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What family background did the Marquis de Lafayette have in France?

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The Marquis de Lafayette was born into an ancient noble family in the Auvergne region of central France in 1757.1

Orphaned in his early teens, he had already inherited an immense fortune by the time he married Adrienne de Noailles in 1774. His wife was the daughter of the influential duc d’Ayen, which connected him to high-ranking circles at the court of King Louis XVI. Despite his aristocratic status and strong ties to the ruling royal family, he became a prominent leader of the liberal aristocrats during the French Revolution.1