Frans Jordens

Frans Jordens (25 May 1769 - 30 July 1850) was a Brunanter military officer, statesman and diplomat.

Early career
Born in Nieuw Helmond, Jordens joined the Royal Guard in 1790 and eventually became a lieutenant in 1798. He did not support the military Coup of 1800 and on 16 February 1800, he was among the soldiers who freed James Carrington from the Adriankastel after he had been imprisoned by order of King Adrian II.

Following Carrington's harsh reprisals later that year, many officers were arrested and lost their ranks. Jordens was promoted to the rank of colonel in August 1800. When Carrington's health was deteriorating and his death was coming, Jordens pledged to fully support the new King Ambroos. He became a member of the newly-installed and non-elected House of Representatives from 1802-1816, where he led the fraction of old-royalists with Walter van der Ecke

From 1804-1811, he was military adviser to the king (Minister of the Military). An influential politician, he was able to sideline President David James Carrington. Jordens was an important figure in the Coup of 1809, which saw Carrington to be removed from office and van der Ecke to become President.

Military actions
In 1814, van der Ecke declared war on the French Empire and Jordens was sent to France and Spain, where he led the Brunanter troops with Ambroos during the War of the Sixth Coalition in a combined operation with Prussian troops. He later received the 1814 War Medal.

When in March 1815 Napoleon began his Hundred Days, Brunant quickly sent troops to France. Jordens was sent to command the Brunanter soldiers in the Neapolitan War in present-day Italy, where Joachim Murat had declared war on Austria. Jordens participated in several key battles and returned to Brunant as a hero.

Two Sicilies
From 1815-1823, he was ambassador to the newly-created formal Kingdom of the Two Sicilies. He arranged the marriage of Crown Prince Cristian and Princess Maria Francesca of Bourbon-Two Sicilies in 1821. When Cristian ascended the throne in 1823, Jordens briefly returned to Brunant where he served in his advisory council of ministers.

In 1823, Jordens was appointed Governor of Granovia, which was handed over to the Kingdom of Two Sicilies in 1816. He was removed from office in 1829 and returned to Brunant.

Later years
Jordens returned to the House of Representatives. He was created Baron Jordens in 1831. In 1838, he was a candidate to succeed van der Ecke as President, but he refused because of his old age. He later became lord chamberlain to King Cristian and educated his children, including future King Johan I. He died in 1850.

Personal life
Jordens was married to Maria Van Horst (1775-1820). They had three children, including a son who inherited Frans' noble title upon his death. In 1826, he remarried to Neapolitan-born Anna Adami. They had no children, but she had children from a previous marriage to a Sicilian colonel.