Lords and Counts of Harcourt

When the Viking chieftain Rollo obtained via the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte the territories which would later make up Normandy, he distributed them as estates among his main supporters. Among these lands were the seigneurie of Harcourt, near Brionne, and the county of Pont-Audemer, both of which Rollo granted to Bernard the Dane, ancestor of the lords (seigneurs) of Harcourt. The first to use Harcourt as a name, however, was Anquetil d'Harcourt at the start of the 11th century.

Lords of Harcourt

House of Harcourt
  • c.911–c.950 : Bernard the Dane, governor and regent of the duchy of Normandy in 943
    married Sprote, princess of Bourgogne
  • c.950–c.960 : Torf le Riche, baron de Tourville, son of Bernard
    married Ertemberge de Bricquebec
  • c.960–c.1020 : Turquetil
    married Anceline de Montfort-sur-Risle
  • c.1020 – aft. 1066 : Anquetil d'Harcourt, son of Turquetil
    married Ève de Boissey
  • aft. 1066 – aft. 1078 : Errand d'Harcourt, son of Anquetil
    married Emme d'Estouteville
  • aft. 1078 – aft. 1100 : Robert I of Harcourt, Brother of Errand
    married Colette d'Argouges.
  • aft. 1100 – aft. 1124 : William of Harcourt, son of Robert I
    married Hue d'Amboise.
  • aft. 1124–1212 : Robert II of Harcourt, seigneur d'Elbeuf, son of William
    married Jeanne de Meulan in 1179
  • 1212–1239 : Richard, Baron of Harcourt (d. 1239), son of Robert II
    married Jeanne de la Roche-Tesson, heiress of the Viscount of Saint-Sauveur, in 1213
  • 1239–1288 : John I of Harcourt (1199–1288), son of Richard
    married Alix de Beaumont
  • 1288–1302 : John II of Harcourt (1240–1302), marshal and admiral of France, son of John I
    married first Agnès de Lorraine, daughter of Frederick III, Duke of Lorraine
    married second Jeanne de Châtellerault
  • 1302–1329 : John III of Harcourt (d. 1329), son of John II and Jeanne de Châtellerault
    married Alix de Reginar, daughter of Godfrey of Brabant.

Counts of Harcourt

The barony of Harcourt was erected into the county of Harcourt, together with the seigneuries of Lillebonne, Troispierres, La Saussaye and Elbeuf, by letters patent of Philip VI in March 1338.

House of Harcourt
  • 1329–1346 : John IV (d. 1346), Count of Harcourt in 1338, son of John III
    married Isabeau de Parthenay, dame de Vibraye, de Montfort-le-Rotrou, d'Aspremont and de Bonnétable
  • 1346–1355 : John V (d. 1355), son of John IV
    married Blanche de Ponthieu, Countess of Aumale, sister of Joan of Ponthieu, Dame of Epernon
  • 1355–1389 : John VI (1342–1389), son of John V
    married Catherine de Bourbon (d. 1427), daughter of Peter I, Duke of Bourbon, in 1359
  • 1389–1452 : John VII (1370–1452), son of John VI
    married Marie d'Alençon (1373–1417), daughter of Pierre II, Count of Alençon, in 1390

His only son, John VIII, was killed in battle in 1424. Upon the death of John VII in 1452, his inheritance was to be divided between his elder daughter, Marie, wife of Antoine, Count of Vaudémont, and his second daughter, Jeanne, wife of Jean III de Rieux. However, Marie and her son John of Vaudémont were able to control the entire inheritance until 1454, when the de Rieux gained control of the County of Aumale. However, litigation continued between the de Rieux and the Vaudémont-Lorraine through the late 15th century.

House of Vaudémont-Lorraine

House of Rieux

The de Rieux continued to maintain their claims on Harcourt. Jeanne (1399–1456), the daughter of John VII, had married Jean III de Rieux (1377–1431) in 1414. She was succeeded by her son François de Rieux (1418–1458), who married Jeanne de Rohan in 1442 and was succeeded by his son Jean IV de Rieux. He reached a settlement with the Duke of Lorraine in 1495, trading Aumale for Harcourt, and resumed the title.

  • 1495–1518 : Jean IV de Rieux (1447–1518), son of François
    married Isabelle de Brosse (died 1527), daughter of John VI, Count of Penthièvre
  • 1518–1532 : Claude de Rieux (1497–1532), son of Jean IV
    married Suzanne de Bourbon-Montpensier (died 1570), daughter of Louis de Bourbon, Prince de La Roche-sur-Yon and Louise de Montpensier
  • 1532–1557 : Henri de Rieux (died 1557), son of Claude, died without issue

Upon the death of Henri, the county of Harcourt passed to his sister Louise, who had married René, Marquis of Elbeuf, head of a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine.

House of Lorraine
  • 1666–1694 : François Louis, Count of Harcourt, (1627–1694), nephew of Henri, son of Charles II, Duke of Elbeuf
    married Anne d'Ornano (died 1695) in 1645
  • 1694–1718 : Alphonse Henri, Count of Harcourt (1648–1718), styled the prince d'Harcourt, son of François Louis
    married Marie Françoise de Brancas (died 1715) in 1667
  • 1719–1739 : Joseph, Count of Harcourt (1679–1739), styled the prince d'Harcourt, son of Alphonse
    married Marie Louise Chrétienne Jeannin de Castille (1680–1736) in 1705
  • 1739–1747 : Louis Marie Léopold de Lorraine (1720–1747), styled the prince d'Harcourt, son of Joseph

Modern titles

"Harcourt" has been given as a title to descendants of cadet branches of the family of Harcourt, without a territorial connection to the medieval county. Both branches descend from Philippe d'Harcourt (1353–1403), Lord of Bonnétable, son of John V of Harcourt.

Dukes of Harcourt

The title of duc d'Harcourt was granted in 1700 by Louis XIV to Henry d'Harcourt (1654–1718), marshal of France, of the branch of Beuvron, upon the erection of the marquisate de La Mothe and de Thury to a duchy, with the name of Harcourt. The title was made a peerage in 1709, by letters patent.

  • 1700–1718 : Henry d'Harcourt (1654–1718), duc d'Harcourt, marshal of France
    married Marie Anne Claude de Brulart de Genlis (1669–1750) in 1687
  • 1700–1750 : François (1689–1750), duc d'Harcourt, marshal of France, son of Henry
    married Marguerite Sophie Louise de Neufville (1699–1716) in 1716, then in 1717 Marie Madeleine Le Tellier (1697–1735)
  • 1750–1783 : Anne Pierre d'Harcourt (1701–1783), duc d'Harcourt, marshal of France, brother of François
    married Eulalie de Beaupoil de Sainte-Aulaire (1715–1738) in 1725
  • 1783–1802 : François-Henri d'Harcourt (1726–1802), duc d'Harcourt, son of Anne
    married Françoise Cathérine d'Aubusson de la Feuillade (1733–1815) in 1752
  • 1802–1839 : Marie François (1755–1839), duc d'Harcourt, nephew of François-Henri
    married Madeleine Jacqueline Le Veneur de Tillières (died 1825) in 1780
  • 1839–1840 : Alphonse Aymar François (1785–1840), duc d'Harcourt, son of Marie
  • 1840–1846 : François Eugène Gabriel (1786–1865), duc d'Harcourt, brother of Alphonse
    married Aglaé Terray (1788–1867) in 1807
  • Henri Marie Nicolas (1808–1846), marquis d'Harcourt, son of François (predeceased his father)
    married Slanie de Choiseul-Praslin (1807–1843) in 1829
  • 1846–1895 : Charles François Marie (1835–1895), duc d'Harcourt, son of Henri
    married Marie (1843–1916), comtesse de Mercy-Argenteau, in 1862
  • 1895–1908 : Henri Eugène François Marie (1864–1908), duc d'Harcourt, son of Charles
    married Marie de la Rochefoucauld (1871–1952) in 1892
  • 1908–1997 : Charles Jean Marie (1902–1997), duc d'Harcourt, son of Henri
    married Antoinette Gérard (1909–1958) in 1927, then in 1961 Maria Teresa de Zayas (born 1930)
  • 1997-2020 : François Henri (1928-2020), duc d'Harcourt, son of Charles
    married Isabelle Roubeau (1961-)
  • 2020-present : Geoffroy (1952-), duc d'Harcourt, cousin of François
    married Hélène de Nicolay (1962-)
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