Charles, Duke of Vendôme

A portrait of Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Vendome.

Charles was born at the Château de Vendôme, eldest son of Francis de Bourbon, Count of Vendôme and Marie of Luxembourg.[1][2]

Charles succeeded his father as Count of Vendôme in 1495. Charles's first military service was in Italy, under King Louis XII of France. In 1514, he was created Duke of Vendôme when the county of Vendôme was elevated into a duchy.[3] He fought at the Battle of Marignano (1515)[4] and participated in the Flemish campaign. Because of his loyalty to the King, he was appointed head of the council when King Francis I was captured at the Battle of Pavia.[5]

On 18 May 1513, Charles married Françoise d'Alençon,[6] eldest daughter of René, Duke of Alençon[7] and Margaret of Lorraine. They had:

1. Louis de Bourbon (1514–1516), died in infancy.
2. Marie de Bourbon (1515–1538), unmarried, prospective bride of King James V of Scotland in 1536.
3. Marguerite de Bourbon (1516–1559), married in 1538, Francis I, Duke of Nevers (1516–1561)[7]
4. Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme (1518–1562),[2] King of Navarre through his marriage (jure uxoris) in 1548 to Queen Jeanne III.
5. François de Bourbon, Count of Enghien (1519–1546), unmarried.
6. Madeleine de Bourbon (1521–1561), Abbess of Sainte-Croix de Poitiers.
7. Louis de Bourbon (1522–1525), died in infancy.
8. Charles de Bourbon (1523–1590), Archbishop of Rouen[8]
9. Catherine de Bourbon (1525–1594), Abbess of Soissons.
10. Renée de Bourbon (1527–1583), Abbess of Chelles.
11. Jean de Bourbon, Count of Soissons and Enghien (1528–1557), married in 1557, his first cousin, Marie, Duchess of Estouteville (1539–1601)[8]
12. Louis I de Bourbon, Prince of Condé (1530–1569),[9] married in 1551 with Eléonore de Roye, daughter of Charles de Roye, Count of Royce then in 1565 with Francoise d'Orléans-Longueville.
13. Léonore de Bourbon (1532–1611), Abbess of Fontevraud.

• Boltanski, Ariane (2006). Les Ducs de Nevers et L'etat Royal: Genese d'un compromis (ca.1550 - ca 1600) (in French). Librairie Droz S.A.
• Busby, Keith; Freeman, M.J.; Houppermans, Sjef; Pelckmans, Paul, eds. (1993). Les Manuscrits de Chrétien de Troyes. Vol. 2. Rodopi.
• Holt, Mack P. (1999). The French Wars of Religion, 1562-1629. Cambridge University Press.
• Knecht, R.J. (1982). Francis I. Cambridge University Press.
• Pitts, Vincent J. (2009). Henri IV of France: His Reign and Age. Johns Hopkins University Press.
• Potter, David (1993). War and Government in the French Provinces, Picardy 1470-1560. Cambridge University Press.
• Potter, David (1995). A History of France, 1460-1560. St. Martin's Press.
• Shennan, J. H. (2007). The Bourbons: The History of a Dynasty. Bloomsbury Academic.