Charles d'Albert, duc de Luynes (August 5, 1578 - December 15, 1621), was
constable of FranceThe Constable of France , as the First Officer of the Crown, was one of the original five Great Officers of the Crown of France and Commander in Chief of the army...
and the first duke of Luynes.
He was the first son of Honoré d'Albert (d. 1592),
seigneur de Luynes, who was in the service of the three last
ValoisThe House of Valois The House of Valois The House of Valois ( was a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty, succeeding the House of Capet (or 'Direct Capetians') as kings of France from 1328 to 1589...
kings and of
Henry IV of FranceHenry IV was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was the first monarch of the Bourbon branch of the Capetian dynasty in France. His parents were Queen Jeanne III and King Antoine of Navarre.As a Huguenot, Henry was involved in the Wars of Religion before...
.
Charles was brought up at court and attended the dauphin, later
Louis XIIILouis XIII reigned as King of France and Navarre from 1610 to 1643.-Early life, 1601—1610:Born at the Château de Fontainebleau, Louis XIII was the eldest child of Henry IV of France and Marie de' Medici . As son of the king, he was a Fils de France, and as the eldest son, the Dauphin...
. The king shared his fondness for hunting and rapidly advanced him in favour. In 1615 he was appointed commander of the
LouvreThe Musée du Louvre or officially the Grand Louvre — in English, the Louvre Museum or Great Louvre, or simply the Louvre — is the largest national museum of France, the most visited museum in the world, and a historic monument. It is a central landmark of Paris, located on the Right Bank of the...
and counsellor, and the following year
Grand FalconerGrand Falconer may refer to:* Grand Falconer of France* Hereditary Grand Falconer of England, title of the Duke of St Albans...
of
FranceFrance , officially the French Republic , is a country located in Western Europe, with several overseas islands and territories located on other continents. Metropolitan France extends from the Mediterranean Sea to the English Channel and the North Sea, and from the Rhine to the Atlantic Ocean...
. He used his influence over the king in the court intrigues against the queen-mother
Marie de' MediciMarie de Médici , was queen consort of France. She was the second wife of King Henry IV of France, of the Bourbon branch of the kings of France...
and her favourite
ConciniConcino Concini, Count della Penna, Marquis and Maréchal d'Ancre , was an Italian politician, best known for being a minister of Louis XIII of France, as the favourite of his mother....
. It was Luynes who, with
VitryVitry is part of the name of several communes in France:* Vitry-aux-Loges, in the Loiret département* Vitry-en-Artois, in the Pas-de-Calais département* Vitry-en-Charollais, in the Saône-et-Loire département...
, captain of the guard, arranged the plot that ended in Concini's assassination (1617) and secured all the latter's possessions in
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
and France.
In the same year he was appointed captain of the
BastilleThe Bastille was a fortress-prison in Paris, known formally as Bastille Saint-Antoine—Number 232, Rue Saint-Antoine—best known today because of the storming of the Bastille on 14 July 1789, which along with the Tennis Court Oath is considered the beginning of the French Revolution. The event was...
and lieutenant-general of
NormandyNormandy is a geographical region corresponding to the former Duchy of Normandy. It is situated along the English Channel coast of Northern France between Brittany and Picardy and comprises territory in northern France and the Channel Islands.Normandy is divided between French and British...
, and married Marie de Rohan, daughter of the duke of Montbazon. He employed extreme measures against the
pamphletA pamphlet is an unbound booklet . It may consist of a single sheet of paper that is printed on both sides and folded in half, in thirds, or in fourths , or it may consist of a few pages that are folded in half and stapled at the crease to make a simple book...
eers of the time, but sought peace in Italy and with the Protestants. In 1619 he negotiated the
Treaty of AngoulêmeThe Treaty of Angoulême was signed on August 10, 1619 between Queen Marie de Medici and her son, King Louis XIII of France in Angoulême, France. The accord was negotiated by Charles de Luynes and it officially ended the civil war in France between supporters of Queen Marie and supporters of King...
by which Marie de' Medici was accorded complete liberty. He was made governor of
PicardyThis article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France. The historical capital and largest city is Amiens....
in 1619; suppressed an uprising of nobles in 1620; and in 1621, with slight military ability or achievement, was appointed
constable of FranceThe Constable of France , as the First Officer of the Crown, was one of the original five Great Officers of the Crown of France and Commander in Chief of the army...
.
His rapid rise to power made him a host of enemies, who looked upon him as but a second Concini. In order to justify his newly-won laurels, Luynes undertook an expedition against the Protestants, but died of a fever in the midst of the campaign, at
Longueville-Places:*Longueville, New South Wales is a suburb of Sydney, Australia.Communes in France:*Longueville, in the Calvados département*Longueville, in the Lot-et-Garonne département*Longueville, in the Manche département...
in Guienne, on December 15, 1621.
His brother
Honoré d'Albert (1581-1649)Honoré d'Albert was the first duke of Chaulnes and a marshal of France. He was brother to Charles de Luynes and father of Charles d'Albert d'Ailly....
, first
duke of ChaulnesThe title of Duke of Chaulnes , a French peerage, is held by the Albert family beginning in 1621.-History:The Duchy of Chaulnes was established by a letters patent of January 1621, registered on 6 March 1621 at the Parliament of Paris in favour of a younger brother of Charles d'Albert, Duke of...
, was governor of
PicardyThis article is about the historical French province. For other uses, see Picardy .Picardy is a historical province of France, in the north of France. The historical capital and largest city is Amiens....
and
marshal of FranceThe Marshal of France is a military distinction in contemporary France, not a military rank. It is granted to generals for exceptional achievements...
(1619), and defended his province successfully in 1625 and 1635.