What is Count of Soissons?
{{no sources|date=January 2014}} [[File:Coat of arms of the Count of Soissons.png|thumb|right|200px|Coat of arms of the Count of Soissons showing the coronet of a [[prince of the blood]].]] [[File:Soissons1734d.jpg|thumb|200px|right|Drawing of the ''Hôtel de Soissons'' in [[Paris]] in 1734.]] The '''Count of Soissons''' (French: ''comte de Soissons'') was a member of the French court when the country was still a monarchy. They held the rank of [[Prince of the blood]] and as a result entitled to the style of ''Serene Highness'' but this was used in writing only. The Counts were the owners of the one time famous ''Hôtel de Soissons'' in [[Paris]]. The title is unique in the sense that it was later inherited by a woman which was actually forbidden in France at the time. François de Bourbon, the first [[Prince of Conti]] was also the brother of the founder of the Soissons line. Charles de Bourbon, Count of Soissons. The Counts Soissons were addressed at court as ''[[Prince of the blood|Monsieur le Comte]]'' and their wives as ''Madame la Comtesse''. The members of the house were: * 1487&ndash;1495: François, Count of Vendôme (1470&ndash;1495); * 1495-1537: Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme (1489&ndash;1537), son of the preceding; * 1547&ndash;1557: Jean de Bourbon (1528&ndash;1557), son of the preceding; * 1557-1569: Louis de Bourbon, prince of Condé (1535&ndash;1569), brother of the preceding; * 1569-1612: Charles de Bourbon (1566&ndash;1612), son of the preceding; * 1612-1641: Louis de Bourbon (1604&ndash;1641), son of the preceding; * 1641-1656: Marie de Bourbon, [[Princess of Carignano]] and Countess of Soissons (Countess in her own right) (1606&ndash;1692), sister of the preceding. ==Related pages== *[[Prince of Conti]] *[[Prince of Condé]] *[[Duke of Orléans]] *''[[Premier Prince du Sang]]'' [[Category:Titles in the old Kingdom of France]]