Albert de Gondi

Albert de Gondi (4 November 1522 in Florence – 1602) seigneur du Perron, comte, then marquis de Belle-Isle (1573), duc de Retz (from 1581), was a marshal of France and a member of the Gondi family. His father was Guidobaldo, seigneur de Perron, who became a banker at Lyon, and his mother was Marie-Catherine de Pierrevive - his siblings included cardinal Pierre de Gondi. His motto was Non sine labore.

Albert de Gondi joined the court of Henry II of France on his accession in 1547 and around 1550 joined a company of chevau-légers. On 13 August 1554 he served at the battle of Renty and soon afterward Henry II soon made him a gentleman of the chamber and master of the wardrobe to Charles of France. He continued to occupy these posts under Charles X and Henry III.

In 1555, he won a great reputation in Italy, at the sieges of Ulpiau and Coni and the taking of Verceil. He also served with great distinction in the expeditions into Piedmont and Corsica. On 10 August 1557 he participated in the Battle of Saint-Quentin and on 13 July 1558 at the battle of Gravelines. He was in 1559 made captain of a company of gendarmes and fought at their head at the battle of Saint-Denis on 10 November 1567, at Jarnac on 13 March 1569 and at Moncontour on the following 3 October.

He was chosen to carry news of victory at Moncontour to the king and was the same month made captain of 50 men at arms. Knighted on the king's orders, he won a place as conseiller d’État. He was then employed as French ambassador to the Imperial court at Vienna and on 22 October 1570 was the French king's proxy at his marriage to Elizabeth of Austria. On the death of marshal Vieilleville, the comte de Retz was made governor and lieutenant-general in the pays messin, and governor of the town of Metz, by provisions granted at Duretal on 30 November 1571. He was then made captain of the first company of gentlemen of the king's household after the death of the duc de Roannois in December the same year.

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