In
France, under the
Ancien Régime, the Restoration () and
July Monarchy, several officers carried the title of
Lieutenant-General (). Within a general context, the title designated the individual who was delegated all the powers of authority on behalf of the person who he was supposed to replace.
Province Lieutenant-General The
Province Lieutenant-General () was a personage, often issued from high aristocracy, and who represented the King in the provinces of the
Kingdom. His role was theoretically resumed to the assurance locum status of the
Governor. Accordingly, the Kings would hope that their influence would get neutralized simultaneously, preventing any sort of tentative revolt. The charge function of the lieutenant-general became in the 17th century and specially in the 18th century, purely an honorific title: The individual bearing this title would reside in the
Cour de France () and would contempt to earn income without actual real work. In addition, the Kings had the tendency to nominate the sons which were heir to their fathers, a hereditary system which made the offices of the lieutenant-general strictly part of the patrimony of aristocratic families. One should not mix the office of the lieutenant-general with that of the Lieutenant of the King (). The Lieutenant of the King was subordinated to the Lieutenant-General and his role (within a similar framework: represented the King in the provinces) was only upheld with very limited functions.
Lieutenant-General Bailliage The
Lieutenant-General Baillage (
Baillage () or
Sénéchaussée () -
Bailliage : designated both a territorial entity (administrative, financial or legal circumscription) and the charge officer of that function, designated as
Bailli) was the name which referred to the Grand-Judge (), charged with replacing temporarily the
Bailli () and
Sénéchal () in relation to legal cases.
Lieutenant-General of the Police The title of
Lieutenant-General of the Police () under the
Ancien Régime was established in 1667, at
Paris, to assure and maintain order. As of 1699, other Police Lieutenant-Generals were established in other grand cities in France.
Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom The title of
Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom referred to a temporary function which the Kings, in circumstances of crises, invested all their power in them to exercise their will or part of their royal authority. Charged with this function were: •
Charles V of France, from 1356 to 1358 during the captivity of his father
John II of France in England, •
Jean, Count of Tancarville, from April 24, 1361 after the captivity of his friend
John II of France in England, •
Charles VII of France, in 1417 was nominated to Lieutenant-General of the Kingdom at age 14, to replace his father King
Charles VI of France who became Mad, • Charles de Melun,
Grand Master of France who filled the function of the
Constable of France, decapitated on the place of Marché in
Petit-Andely on 20 August 1468, •
Francis, Duke of Guise from 1558 to 1560, •
Henry III of France in 1567, •
Charles, Duke of Mayenne in 1589, •
Cardinal Armand Jean du Plessis,
Duke of Richelieu and Fronsac in 1629, •
Joseph Bonaparte, Lieutenant-General of the Empire in 1814, •
The Count of Artois in 1814, •
The Duke of Orléans on 31 July 1830, who assured the régence to count from 2 August, before being proclaimed King of the French under the name of Louis Philippe I on 9 August 1830.
Lieutenant-General of the Armies The rank of
Lieutenant-General of the Armies for the Army, and
Lieutenant-General of the Naval Armies for the
French Navy, was an elevated rank in the military hierarchy of the
Ancien Régime, inaccessible to a commoner. It was junior only to the
Marshals of France () and
Colonel-Generals of France (), for the
French Army, and the
Admirals of France () and
Vice-Admirals of France (), for the
Navy, not titles of
military rank (), but
Great Officers of the Crown of France (), a dignity both honorific and lucrative. The rank of Lieutenant-General of France was the succeeding equivalent rank of a
général de division and the Lieutenant-General of the Naval Armies the succeeding equivalent of a
Vice-Admiral of the actual époque. The ranks of Lieutenant-General of the Armies were renamed as
Général de Division and
Vice-Amiral (
Vice-Admiral) in 1791. In 1814, the rank of
Général de division was renamed as
Lieutenant-General of the Armies, before definitely being referred to as
Général officer corps in 1848. The rank of
Général de corps d'armée wasn't officially adopted until 1939, along with 5 other
French Armed Forces ranks which included 1
Général d'armée rank, 2
Aerial general officer ranks of the
French Air Force and 2
Admiral ranks of the
French Navy. == See also ==