Claude de Lorraine, Duke of Guise (20 October 1496 – 12 April 1550) was a French aristocrat and general. He became the first

Duke of Guise Count of Guise and Duke of Guise ( , ) were titles in the French nobility. Originally a Fiefdom, seigneurie, in 1417 Guise was erected into a county for René I of Naples, René, a younger son of Louis II of Anjou. While disputed by the House of ...

in 1528. He was a highly effective general for the French crown. His children and grandchildren were to lead the Catholic party in the

French Wars of Religion The French Wars of Religion were a series of civil wars between French Catholic Church, Catholics and Protestantism, Protestants (called Huguenots) from 1562 to 1598. Between two and four million people died from violence, famine or disease di ...

Biography

Claude was born at the Château de Condé-sur-Moselle, the second son of René II, Duke of Lorraine, and Philippa of Guelders. He was educated at the French court of Francis I. On 9 June 1513, at the age of sixteen, Claude married Antoinette de Bourbon (1493–1583), daughter of François, Count of Vendôme.

Military service

Claude distinguished himself at the Battle of Marignano (1515), and was long in recovering from the twenty-two wounds he received in the battle. In 1521, he fought at Fuenterrabia, and

Louise of Savoy Louise of Savoy (11 September 1476 – 22 September 1531) was a French noble and regent, Duchess ''suo jure'' of Auvergne (province), Auvergne and House of Bourbon, Bourbon, Duchess of Nemours and the mother of King Francis I of France, Francis I ...

ascribed the capture of the place to his efforts. In 1522, he forced the English to raise the siege of Hesdin. In 1523, he became governor of

Champagne Champagne (; ) is a sparkling wine originated and produced in the Champagne wine region of France under the rules of the appellation, which demand specific vineyard practices, sourcing of grapes exclusively from designated places within it, spe ...

and

Burgundy Burgundy ( ; ; Burgundian: ''Bregogne'') is a historical territory and former administrative region and province of east-central France. The province was once home to the Dukes of Burgundy from the early 11th until the late 15th century. ...

, after defeating at Neufchâteau the imperial troops who had invaded this province. In 1525, Claude defeated a peasant army near

Saverne Saverne (, ; Alsatian language, Alsatian: ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the Bas-Rhin departments of France, department in Grand Est in north-eastern France. It is situated on the Rhine-Marne canal at the foot of a mountain pass, pass ...

(Zabern). Following Francis I's return from captivity, Claude was made

in 1527. The Guises, as cadets of the sovereign

House of Lorraine The House of Lorraine () originated as a cadet branch of the House of Metz. It inherited the Duchy of Lorraine in 1473 after the death without a male heir of Nicholas I, Duke of Lorraine. By the marriage of Francis of Lorraine to Maria Ther ...

and descendants of the

Capetian House of Anjou The Capetian House of Anjou, or House of Anjou-Sicily, or House of Anjou-Naples was a royal house and cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. It is one of three separate royal houses referred to as ''Angevin'', meaning "from Anjou" in France. Foun ...

, claimed precedence over the Bourbon, princes of Condé, and Conti.

Marriage and issue

Claude married Antoinette de Bourbon, daughter of François, Count of Vendôme and Marie de Luxembourg, on 9 June 1513; they had: *

Mary of Guise Mary of Guise (; 22 November 1515 – 11 June 1560), also called Mary of Lorraine, was List of Scottish royal consorts, Queen of Scotland from 1538 until 1542, as the second wife of King James V. She was a French people, French noblewoman of the ...

(1515–1560); married firstly Louis II d'Orléans, Duke of Longueville and secondly king

James V of Scotland James V (10 April 1512 – 14 December 1542) was List of Scottish monarchs, King of Scotland from 9 September 1513 until his death in 1542. He was crowned on 21 September 1513 at the age of seventeen months. James was the son of King James IV a ...

and had issue, including

Mary, Queen of Scots Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was List of Scottish monarchs, Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication in 1567. The only surviving legit ...

* Francis, Duke of Guise (1519–1563) * Louise of Guise (10 January 1520,

Bar-le-Duc Bar-le-Duc (), formerly known as Bar, is a commune in the Meuse département, of which it is the capital. The department is in Grand Est in northeastern France. The lower, more modern and busier part of the town extends along a narrow valley, ...

– 18 October 1542); married Charles I, Duke of Arschot on 20 February 1541. * Renée of Guise (2 September 1522 – 3 April 1602), Abbess of St. Pierre,

Reims Reims ( ; ; also spelled Rheims in English) is the most populous city in the French Departments of France, department of Marne (department), Marne, and the List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, 12th most populous city in Fran ...

* Charles of Guise (1524–1574),

Duke of Chevreuse Duke of Chevreuse ( French ''Duc de Chevreuse'') was a French title of nobility, elevated from the barony of Chevreuse in 1545. History The duchy of Chevreuse was originally created for Jean de Brosse, Duc d'Étampes, it was transferred in 155 ...

Archbishop of Reims The Archdiocese of Reims or Rheims (; French language, French: ''Archidiocèse de Reims'') is a Latin Church ecclesiastic territory or archdiocese of the Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese around 250 by Sixtus of Reims, the diocese w ...

, and Cardinal of Lorraine. * Claude, Duke of Aumale (1526–1573) * Louis I, Cardinal of Guise (1527–1578) * Philip of Guise (3 September 1529,

Joinville Joinville () is the largest city in Santa Catarina (state), Santa Catarina, in the Southern Brazil, Southern Region of Brazil. It is the third largest municipality in the southern region of Brazil, after the much larger state capitals of Curitib ...

– 24 September 1529, Joinville) died in early childhood. * Peter of Guise (b. 3 April 1530, Joinville); died at birth. * Antoinette of Guise (31 August 1531, Joinville – 6 March 1561, Joinville), Abbess of Faremoutiers * François de Lorraine, Grand Prior (18 April 1534, Joinville – 6 March 1563) * René, Marquis of Elbeuf (1536–1566) By an unnamed mistress, Claude had: *son

Death

Claude fell ill in 1550, and despite being under the care of five doctors, died on 12 April. File:Antoinette de Bourbon Limousin.jpg, Antoinette de Bourbon File:Attributed to Corneille de Lyon - Mary of Guise, 1515 - 1560. Queen of James V - Google Art Project.jpg, Queen-consort Mary of Scots File:Francois de Lorraine.JPG, Duke Francis of Guise File:Cardinal de Lorraine.jpg, Cardinal Charles of Lorraine File:Mary Stuart Queen.jpg, Queen Mary of Scots

Ancestry

Notes

References

*45 * * * * * * , - , - {{DEFAULTSORT:Guise, Claude, Duke of 1496 births 1550 deaths People from Meurthe-et-Moselle Military leaders of the Italian Wars 101 Marquesses of Elbeuf Counts of Aumale Counts of Guise Claude 16th-century French military personnel Grand huntsmen of France Claude Claude