 1350: Gui IV Damas (1288-13511288–1351)
* ca. 1380: Jean le Mercier
* 1388-1408: [[Jean de Montagu]] (†died 1409)
* 1408-1409: [[Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria]] (ca. 1368-14471368–1447)
* 1409-1413: Guichard II (†died 1415)
* 1413-1422: [[Louis, Count of Vendôme]] (1376-14461376–1446)
* 1422-1440: [[Tanguy du Chastel]] (†died 1449)
* 1440-1451: Charles de Culant (†died cac. 1451)
* 1451-1453: [[Jacques de Chabannes]] (†died 1453)
* 1456-1461: [[Raoul de Gaucourt]] (†died 1461)
* 1463: [[Antoine I de Croÿ]] (1385-14751385–1475)
* 1465-1467: Charles Ier de Melun (†executed on 22 August 1468)
* 1467: [[Antoine de Chabannes]] (1411-14881408–1488)
* ca. 1483: [[Guy XV de Laval|François Guy XV]], comte de Laval and comte deet Monfort]] (1435-15001435–1500)
* 1485-ca. 1496 : [[Philip II, Duke of Savoy]] (1438-14971438–1497)
* 1502-1511: [[Charles II d'Amboise]] (1473-15111473–1511)
* 1511-1515: [[Jacques de la Palice|Jacques II de Chabannes and de -La Palice]] (ca.1470-1525)
* 1515-1519: [[Artus Gouffier, Lord of Boissy|Artus Gouffier, duc de Roannais]] (†died 1519)
* 1519-1525: [[René of Savoy]], comte de Villars (†died 1525)
* 1526-1558: [[Anne de Montmorency]] (1492-15671492–1567)
* 1558-1559: [[François de Montmorency]] (†died 1579)
* 1559-1563: [[Francis, Duke of Guise|François deof Lorraine, duc de Guise]] (1520-15631520–1563)
* 1563-1588: [[Henry I, Duke of Guise]] (1550-15881550–1588)
* 1588-1594: [[Charles, Duke of Guise]] (1571-16401571–1640)
* 1594-1612: [[Charles de Bourbon, comte de Soissons]] (1566-16121566–1612)
* 1612-1641: [[Louis de Bourbon, comte de Soissons]] (1604-16411604–1641)
* 1643-1646: [[Henry II de Bourbon, prince de Condé]] (1588-16461588–1646)
* 1647-1654(?): [[Louis II de Bourbon, prince de Condé]], "''le Grand Condé"'' (1621-16861621–1686)
* 1654-1656: [[Thomas FrançoisFrancis, Prince deof Savoie-CarignanCarignano|Thomas Françoisof de Savoie]]Savoy, prince deof CarignanCarignano]] (1596-16561596–1656)
* 1656-1660: [[Armand de Bourbon, prince de Conti]] (1629-16661629–1666)
* 1660-1685: [[Henri Jules de Bourbon-Condé|Henri Jules de Bourbon]], prince de Condé (1643-17091643–1709)
* 1685-1710: [[Louis III, prince de Condé]] (1668-17101668–1710)
* 1710-1740: [[Louis Henri, duc de Bourbon]], prince de Condé (1692-17401692–1740)
* 1740-1790 and 1814-1818: [[Louis Joseph de Bourbon, prince de Condé]] (1736-18181736–1818)
 
==References==
* Bernard Barbiche, ''Les Institutions de la monarchie française à l’époque moderne, XVIIe–XVIIIe siècles'', Presses universitaires de France, coll. « Premier cycle », 2001 (2nd edition). {{ISBN |2-13-051940-7}}▼
*''This article is a translation of the [[:fr:Grand maître de France|equivalent article]] from the [[French Wikipedia]], consulted on [[August 15]], [[2006]].''
* Jean-François Solnon, ''La Cour de France'', Livre de Poche, coll. « Références », 1996 (1st edition 1987). {{ISBN |2-253-90439-2}}▼
 
==Notes==
▲* Bernard Barbiche, ''Les Institutions de la monarchie française à l’époque moderne, XVIIe–XVIIIe siècles'', Presses universitaires de France, coll. « Premier cycle », 2001 (2nd edition). ISBN 2-13-051940-7
{{Reflist}}
▲* Jean-François Solnon, ''La Cour de France'', Livre de Poche, coll. « Références », 1996 (1st edition 1987). ISBN 2-253-90439-2
 
== External links==
* [http://www.heraldique-europeenne.org/Regions/France/Grand_Maitre.htm List (in French) of the Grands maîtres]
 
{{DEFAULTSORT:Grand Master Of France}}
[[Category:Court titles]]▼
[[Category:Court titles in the Ancien Régime]]
▲[[Category:CourtFrench noble titles]]
 
[[frCategory:Grand maîtreMasters deof France| ]]▼
[[de:Großmeister von Frankreich]]
▲[[fr:Grand maître de France]]
[[it:Gran Maestro di Francia]]
[[nl:Grootmeester van Frankrijk]]
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