Charles Olivier de Saint-Georges de Vérac

Arrival of the French envoy to the States General of the Netherlands, Charles Olivier de St. Georges, Marquis de Vérac, on 24 April 1786 at the Theater on the Coolsingel in Rotterdam Charles Olivier de Saint-Georges, 4th Marquis of Vérac (10 October 1743 in Chateau of Couhé-Vérac – 28 October 1828) was a French military officer and diplomat of the French Ancien Régime.

Personal life Vérac (as he is commonly known in the historical literature) was the son of François Olivier de Saint-Georges de Vérac and Elisabeth Marie de Riencourt. His father, grandfather and great-grandfather were lieutenants général de Province of Poitou. He himself received that rank at age 10.

He married Marie Charlotte Joséphine Sabine de Croÿ d'Havré, the daughter of the Duke of Havré on 14 April 1760. They had the following children: Charles François Marie Joseph 1761–1763 Anne Louis Joseph César Olivier 1763–1838 Alphonse Christian Théodoric Joseph Olivier 1765 Anne Justine Elisabeth Joséphine 1767 Olivier Armand Maximilien François 1768–1858 Gabriel Louis Christian Joseph +1839

Career Vérac entered the Musketeers of the Guard in 1757. In 1761 he became Aide-de-camp of his father-in-law during the Seven Years' War. He was wounded in the arm at the Battle of Villinghausen by the same cannon ball that killed his father-in-law. Harris became the de facto leader of the Orangists. Both engaged in espionage and covert political operations against their political opponents. Vérac actively supported the aspirations of the "democratic" wing of the Patriots, latterly also against the Patriot regenten, when the two factions became each others enemies. During the Patriot Revolt of 1785-1787 Vérac financially supported the Free Corps that occasionally fought the Dutch States Army troops of the stadtholder. After the incident on 28 June 1787 of the arrest of Princess Wilhelmina, the spouse of the stadtholder, who was the sister of king Frederick William II of Prussia, a European diplomatic crisis developed. France tried to keep the Prussians and British at bay, while protecting its interests in the Dutch Republic. Unfortunately, the French foreign policy was in disarray after the death of minister Vergennes earlier in 1787. The new foreign minister Montmorin had a less sure hand. Also, there was a government crisis at the end of August, just when the Prussian invasion of Holland was imminent. The political maneuvering in France between the different factions undermined his position, as the chevalier de la Luzerne was angling for his job. Vérac was recalled on 20 August 1787. Montmorin assured him that there was no personal dissatisfaction with him, and that he would receive a pension while a new position was found for him. Vérac's biographer Michaud speculates that the recall was motivated by the fact that Vérac opposed the return of the stadtholder as military governor of The Hague (a post he had been deprived of by the States of Holland in 1786), Vérac spent his final years in his birthplace among his family. He died on 28 October 1818, just over 85 years old.

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