Marguerite de Rohan (1617[1] – 9 April 1684[2]) was a French noblewoman and suo jureDuchess of Rohan. She married Henri de Chabot for love and the couple produced four children. A great heiress, she inherited the duchy (later principality) of Soubise which was given to her daughter Anne.
Appealing to the Queen Regent Anne of Austria, in 1645 Louis XIV issued a certificate that willed Marguerite the right to keep her status, her dignity of a princess, should she marry Henri de Chabot. When the Marquis of Seneterre interrogated her on these matters, she replied: I do not know if I shall be able to decide to marry him, but I do feel that I could not bear it if he married someone else.
By her marriage, she brought her dowry to her husband as well as all her possessions and titles, with the condition that the children bear the name and coat-of-arms of Rohan only. Later the children decided to call themselves Rohan-Chabot and thereby did not honour the clauses of the marriage-contract.[citation needed]
The marriage of a Rohan to a mere nobleman of no fortune was seen as a mésalliance for the powerful Rohans, one of the oldest families in France. Her husband was created Duke of Rohan in 1648.
Titles she held in her own right were; Duchess of Rohan, Princess of Léon, Duchess of Frontenay, Countess of Porhoët, Marquise of Blain, Dame of Lorges, Countess of Porhoët amongst others.
The ducalpeerage of Rohan was re-established for Chabot in 1648. Marguerite, Duchess of Rohan in her own right, as a widow was named guardian of her children by royal letters of 10 June 1655.
She died in Paris on 9 April 1684 at the age of 67.
Descendants
Marguerite has various descendants throughout Europe; Through her son she is a direct male line ancestress of Josselin de Rohan, member of the Senate of France.
Louis de Rohan-Chabot, Duke of Rohan, Prince de Léon (3 November 1652 – 17 August 1727) married Marie Elisabeth du Bec-Crespin de Grimaldi and had issue;
Jeanne Pelagie de Rohan-Chabot (d.18 August 1698) married Alexandre Guillaume de Melun, Prince d'Epinoy and had issue; was grandmother of Anne Julie de Melun, Princesse de Soubise, wife of Jules de Rohan, a grandson of the above Anne.