Charles, Duke of Vendôme

About Charles, Duke of Vendôme

Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme was a French soldier, governor, prince du sang and courtier during the reigns of King Louis XII and King Francis I. Charles was the son of Francis, Count of Vendôme, and Marie of Luxembourg. Beginning his military career in the Italian Wars of Louis XII, he saw service at the crushing French victory of Agnadello in 1509 and the capture of Genoa in 1507. With the death of the King Louis XII in 1515, he continued his service under King Francis. He was rewarded with the elevation of the County of Vendôme to the rank of the Duchy of Vendôme, and he was also made governor of the Île de France. He joined the king for his first Italian campaign in 1515. He thus participated in the Battle of Marignano. Returning to France, he traded his government of the Île de France for that of Picardy in 1519. It would be in Picardy he saw most of his military service for the rest of his life. He participated in the northern campaigns against the Holy Roman Empire first, then against England in 1521 and 1522, respectively. In 1523, his cousin, Charles III, Duke of Bourbon, defected to the Imperial cause. The king feared Vendôme might follow him in his treason and recalled him from Picardy. Thus Louis II, vicomte de Thouars, led the campaign in the north in 1523. The Duke of Vendôme, having proven his loyalty, was soon permitted to return north, and he played a role, alongside Thouars, in combatting the Chevauchée of the Duke of Suffolk that was threatening Paris in the Autumn. In late 1524, the king departed France to conquer Milan. His campaign ended in disaster at the Battle of Pavia, at which he was captured.