HARCOURT, a noble French family which took its name from the village of Harcourt (Eure), and traces its origin back to the 11th century. The fief of Harcourt was raised to a count ship in 1338, and passed in the 15th century, by a marriage, into the house of Lorraine. HENRI DE LORRAINE, COMTE D'HARCOURT (1601-1666), nicknamed Cadet la perle, fought in Italy against Spain in 1639, and captured Turin. He took sides with Conde in the Fronde, but made his submission in The most distinguished among the younger branches of the family are those of Montgomery and of Beuvron. To the former belonged Jean d'Harcourt (d. 1452), bishop of Amiens and Tour nai, archbishop of Narbonne and patriarch of Antioch ; and Guillaume d'Harcourt, count of Tancarville, and viscount of Melun (d. 1487), who was head of the administration of the woods and forests in the royal domain.
From the branch of the marquises of Beuvron sprang Henri d'Harcourt, marshal of France, and ambassador at the Spanish court, who was made duke of Harcourt (1700) and a peer of France (1709) ; also Francois Eugene Gabriel, count, and after wards duke, of Harcourt, who was ambassador first in Spain, and later at Rome, and died in 1865.
The English family of Harcourts trace their descent to No de Har court, son of William de Harcourt who acquired English land at the date of the Conquest.
See G. A. de la Rogne, Histoire genealogique de la maison d'Harcourt (4 vols., 1662) ; P. Anselme, Histoire genealogique de la maison de France, v. 114, etc. ; and Dom le Noir, Preuves genealogiques et his toriques de la maison de Harcourt (1907) ; and the HARCOURT PAPERS.