Soissons family

   The Soissons was a French noble family. Charles de Bourbon, count de Soissons (1566-1612), born in Nogent-le-Routrou, was the son of the prince de condé, louis I, and Françoise d'Orléans Longue-ville. He successively joined, then abandoned, each faction in the wars of religion and, although Catholic, fought at the Battle of Coutras on the side of the Protestant princes. He tried in vain to convince henry IV to marry his sister Catherine. During the minority of King louis x III, he opposed the regency of marie de' medici, along with his nephew Henri, prince de condé, but was appeased by being offered the governorship of Normandy. Louis de Bourbon, count de Soissons (1604-41), born in Paris, was the son of Charles de Bourbon, count de Soissons and Anne, countess de Montafie et de Clermont. He conspired with gaston d'orléans against Cardinal richelieu, then went over to the Spanish, fighting the French at La Marfée, where he was killed. Eugène Maurice de Savoie-Carignan, count de Soissons (1633-73), born in Chambéry, was the nephew of Louis de Bourbon, count de Soissons and the son of Marie de Soissons and Thomas of Savoy, prince de Carignan. A military commander, he married Olympe mancini, the niece of Cardinal mazarin, and they became the parents of Prince Eugène de Savoie-Carignan (Prince Eugene of Savoy), who, halted in his ambitions by louis XIV, went on to serve the Austrians. The governor of Champagne, Eugène, count de Soissons, served with distinction at the Battle of the Dunes, in Spain, in Franche-Comté, and in Holland and was made a general in 1672.