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The house of la Croix de Castries ([la kʁwa də kastʁ]) is a French noble family from Languedoc. The city of Castries in the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia was named after one of its members.
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History
Their heraldic shield is "azure, on a cross, or". Family tradition holds that one of the family's members was saint Roch, the pilgrim apostle who dedicated his life to the service of the sick and plague-victims in the 13th century. The La Croix de Castries family, however, was not ennobled until the end of the 15th century, as Nobles of the Sword. It was admitted to the honours of court in 1744, 1753, 1776, and 1786.
Duc de Castries
The title of duc de Castries was conferred by brevet in 1784, with the promise that the title duc de Guines would revert to them, to Armand Charles Augustin de La Croix de Castries. Under the Bourbon Restoration, on 4 June 1817 he was re-created duc de Castries et Pair de France.
The ducal title, fallen into disuse due to the death of the third duke without issue, was re-created as a courtesy title in 1907 by René Edmond Marie Gabriel de La Croix de Castries (1842–1913), comte de Castries, an old diplomat belonging to a cadet branch of the family.
Notable members of the family
The house of Castries has included a marshal of France, a navy minister, several lieutenant generals and major generals, knights knighted by the king, and masters of the royal bedchamber.
By year of birth, notable members are: