The title of Duke of Noailles was a French peerage created in 1663 for Anne de Noailles, Count of Ayen. History Noailles is the name of a prominent French noble family, derived from the castle of Noailles in the territory of Ayen, between Brive and Turenne in Limousin, and claiming to date back to the 11th century. The family did not obtain fame until the 16th century, when its head, Antoine de Noailles (1504–1562), became admiral of France and was ambassador in England during three important years (1553–1556), maintaining a gallant but unsuccessful rivalry with the Spanish ambassador, Simon Renard. Henri de Noailles (1554–1623), son of Antoine, was a commander in the religious wars and was made comte d'Ayen by Henry IV of France in 1593. Anne de Noailles (died 1678), the grandson of the first count, played an important part in the Fronde and the early years of the reign of Louis XIV, became captain-general of the newly-won province of Roussillon, and in 1663 was made Duke of Noailles and a peer of France. The sons of the first duke raised the family to its greatest fame. The eldest son, Anne Jules de Noailles (1650–1708), was one of the chief generals of France towards the end of the reign of Louis XIV. After raising the regiment of Noailles in 1689, he commanded in Spain during the War of the Spanish Succession and was made Marshal of France in 1693. A younger son, Louis Antoine de Noailles (1651–1729), was in 1695 made archbishop of Paris and hence also Duke of Saint-Cloud and peer of France in his own right, holding these high dignities until his death; he was made a cardinal in 1699. The name of Noailles continued to be prominent throughout the 18th century. Adrien Maurice (1678–1766), the third duke, served in all the most important wars of the reign of Louis XV in Italy and Germany, and became a marshal in 1734. His last command was in the War of the Austrian Succession, when he was beaten by the English at the battle of Dettingen in 1743. He married Françoise Charlotte d'Aubigné, a niece of Madame de Maintenon, and two of his sons also attained the rank of Marshal of France. The elder son of Adrien Maurice, Louis (1713–1793), who bore the title of duc d'Ayen until his father's death in 1766, when he became Duke of Noailles,