Armand de Gramont, Comte de Guiche
Guy Armand de Gramont, Comte de Guiche (* 1637, † November 29, 1673 in Bad Kreuznach ) was a French courtier, adventurer and military.
He was the son of Antoine III. de Gramont, Duke of Guiche and Marshal of France, and of Françoise- Marguerite du Plessis de Chivre, a niece of Cardinal Richelieu. His sister Catherine Charlotte de Gramont was at the court as a beauty, after her marriage in 1660 Princess of Monaco, maid of honor of the Duchess of Orléans and later a short time was mistress of Louis XIV.
Gramont was the French court known for gallant adventure and found its way into the Histoire amoureuse the Gauls of Bussy- Rabutin. He was considered one of the best-looking courtiers, but also as vain, arrogant and haughty. He was bisexual, was on the one hand to gay radius of Philippe I, Duke of Orléans, brother of Louis XIV, but was also considered a lover of his wife Henrietta Anne Stuart ( Duchess of Orléans ), on which the Duke was not very pleased, Louise de La Vallière and made the yard, but the mistress of Louis XIV was.
In 1662 he was banished from the court, as he had teamed up with the jealous Duchess of Orléans, to drive a wedge between the king and the La Vallière (where supported him his sister as maid of honor and confidante of the Duchess ). Gramont then served in foreign armies, first for Poland against the Turks and then for the Dutch against England and in 1665 against the Bishop of Münster in the province of Overijssel. In 1666 he was with his brother, the Duke of Monaco, on board the De 7 Provinces, the flagship of Admiral de Ruyter in the four-day battle. 1669 he returned to France in 1671 and returned to the court. In 1672 he took part in the Dutch War, the attempt by the invasion of the Netherlands by Louis XIV He achieved fame when he swam across the Rhine first the army and gave such an example, followed by the army. Soon after he became ill (possibly from the effects of the Rhine- traversing ) and die.
In 1658 he married Marguerite -Louise -Suzanne de Bethune Sully ( 1642-1726 ).