He was the second son of Louis de Noailles, 4th Duke of Noailles and Catherine Françoise Charlotte de Cossé-Brissac.

His maternal grandparents were Charles Timoléon Louis de Cossé, 6th Duke of Brissac and Catherine Madeleine Pecoil.

[2] He served as ambassador to Hamburg from 1768 to 1770, to Amsterdam from 1770 to 1776, to London 1776–1783, and to Vienna 1783–1792.

Lafayette visited him, in 1776, before embarking for America, as he promised.

As his elder brother, the 5th Duke, died without male issue in 1824, the dukedom passed to Emmanuel's grandson, 22 year-old Paul de Noailles, who became the 6th Duke of Noailles.