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 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]

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

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

The de Rieux continued to maintain their claims on Harcourt. Jeanne, the daughter of John VII, had married Jean III de Rieux in 1414. She was succeeded by her son François de Rieux, 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.
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]

"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, 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, 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.