Polignac

Polignac, Jules de, Prince, French statesman, was born in 1783 of an ancient lineage. His parents were driven from Paris in 1789, being rigid Royalists. Polignac organised a conspiracy against Napoleon in 1804, which failed, and he was arrested and condemned to death, but was respited through the intercession of Josephine, and suffered several years' imprisonment. On the restoration of Louis XVIII. he devoted himself to his service, and was made a Roman prince by the Pope. In 1823 he became ambassador to England, where he stayed six years, returning to Paris and assuming the position of premier under Charles X. His arbitrary conduct led to his downfall, and he fled, but was captured and again sentenced to death, which sentence was commuted. He was banished, but afterwards allowed to return to France, where he died in 1847.