October 25, 1772 (Pont-à-Mousson) - May 23, 1813 (Niedermackersdorf, near Gôrlitz)
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- Portrait of Duroc
Of noble stock, Duroc left the school of ChâIons as a lieutenant in 1793. Sent to the army in Italy, he became Bonaparte's aide-de-camp there and, promoted to battalion commander, followed him to Egypt and settled there. distinguished himself on several occasions, notably at the siege of Saint-Jean d'Acre, where he was seriously injured. Back with Bonaparte on the Muiron, he was kept by the First Consul as aide-de-camp and promoted to brigadier general. Duroc is now the shadow of Bonaparte. When the Empire was proclaimed, he became governor of the imperial palace, grand officer of the Emperor's household, grand marshal of the palace. This did not prevent him from continuing to perform military duties:he commanded the grenadiers of the guard at Austerlitz in place of Oudinot, who was wounded, and directed a decisive concentration of artillery at Essling. He is also a diplomat, negotiates various treaties. Duke of Frioul since 1808, Duroc died with his legs broken by a cannonball near Würschen, in Silesia. The Emperor decides to transfer his remains to the Invalides, but circumstances mean that this order will not be carried out until May 5, 1847. The day after his death, Napoleon wrote to Marie-Louise:"I was very sad at the death of the Duc de Frioul. He has been my friend for twenty years. I have never had to complain of him, he has never given me anything but cause for consolation. It is an irreparable loss, the greatest I could do in the army." Duroc's name is inscribed on the Arc de Triomphe de l'Étoile.