Louis, comte de Narbonne-Lara

Louis Marie Jacques Amalric, comte de Narbonne-Lara (August 1755 – 17 November 1813) was a French nobleman, soldier and diplomat.^[1]

Born at Colorno in the Duchy of Parma, Louis, comte de Narbonne-Lara, was possibly the illegitimate son of King Louis XV of France. Raised at Versailles and educated with a focus on classical studies and military training, he became colonel of the Army at 25. He married Marie Adélaïde de Montholon, with whom he had two daughters, and also had two illegitimate children.

Narbonne-Lara held various military and diplomatic roles throughout his life. During the French Revolution, he served as Minister of War under Louis XVI but resigned due to disagreements with the Feuillants. He later joined the Army of the North and was promoted to lieutenant general. After the fall of the monarchy, he fled France and returned in 1801.

Napoleon called him into service in 1809, and he held several prominent positions, including Governor of Raab, divisional general commander in Trieste, and minister plenipotentiary in Bavaria. He advised Napoleon against invading Russia but was not heeded. Following the Russian Campaign, he served as the French ambassador in Vienna and Governor of Torgau. He died of typhus in 1813, and his name was inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe.