François de Guise

See also: François of Lorraine

François Ier of Lorraine , (February 24th 1519, Bar-le-Duc - February 24th 1563, Cernay, commune of Saint-Pryvé-Saint-Mesmin or Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Mesmin, Loiret), 2nd Duke of Own way (1520 - 1563), count, then Duke of Even Aumale and of France, Marquis de Mayenne, baron, then Prince de Joinville, great chamberlain and large huntsman.

Oldest son of Claude of Lorraine. Born with the castle from Bar in 1519. He marries the April 29th 1548 Anne d' Este, girl of Hercules II of Este, duke of Ferrare, of Modena and Reggio, and Renee de France, therefore grand-daughter of Louis XII.

He takes share in 1545 with the Siège of Boulogne against the English, during which he is seriously wounded, from where its nickname of " balafré". War leader of a great audacity, named governor of Metz by Henri II, king de France, it resists victoriously in Metz besieged Charles Quint emperor of the Saint Germanic Roman Empire and the seat of Metz in 1552 obliges it to raise. In 1556 - 1557, it takes the head of the forwarding which, in Italy, vainly tries to take again Naples with the Spanish . On its return, it is named general lieutenant of the kingdom and takes again Calais with the English in 1558.

Under the reign of Henri II, the duke of Own way forms with his family a hostile party in Montmorency. The catch of Calais and the marriage of his/her niece Marie Stuart with the François dolphin in 1558, eclipse temporarily the constable of the royal favor. When Henri II dies, François II, husband of his niece, goes up on the throne. The young king lets the uncles of his wife control. François de Guise and his brother, the cardinal of Lorraine, true political head of the family, become the Masters of the kingdom. The family of the Own way is with the height of her power. Enthusiastic defender of the Catholicism, the duke of Own way makes repress in a blood bath, in 1560, the Conjuration of Amboise, secretly constant by Louis, prince de Condé.

The death of François II, in December 1560, draws aside the duke of Own way and his party of the court and the capacity. Violently opposed to the new policy of tolerance carried out by Catherine de Médicis, authorizing officially the worship reformed, it causes, on March 1st 1562 a massacre with Wassy in Champagne, during which 23 Protestants who celebrated their worship in a barn are killed and 100 wounded by its people. This massacre causes a catch of weapons of the Protestants and starts the first war of religion. Winner of the Huguenots to Rouen, in October 1562, and with Dreux, in December of the same year, it tries to take again Orleans when it is assassinated the February 18th 1563 of a blow of gun by a Protestant gentleman, Jean de Poltrot de Méré, an influential chief of the Parti protesting. After its death, the calm cost for some time in the kingdom.

François de Guise and Anne d' Este had seven children, including four which marked their time:

Henri Ier the gash (1550 † 1588), duke of Own way,
Catherine Marie (1552 † 1596), married in 1570 with Louis de Bourbon (1513 † 1582), duke of Montpensier,
Charles (1554 † 1611), duke of Mayenne,
Louis (1555 † 1588), cardinal of Own way,
Antoine (1557 † 1560),
François (1559 † 1573),
Maximilien (1562 † 1567).

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