Invasion of the Azores
Governing Blaye proved to be a very expensive posting due to the requirements of financing the towns defence during a time of military preparations. After the defeat of the prior do Crato and his flight from Portugal in August 1580 (later arriving in France), the attention of Catherine and Lanssac's compatriot Strozzi turned towards the capture of the Azores. The maritime specialists of the court: Lanssac, Strozzi, the grand prévôt Richelieu (grand provost) and the baron de La Garde all began devising plans with the constable of Portugal. It was dreamed that the capture of the Azores would serve as a staging ground for anti-Spanish operations and further expansion into Brasil. By the spring of 1581 Lanssac had been tapped for involvement in this expedition.
In August 1581 Lanssac and the leader of the expedition to the Azores, Strozzi rendezvoused at the residence of Lanssac's father, the château de La Mothe-Saint-Héray.
Relations between Strozzi and Lanssac would collapse in the winter of 1581 after Lanssac was snubbed for the role of colonel of the troops by Strozzi (in favour of the sieur de Sainte-Souline). Le Roux argues that Strozzi had a lot riding on the expedition, and did not fancy the competition Lanssac would have offered. He further argues that Strozzi had a habit of being unfaithful to his friends, noting the similar alienation he induced with Brantôme. Lanssac complained to the lieutenant-général of Guyenne, the maréchal de Matignon. Lanssac further challenged Strozzi to a duel though this would not transpire, and would later defect from the expedition with his two compagnies of 600 gentilhomme.
Survivance of the governorship of Blaye for his son was promised to Lanssac in January 1579. Nevertheless, by the end of the year he had surrendered both the governorship of Blaye and the position of vice-amiral to the baron d'Hervault for an estimated sum of 80,000 livres. On 11 January 1580, Lanssac signs a statement declaring that henceforth he takes no responsibility for developments at Blaye. On 23 April his resignations from Blaye and Brouage were ratified by the king on the grounds of his indisposition due to the needs of war. Hervault would not be permitted to go through with the transaction as the king believed him too young (he was nineteen) and suspectable to influence. Thus it would not be until October 1581 that Lanssac actually sold the governorship of Blaye, this time to the seigneur de Lussan, a trusted man of the king. In return Lanssac received 10,000 écus directly from the king. Lussan inherited Blaye in a pathetic state, Lanssac having done little to maintain it during his hold of the governate. In an inventory drawn up in 1583 after the handover it was assessed that the fortress town contained one cannon, six arquebuses and twenty seven halberds.
After surrendering these responsibilities under royal pressure, Lanssac was left with only the family government of Bourg-sur-Gironde.
The king's frustration at Lanssac had been furthered by the fact the noble had again raised soldiers on his own initiative with an aim to seizing Saint-Jean-d'Angély by surprise, campaigning in the area around the city. He had gone as far as to establish lines of communication with the Catholics of the city. Under pressure from the prince de Condé, Henri had disavowed Lanssac's actions in December 1581. This episode may have combined in the king's mind with the fact Lanssac had not ceased his treasonous schemes as regarded Spain.
Having fled from court, the disgraced royal favourite, the seigneur de Saint-Luc established himself at his governate of Brouage and wrote to the royal court begging for forgiveness and promising to serve the king well. In addition to this he endeavoured to form connections in the south-west and reached out to Lanssac (according to a letter from the latter to the maréchal de Matignon in January 1582). Saint-Luc also endeavoured to employ his military experience for the service of the king's brother the duc d'Alençon. Dealing with the king's brother only enraged Henri further.
Concurrent to this Catherine worked to smooth over relations between Strozzi and Lanssac. In January 1582 she had tasked the bishop of Dax with calming things between the two men. Nevertheless, it was reported in May 1582 that Lanssac had exchanged bitter words with the commander and was in a state of disgrace at court. Henri settled the matter in favour of Strozzi, with Lanssac not receiving the commission he desired as colonel.
In May 1582, the baron d'Arques (future duc de Joyeuse) received the appointment of amiral de France (the most senior naval post). In June Arques established his cousin de Chaste as commander of the armée de mer (army of the sea). The appointment of de Chaste to this office was a considerable frustration for Lanssac, who, in his capacity as vice-amiral de Guyenne fancied the posting for himself. His embitterment at this snub was one of the factors that would drive him towards the Catholic ligue.
Lanssac's frustrated appeal to Matignon to deliver him justice as regarded the Azores expedition yielded him nothing. In the appeal, he noted that he had 'served and loved' Strozzi for eighteen years. He further cited his need to fulfil an action appropriate of his status in society and secure royal favour. Matignon was unmoved by all of Lanssac's arguments. Indeed, he had the soldiers Lanssac had raised dismissed. By June the invasion fleet was finally assembled at Belle-Île under the command of the comte de Brissac. The force would seize Madeira, and then Brissac would head to Cape Verde while Strozzi made an attack against Brasil. The expedition was a disaster, crushed by the Spanish at Ponta Delgada, Strozzi was taken by the Spanish commander the marqués de Santa Cruz (marquis of Santa-Cruz) and executed. With the destruction of the expedition, came the death of the prospects of the prior do Crato to assume a place on the Portuguese throne. Alongside the arrival of news of the defeat of the expedition came word that Henri intended for de Chaste to take charge of the planned counter-stroke against the Spanish, rather than Lanssac.
