NELIER, BARON DE (1730-1807), French diplomatist, was born at the château of Azay-le-Feron (Indre) on March 17, 1730. He served on embassies to Cologne, St. Petersburg (Leningrad), Stockholm, Vienna, Naples, and again Vienna, until he was re called in 1783 to become minister of the king's household. A close friend of Marie Antoinette, he presently came into collision with Calonne, who demanded his dismissal in 1787. His influence with the king and queen, especially with the latter, remained unshaken, and on Necker's dismissal on July i 1, 1789, Breteuil succeeded him as chief minister. The fall of the Bastille three days later put an end to the new ministry, and Breteuil made his way to Switzer land with the first party of émigrés. At Soleure, in Nov. 1790, he received from Louis XVI_ exclusive powers to negotiate with the European courts, and soon brought himself into opposition with his old rival Calonne, who held a chief place in their councils. After the failure of the flight to Varennes Breteuil received in structions from Louis XVI., designed to restore amicable relations with the princes. Foreign sovereigns looked on the comte de Provence as the natural representative of his brother and found a pretext for non-interference on Louis's behalf in the contra dictory statements of the negotiators. After the execution of Marie Antoinette he retired into private life near Hamburg, returning to France in 1802. He died in Paris on Nov. 2, 1807. See the memoirs of Bertrand de Molleville (1816) and of the marquis de Bouille (1884) ; and E. Daudet, Coblentz, (1889), forming part of his Hist. de l'emigration.