Francis, Count of Vendôme


Francis de Bourbon or François de Bourbon , was a French prince du sang. He was the Count of Vendôme.

Life

Francis was the son of John VIII de Bourbon, Count of Vendôme and Isabelle de Beauveau, the daughter of Louis de Beauvau, Marshal of Provence. As a legitimate member of the Capetian dynasty, he ranked in France as a prince du sang. At his father's death, when he was seven, he succeeded as Count of Vendôme. During his minority, his estates were administered by his uncle, Louis le Joyeuse.
Francis was a faithful follower of Anne of France and her brother, King Charles VIII of France.
In 1487, Francis married Marie of Luxembourg, the elder daughter and principal heiress of Peter II of Luxembourg, Count of Saint-Pol and Soissons, and Margaret of Savoy, and the widow of Jacques of Savoy, Count of Romont. She brought great estates as her dowry, including the countships of Saint-Pol and Soissons in Picardy, as well as the Château de Condé, which was later passed down as a residence to the Princes of Condé who were the descendants of her grandson, Louis de Bourbon, 1st Prince of Condé.
They had six children:
Also by Isabeau de Grigny, Francis had an illegitimate son:
Francis de Bourbon died at the age of 25 in Vercelli, Italy, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Charles IV de Bourbon. His widow Marie administered the family's estates during Charles' minority.

Ancestors

Patrilineal descent

François' patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son.
Patrilineal descent is the principle behind membership in royal houses, as it can be traced back through the generations - which means that if Count François were to choose an historically accurate house name it would be Robertian, as all his male-line ancestors have been of that house.
François is a member of the House of Bourbon, a branch of the Capetian dynasty and of the Robertians.
François' patriline is the line from which he is descended father to son. It follows the Kings of France and the Counts of Paris and Worms. This line can be traced back more than 1,200 years from Robert of Hesbaye to the present day, through Kings of France & Navarre, Spain and Two-Sicilies, Dukes of Parma and Grand-Dukes of Luxembourg, Princes of Orléans and Emperors of Brazil. It is one of the oldest in Europe.
  1. Robert II of Worms and Rheingau, 770 - 807
  2. Robert III of Worms and Rheingau, 808 - 834
  3. Robert IV the Strong, 820 - 866
  4. Robert I of France, 866 - 923
  5. Hugh the Great, 895 - 956
  6. Hugh Capet, 941 - 996
  7. Robert II of France, 972 - 1031
  8. Henry I of France, 1008–1060
  9. Philip I of France, 1053–1108
  10. Louis VI of France, 1081–1137
  11. Louis VII of France, 1120–1180
  12. Philip II of France, 1165–1223
  13. Louis VIII of France, 1187–1226
  14. Louis IX of France, 1215–1270
  15. Robert, Count of Clermont, 1256–1317
  16. Louis I, Duke of Bourbon, 1279–1342
  17. James I, Count of La Marche, 1319–1362
  18. John I, Count of La Marche, 1344–1393
  19. Louis, Count of Vendôme, 1376–1446
  20. John II, Count of Vendôme, 1428–1478
  21. François de Bourbon, Count of Vendôme, 1470–1495