Claude d'Annebault (1495 – 2 November 1552) was a French military officer; Marshal of France (1538–52);

Admiral of France Admiral of France (french: Amiral de France) is a French title of honour. It is the naval equivalent of Marshal of France and was one of the Great Officers of the Crown of France. History The title was created in 1270 by Louis IX of France, du ...

(1543–1552); and Governor of Piedmont in 1541. He led the

French invasion of the Isle of Wight The French invasion of the Isle of Wight occurred during the Italian Wars in July 1545. The invasion was repulsed. France had a long history of attacking the Isle of Wight, and the 1545 campaign proved to be the last time to date that the F ...

in 1545. Annebault was governor of

Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...

and a very powerful figure during the reign of King Francis. Claude was a commissioner for the Anglo-French Treaty of

Ardres Ardres (; vls, Aarden, lang; pcd, Arde) is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. Geography Ardres is located 10.1 mi by rail (station is at Pont-d'Ardres, a few km from Ardres) S.S.E. of Calais, with which it is als ...

, also known as the Treaty of Camp, which was signed on 7 June 1546 and a step towards the conclusion of the

Italian War of 1542–1546 The Italian War of 1542–1546 was a conflict late in the Italian Wars, pitting Francis I of France and Suleiman the Magnificent, Suleiman I of the Ottoman Empire against the Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Hen ...

. After a delay which the English found frustrating, Claude then visited England as a special ambassador for the peace treaty 20–30 August 1546. Four cannon at

Walmer Castle Walmer Castle is an artillery fort originally constructed by Henry VIII of England, Henry VIII in Walmer, Kent, between 1539 and 1540. It formed part of the King's Device Forts, Device programme to protect against invasion from France and the H ...

burst while firing his salute. Claude wrote from London to his ally,

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (french: Marie de Guise; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was a French noblewoman of the House of Guise, a cadet branch of the House of Lorraine and one of the most powerful families in France. She ...

, in Scotland on 28 August, explaining his difficulties in forwarding their mutual interest.

Family

Claude married Françoise Tournemine, daughter and heiress of George, sieur de la Hunaudaye. Their only son Jean was an hostage for the

Treaty of Boulogne The Rough Wooing (December 1543 – March 1551), also known as the Eight Years' War, was part of the Anglo-Scottish Wars of the 16th century. Following its break with the Roman Catholic Church, England attacked Scotland, partly to break the ...

which ended the war in Scotland in April 1550. Jean was invited to the court of

Edward VI of England Edward VI (12 October 1537 – 6 July 1553) was King of England and Ireland from 28 January 1547 until his death in 1553. He was crowned on 20 February 1547 at the age of nine. Edward was the son of Henry VIII and Jane Seymour and the first En ...

on 23 April to see the Garter Knight's communion and took part in a tournament to entertain the French ambassadors on 25 May. After the conditions of the peace were fulfilled, Jean left for Calais on 8 August 1550.Jordan, W. K., ''The Chronicle and Political Papers of Edward VI'', George Unwin & Allen, London (1966), 22, 25, 26, 32, 36, 43. Jean d'Annebault was killed at the

battle of Dreux The Battle of Dreux was fought on 19 December 1562 between Catholics and Huguenots. The Catholics were led by Anne de Montmorency while Louis I, Prince of Condé, led the Huguenots. Though commanders from both sides were captured, the French Cat ...

in 1562.

In popular culture

In the TV series ''

The Tudors ''The Tudors'' is a historical fiction television series set primarily in 16th-century England, created and written by Michael Hirst and produced for the American premium cable television channel Showtime. The series was a collaboration among ...

'', Claude is played by Kenneth Collard.

References

1495 births 1552 deaths Admirals of France Military leaders of the Italian Wars French military leaders French Ministers of Finance {{France-mil-bio-stub