CHARLES JOSEPH, COMTE DE (1785-187o), French general and statesman, son of Alexandre Scbastien de Flahaut de la Bil larderie, Comte de Flahaut, beheaded at Arras in February and his wife Adelaide Filleul, afterwards Mme. de Souza (q.v.), was born in Paris on April 21, 1785. Charles de Flahaut was generally recognized to be the offspring of his mother's liaison with Talleyrand, with whom he was closely connected throughout his life. His mother took him with her into exile in 1792, and they remained abroad until 1798. He entered the army as a volunteer in 1800, and received his commission after the battle of Marengo. He became aide-de-camp to Murat, and was wounded at Landbach in 1805. At Warsaw he met Anne Ponia towski, Countess Potocka, with whom he became intimate. He served at Friedland (1807), in Spain (18o8), and then in Ger many. Meanwhile the Countess Potocka had established herself in Paris, but Charles de Flahaut was now the lover of Hortense de Beauharnais, queen of Holland by whom he had a son, known later as the duc de Morny (q.v.) . Flahaut fought in the Russian campaign of 1812, and in 1813 became general of brigade, aide de-camp to the emperor, and, after the battle of Leipzig, general of division. After Napoleon's abdication in 1814 he was placed on the retired list. The Hundred Days brought him into active service again. A mission to Vienna to secure the return of Marie Louise resulted in failure. He was saved from exile by Talley rand's influence, but was placed under police surveillance. Pres ently he settled in England, where he married Margaret Elphin stone, afterward Baroness Keith in her own right. The French ambassador opposed the marriage, and Flahaut resigned his com mission. His eldest daughter, Emily Jane, married Henry, 4th marquess of Lansdowne. The Flahauts returned to France in 1827, and in 183o Flahaut was made a peer of France. He re mained intimately associated with Talleyrand's policy, and was, for a short time in 1831, ambassador at Berlin. He was after wards attached to the household of the duke of Orleans, and in 1841 was sent as ambassador to Vienna, where he remained until 1848, when he was dismissed and retired from the army. After the coup d'etat of 1851 he was again actively employed, and from 186o to 1862 was ambassador at the court of St. James. He died on Sept. 1, 187o. The comte de Flahaut is perhaps better remembered for his exploits in gallantry, and the elegant man ners in which he had been carefully trained by his mother, than for his public services, which were not, however, so inconsiderable as they have sometimes been represented to be.