Joseph de Riquet de Caraman (1808–1886)

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Joseph Riquet, Prince of Chimay

Joseph de Riquet de Caraman, 17th Prince de Chimay (20 August 1808, Paris – 12 March 1886, London) was a Belgian diplomat and industrialist.

Early life[edit]

Joseph was the eldest son of François Joseph de Riquet de Caraman, prince de Chimay and his wife Thérésa Cabarrus (Madame Tallien), one of the leaders of Parisian social life during the Directory.

Career[edit]

He led the negotiations which led to a treaty of friendship between the Netherlands and Belgium following William I of the Netherlands' abjuration, which guaranteed Belgian independence. He also contributed to establishing Belgium's diplomatic relations with the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, the Kingdom of Naples, the Papal States and the German Confederation.

In 1852 he acquired the Hôtel de la Pagerie at 17 quai Malaquais, in the 6th arrondissement of Paris, renaming it Hôtel de Chimay. It was sold in 1883 to the École des beaux-arts. In 1863 he built a theatre in his château de Chimay in Belgium, designed by Hector-Martin Lefuel and Cambon and inspired by Louis XV's theatre at the Palace of Fontainebleau.

He financed the foundation of Scourmont Abbey on Chimay lands and in 1858 headed the consortium which founded the Compagnie de Chimay, one of the first Belgian railway companies, which built a line linking Chimay to Anor in France and Mariembourg.[1]

Personal life[edit]

On 30 August 1830, Joseph married Émilie Pellapra (1806–1871) in Paris. The widow of comte de Brigode, she was the daughter of Françoise-Marie LeRoy and Henri de Pellapra, a wealthy financier, although Émilie claimed to be a daughter of Napoleon.[2][3] Together, Émilie and Joseph had four children:

The Prince de Chamay died in London on 12 March 1886.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Weber, William E. (9 November 2004). The Musician as Entrepreneur, 1700-1914: Managers, Charlatans, and Idealists. Indiana University Press. p. 212. ISBN 978-0-253-05776-1. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  2. ^ a b BIBESCO, Mme le Princesse (1921). "UNE FILLE DE NAPOLÉON: ÉMILIE DE PELLAPRA COMTESSE DE BRIGODE, PRINCESSE DE CHIMAY". Revue des Deux Mondes (1829-1971). 62 (2): 319–336. ISSN 0035-1962. JSTOR 44845301.
  3. ^ Normington, Susan (1993). Napoleon's Children. A. Sutton. p. 67. ISBN 978-0-7509-0203-8.
  4. ^ Doria, Francisco Antônio (1999). Caramuru e Catarina: lendas e narrativas sobre a Case da Torre de Gracia d'Avila (in Brazilian Portuguese). Editora Senac. p. 78. ISBN 978-85-7359-125-5. Retrieved 5 June 2023.
  5. ^ "OBITUARY NOTES. | The Prince de Chimay". The New York Times. 30 March 1892. Retrieved 5 June 2023.

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