Albert de Broglie, 4th Duke of Broglie (; 13 June 182119 January 1901) was a French monarchist politician, diplomat and writer (of historical works and translations).

Broglie twice served as Prime Minister of France, first from May 1873 to May 1874, and again from May to November 1877.

Biography Jacques Victor Albert de Broglie was born in Paris, France, the eldest son of Victor, 3rd duc de Broglie, a liberal statesman of the July Monarchy, and Albertine, baroness Staël von Holstein, the fourth child of Madame de Staël. He was therefore the great-grandson of Jacques Necker.

After a brief diplomatic career at Madrid and Rome, upon the revolution of 1848 Albert de Broglie withdrew from public life and devoted himself to literature. He had already published a translation of the religious system of Leibniz (1846). He now at once made his mark by his contributions to the Revue des deux mondes and the Orleanist and clerical organ Le Correspondant. These, and other contributions, brought him the succession to Lacordaire's seat in the Académie française in 1862, joining his father in this august society.

In 1870 he succeeded his father as the 4th duc de Broglie, having previously been styled prince de Broglie. In the following year he was elected to the National Assembly for the département of the Eure, and a few days later (on 19 February) was appointed French Ambassador to London. After his negotiations concerning the commercial treaties between Britain and France were met with criticism he resigned as ambassador in March 1872 and took his seat in the Assembly, where he became the leader of the royalist campaign against President Thiers.

When Thiers was replaced by Marshal Mac-Mahon, Broglie was appointed Prime Minister and Foreign Minister in May 1873. On 26 November, after the passing of the Septennate, the government was restructured and Broglie exchanged the Foreign with the Interior Ministry. His conservative policies roused the bitter hatred of the Republicans, while his attempts to reach a compromise between the rival claimants to the monarchy alienated both the Legitimists and the Bonapartists.

The result was the fall of the cabinet on 16 May 1874. Three years later (on 16 May 1877) he was entrusted with the formation of a new Cabinet, with the object of appealing to the country and securing a conservative majority in the chamber. While the conservatives increased their share of the vote, the election nevertheless confirmed a decisive Republican majority. De Broglie was defeated in his own constituency and resigned on 20 November.

Defeated again in 1885, he abandoned politics and reverted to his historical work, publishing a series of historical studies and biographies. He died in Paris on 19 January 1901, aged 79.

1st Ministry (25 May – 26 November 1873) Portfolio Holder Party Vice-President of the Council of Ministers Albert de Broglie Royalist Ministers Minister of Foreign Affairs Albert de Broglie Royalist Minister of the Interior Charles Beulé Royalist Minister of Justice Jean Ernoul Royalist Minister of Finance Pierre Magne Royalist Minister of War General François Charles du Barail Bonapartiste Minister of the Navy and Colonies Admiral Charles de Dompierre d'Hornoy None Minister of Public Education, Fine Arts and Worship Anselme Batbie None Minister of Public Works Alfred Deseilligny Royalist Minister of Agriculture and Commerce Marie Roullet de La Bouillerie Royalist

2nd Ministry (26 November 1873 – 22 May 1874) Portfolio Holder Party Vice-President of the Council of Ministers Albert de Broglie Royalist Ministers Minister of the Interior Albert de Broglie Royalist Minister of Justice Octave Depeyre Royalist Minister of Finance Pierre Magne Royalist Minister of Foreign Affairs Louis Decazes Royalist Minister of War General François Charles du Barail Bonapartiste Minister of the Navy and Colonies Admiral Charles de Dompierre d'Hornoy None Minister of Public Education, Fine Arts and Worship Oscar Bardi de Fourtou Royalist Minister of Public Works Roger de Larcy Royalist Minister of Agriculture and Commerce Alfred Deseilligny Royalist

3rd Ministry (17 May – 23 November 1877) Portfolio Holder Party President of the Council of Ministers Albert de Broglie Royalist Ministers Minister of Justice Albert de Broglie Royalist Minister of Foreign Affairs Louis Decazes Royalist Minister of the Interior Oscar Bardi de Fourtou Royalist Minister of Finance Eugène Caillaux Royalist Minister of War Brig. Gen. Jean Auguste Berthaut None Minister of the Navy and Colonies Vice Admiral Albert Gicquel des Touches None Minister of Public Education, Fine Arts and Worship Joseph Brunet Royalist Minister of Public Works Auguste Paris Royalist Minister of Agriculture and Commerce Alfred de Meaux Royalist

Bibliography De Broglie edited: The Souvenirs of his father (1886, etc.) The Mémoires de Talleyrand (1891, etc.) Letters of the Duchess Albertine de Broglie (1896)

He published: (1878) Frédéric II et Marie Thérèse (1883) Frédéric II et Louis XV (1885) Marie Thérèse Impératrice (1888) Le Père Lacordaire (1889) Maurice de Saxe et le marquis d'Argenson (1891) La Paix d'Aix-la-Chapelle (1892) L'Alliance autrichienne (1895) La Mission de M. de Gontaut-Biron à Berlin (1896) Voltaire avant et pendant la Guerre de Sept Ans (1898) Saint Ambroise (trans., Margaret Maitland in the series, The Saints) (1899)

He wrote memoirs around 1895, which were published in instalments in the between 1925 and 1929, and collected in book format in 1938, with a postface by his grandson the 6th Duke:

Family

On 18 June 1845, styled Prince de Broglie, he married Joséphine-Eléonore-Marie-Pauline de Galard de Brassac de Béarn (1825–1860).

They had the following children: Louis-Alphonse-Victor, 5th duc de Broglie (1846 – 1906) father of the scientist brothers including the 7th Duke, the Nobel Laureate. Maurice (1848 – 1862) Henri-Amédée (1849 – 1917) François-Marie-Albert (1851 – 1939) great-grandfather of the 8th duke, Victor-François, 8th duc de Broglie (1949 – 2012). César-Paul-Emmanuel (1854 – 1926)

Honours and titles Duke of France (succeeded as 4th Duke of Broglie 1870) Chevalier, Légion d'honneur (1845)

Notes

References

Attribution

Further reading

External links www.academie-francaise.fr