Villiers (noble family)
Villiers is the name of an originally French aristocratic family that was divided into different branches of the family in the Middle Ages and modern times .
The family is originally from a family of Vikings who in the wake of Rollo in Normandy settled. The family quickly gained local importance in the border area to Île-de-France , in the town of L'Isle-Adam the family built their ancestral castle . "Villiers de l'Isle-Adam" is the name of the oldest branch of the family that still exists today.
Known family members
French branch
- Jean de Villiers († 1294), Grand Master of the Order of Malta
- Philippe de Villiers de l'Isle-Adam (1464–1534), Grand Master of the Order of Malta
- Louis de Villiers de l'Isle-Adam (1497–1521), Bishop of Beauvais
- Charles de Villiers de l'Isle-Adam (1522–1530), Bishop of Limoges
- Auguste de Villiers de L'Isle-Adam (1838-1889), writer
- Philippe de Villiers (* 1949), politician
- Pierre de Villiers (* 1956), former chief of the French general staff
Seigneurs of l'Isle-Adam
- Pierre Villiers de L'Isle-Adam , († 1386), Grand Master of France
- Jean de Villiers de L'Isle-Adam (1384–1437), Marshal of France
English branch
Guelf de Villiers followed William the Conqueror to England and thus founded the English branch of the family that rose to peers . He received the title Duke of Buckingham and the titles Earl of Clarendon and Earl of Jersey in 1623 .
Dukes and Earls of Buckingham
- George Villiers, 1st Duke of Buckingham (1592–1628)
- George Villiers, 2nd Duke of Buckingham (1628–1687)
Earls of Clarendon
- Thomas Villiers, 1st Earl of Clarendon (1709–1786)
- Thomas Villiers, 2nd Earl of Clarendon (1753-1824)
- John Charles Villiers, 3rd Earl of Clarendon (1757–1838)
- George Villiers, 4th Earl of Clarendon (1800–1870)
- Edward Hyde Villiers, 5th Earl of Clarendon (1846-1914)
- George Herbert Hyde Villiers, 6th Earl of Clarendon (1877–1955), Governor General of the Union of South Africa
- George Frederick Laurence Hyde Villiers, 7th Earl of Clarendon (* 1933)
Other family members
- Barbara Villiers (1640–1709), Duchess of Cleveland, mistress of King Charles II of England .
- Elizabeth Villiers (1657–1733), Countess of Orkney, mistress of the English King William III.
- Frances Villiers (1753–1821), Countess of Jersey, mistress of the British King George IV.
- Theresa Villiers (* 1968), Conservative Party politician , former Minister for Northern Ireland
South African branch
In 1661, the French government under Louis XIV initiated a large-scale systematic persecution of Protestants that was linked to conversion and missionary activities . Because the de Villiers were Huguenots , many family members fled France from persecution. Paul de Villiers emigrated to Cape Town in 1666 and thus founded the South African branch of the family. Various family members achieved high political offices in the South African government in the 20th century.
- Baron de Villiers
- Graaff Baronets (De Villiers Graaff)