Narbonne, Count
LOUIS DE NARBONNE:
Born Louis Marie Jacques Amalric, Comte de Narbonne-Lara on 24 August 1755
at Colorno, in castle belonging to the Duke of Parma in the duchy of Parma,
son of the Comtesse de Narbonne-Lara, one of the ladies-in-waiting of
Elizabeth, duchess of Parma, and of either the Comte de Narbonne-Lara, a
Spanish nobleman, or - of Louis XV himself. (Was even rumoured to be
incestuous son of Louis XV and his daughter Adelaide) - was baptized at
Versailles, with Comte de Narbonne-Lara conspicuously absent. Narbonne a
grand seigneur - handsome, witty, and dissipated: v. likely son of Louis XV
- certainly had Bourbon profile and received extremely favoured upbringing
at Versailles with princesses of France, with Madame Adelaide (daughter of
Louis XV) as his godmother and Louis XVI, four years his senior, was his
godfather and playmate.
Narbonne made colonel at the age of 25 (1780), and in 1791 became
marechal-de-camp. Inherited a fortune but spent most of it, so married
(1782) heiress Marie Adelaide de Colothon, from whom he later separated.
Career given to him on plate - by 1786 had been given command of a regiment
without having ever having fought a battle. By age of 33, when met Madame de
Stael, had had numerous mistresses, at least 2 illegitimate children, and
huge accumulation of debts.
1789: Became lover of Madame de Stael, daughter of Swiss banker Necker,
recently married to Swedish ambassador - her salon at Swedish embassy was
meeting place for leadaing political and intellectual figures od day, and
from outset of Rev became centre for moderate liberal aristocrats, among
them Narbonne, who wanted to mend France by combining reform with a
constitutional monarchy along British lines.
6 December 1791: Narbonne appointed Minister of War - largely through
influence of Mme de Stael - held position til dismissal by King on 9 March
1792: was v. frustrating period, as was prevented from improving French
military position by interventions from both Jacobins and Royalists, but did
manage to secure appropriation of 20 million livres from the Assembly for
the army, and after month-long inspection of troops he claimed in January
had put army of 150,000 men on war footing.
From time of dismissal, Narbonne served in Army of the North under Lafayette
til worsening political situation had brought him back to Paris in hope that
even at this late stage something might be done to save the king - but from
10 August (storming of Tuileries, massacre of Swiss guards, King's surrender
to National Assembly) Louis XVI appeared doomed. Almost immediately Narbonne
became wanted man in France: denounced as traitor in the National
Convention, where was accused of embezzling govt funds while Minister of
War, and his property confiscated by state and seals placed on doors of his
Paris house. (His mother, wife and elder daughter were safe in Rome,
attached to household of King's aunts, Adelaide and Victoire, but mother had
broken off relations with him over liberal policies).
During next nights, Narbonne sought refuge at Swiss embassy - then 19 August
left Paris in in disguise with young Hanoverian doctor, Erich Justus
Bollman, as Englishmen and arrived in Boulogne then Dover on 20 August. From
there, made way to London, where the Comtesse de la Chatre, an old friend of
Narbonne's, welcomed them both to Talleyrand's house in Kensington Square.
Meanwhile, Mme de Stael - 6 months's pregnant with Narbonne's child -
travelled to Switzerland to stay with her parents (who had retired there in
1790) for rest of confinement.
Meanwhile, Narbonne in London finding things increasingly tricky: plus side
was that during September more and more friends and allies began arriving
from France, including Jaucourt, Mathieu de Montmorency and others and
Talleyrand. This group welcomed in great Whig houses of London, sympathetic
to progressive views, but elsewhere September massacres causing fierce
reaction in London and elsewhere: Tories gaining upper hand, and general
feeling pro conservative and royalist. As political situation worsened in
France, therefore seemed wisest to remove themselves as much as possible
from public view - hence Narbonne et al rented Juniper Hall, late September
- Madame de Stael arrived at JH in late January 1793 (had given birth to
son in November), soon after execution of Louis XVI - stayed til 22 May
1793.
Meanwhile, Narbonne ill with grief over death of King - blamed himself plus
great love for monarch. Roused himself when de Stael there, and made some
attempt to get money from his wife's estates in ? Stayed on in Juniper Hall
til lease ran out in September, and moved in with Phillipses at Mickleham -
in March 1794 Talleyrand expelled from UK, and Narbonne's position more
insecure also. During his year in Surrey, Narbonne had made occasional
visits to London and had talked to leading members of Whig opposition, esp
Charles James Fox who would become great friend. Then, quite unexpectedly,
he was invited to dine with PM Pitt in May 1794: was told by Pitt that
England had to destroy France in order to stop revolutionary plague etc, and
appealing to fact that so many of Narbonne's friends and peers had been
murdered, asked him for information on France's military capabilities and
resources - true Frenchman, Narbonne refused to give any info that might be
harmful to France's military defence, and two men parted coldly.
Upshot was that few weeks later Narbonne expelled from UK - left Dover on 20
June 1794, travelling under name of Smith, on way to Switzerland, then from
Hague used Spanish title, Lara. Arrived at Mme de Stael's house at Mezery,
where group of fellow refugees already established, including new Stael
lover Comte Adolphe de Ribbing (Narbonne apparently not that bothered -
jealousy not even sufficient to cause falling out with Ribbing: typical de
Stael story - Narbonne and Ribbing exchange words one night, and then are
seen leaving house together at dawn; don't return for several hours, and M
de S convinced that pair fighting duel and in tears and hysterics etc - but
pair then returned home together in great spirits holding a string of fish).
After some time spent in Switzerland and Germany, Narbonne was finally
allowed to return to France in 1801. In 1809 he re-entered the army as
general of division, and was subsequently minister plenipotentiary at Munich
and served as one of Napoleon's generals and the Emperor's aide-de-camp
(1811). In early 1813 he was appointed French ambassador to Vienna, where he
became engaged in an unequal diplomatic battle with Metternich during
fateful months when Austria defected from French to Allied cause. Owing to
differences with Napoleon over this and other matters, in Sept 1813 he was
transferred in disgrace to position of governor of Torgau in Saxony, where
two months later (17 November 1813) he died of typhus during the siege of
Torgau, contracted during a visit to a hospital. He left little money, but
an important collection of books.