Les devoirs des grands: The prince de Conti between Social and Spiritual Pre-Eminence
The role of the princes of the blood in the decades following the Fronde (1648–53) has often been described as marginal, especially for those who participated in the uprisings. Recent scholarship, however, has highlighted processes of reconciliation between Louis XIV, Cardinal Mazarin and high-ranki...
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| Pubblicato in: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/crcv, |
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| Autore principale: | |
| Natura: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Lingua: | Anglais |
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Bulletin du Centre de recherche du château de Versailles
2026
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| Soggetti: | |
| Accesso online: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Riassunto: | The role of the princes of the blood in the decades following the Fronde (1648–53) has often been described as marginal, especially for those who participated in the uprisings. Recent scholarship, however, has highlighted processes of reconciliation between Louis XIV, Cardinal Mazarin and high-ranking former frondeurs, whose cooperation remained essential to royal authority. The career of Armand de Bourbon, prince de Conti (1629–66), provides a revealing case study of the reintegration of a leading princely frondeur. Nonetheless, although Conti was restored to royal favour and able to accumulate significant benefits, his rank and authority were far from secure in the competitive environment of the post-Fronde court, where members of the high nobility contested status and pre-eminence. Against this backdrop, the present article puts forward three arguments: first, it examines why and how Louis XIV and Mazarin pursued reconciliation with former frondeurs, shedding light on the limits of royal absolutism. Second, it shows that Conti remained deeply involved in struggles over rank despite his return to favour. Third, it argues that he mobilized rigorist-Augustinian piety as a political and social resource, presenting himself as a truly Christian prince and reinforcing his authority through religious patronage. Overall, the article highlights the continued agency of the princes of the blood and the close entanglement of religion and politics in post-Fronde France. |
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