Admiral of France
Under the Ancien Régime, the Admiral of France was - the Constable of France assimilated - commander of the French fleet with limited powers.
Ancien Régime
The task of an admiral of France was in 1270 by King Louis IX. created in the context of the Seventh Crusade. The title was the equivalent of the Constable of France, and the owner was one of the great officers of the crown.
The object of the admiral concerned the coasts of Picardy, Normandy, of Aunis and Saintonge. In wartime, it was to put together merchant ships to a military fleet, arming, equipping and provision beforehand for these seafaring, and corsair issue the Letter of Marque. In peacetime, he was concerned with the maintenance of the royal fleet, if they existed, but also with the maritime trade and the merchant fleet.
Very few of the admirals were themselves sailors - with the exception of Claude d' Annebaut none of them has ever actually commanded the fleet. The real power of admiral of France was rather low, partly due to the competition of the other admirals ( Amiral des mers du Levant for the Provence, the Amiral de Bretagne and the Amiral des mers du Ponant for Guyenne ), the General of the galleys and then the Navy Department.
The Office, however, had quite strong political significance, similar to the Constable. It was also lucrative: the Admiral were a part of the fines and the confiscation of the naval blockades to, from beachcombing, anchor money and shipwreck, a tenth of the war revenue etc.
In addition, there was the case-law, again similar to the Constable and Marshal of France, at the Table de marbre in Paris, Rouen, and about 50 other sites along the coasts, which also dealt with fisheries and crime in the port area.
The Admiralty of France was abolished in 1627 by Richelieu, the newly created Grand maître de la navigation was and the whole power on the fleet wanted to have in his hand. Louis XIV, the Office on 12 November 1669 an edict restore. The first new title holder was his illegitimate son of Louis de Bourbon, comte de Vermandois, who at the time was two years old. In the following period only Louis -Alexandre de Bourbon, comte de Toulouse showed interest in his task.
In the second half of the 18th century, the Admiralties came completely under the control of the Navy Department.
After the French Revolution
After the dissolution of the Admiralty by the Constituent Assembly on 22 April 1791, the Office was introduced by imperial decree of 13 Pluviôse of the year 13 and orderly dated 18 May 1814 ( incumbent was Joachim Murat, after Napoleon 's first fall of Louis -Antoine de Bourbon, duc d' Angoulême ), and 1870 abolished. The last Admiral of France was Trehouard de Beaulieu in 1869.
Today, the title of Marshal of France and Admiral of France State Would (le titre de maréchal de France et celui d' amiral de France, constituent une dans l' État dignité, Act of 1972 ) - even if there is no one who this honor carries.
Admirals of France
In Vichy France, the rank of Amiral de la Flotte was created in 1940 for Admiral François Darlan, who was comparable to that of Admiral of France.