Prince de Condé

Also known as: Condé / His highness the prince / Louis de Bourbon, Prince de Condé / Monsieur de Condé / Monsieur le Prince / the prince / the prince your brother · Family: French nobility · Role: prince · First appears: Chapter 1

After the death of his father, Henri de Bourbon, Louis de Bourbon was known as Monsieur le Prince. Early on, Mazarin used public cries for the Prince de Condé alongside those for the Duke de Beaufort and the parliament; by chapter 9, Monsieur le Prince was due to leave for the army and was described as entirely devoted to Mazarin.

At Lys and Lens, Condé recalled Le Plessis, Bellièvre, Villequier and D’Erlac for an attack, while Raoul served as his interpreter—“I appoint you from this moment my interpreter.” After Lens fell, he assigned the army’s positions, leaving Marshal de Grammont on the extreme left, Duc de Châtillon in the centre, and leading the right wing himself. Count de Guiche was assigned to his father, and Condé also ordered Marshal de Grammont to wait for the troops and left Duc de Châtillon to bring on the rest. Raoul expressed strong admiration for him, and Condé later released Raoul Bragelonne to return to Paris with Duc de Châtillon, calling him a great commander.

His family ties included his sister Madame de Longueville, to whom he sent thanks for Raoul Bragelonne, and his brother-in-law Duke de Longueville, as well as Prince de Conti, his brother and brother-in-law. After his return caused a profound political sensation, Anne of Austria conferred with him privately through the night; he was also associated with the earlier report of having been arrested by Maria de Médicis. Later, Raoul went to meet him at Saint Cloud and did not return, while at Charenton Condé stood among the king’s generals with Louis XIII as the royalists drove the Frondeurs back into the town.