Louis I of Bourbon, prince of Condé
| Louis I de Bourbon | |
|---|---|
| Prince of Condé | |
Louis I de Bourbon, Prince de Condé
|
|
| Born |
7 May 1530 Vendôme |
| Died | 13 March 1569 (aged 38) Jarnac |
| Spouse |
Eléanor de Roucy de Roye Francoise d'Orleans, Mademoiselle de Longueville |
| Father | Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme |
| Mother | Françoise d'Alençon |
| Religion |
Calvinist (Huguenot) prev. Roman Catholic |
Louis de Bourbon (7 May 1530 – 13 March 1569) was a prominent Huguenot leader and general, the founder of the House of Condé, a cadet branch of the House of Bourbon.
Born in Vendôme, he was the fifth son of Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, and the younger brother of Antoine de Bourbon who married Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre; their son, Condé's nephew, became Henry IV of France. Condé's cousin, through his father - who was the brother of Antoinette de Bourbon - was Mary of Guise.
As a soldier in the French army, Condé fought at the Siege of Metz in 1552, when Francis, Duke of Guise successfully defended the city from the forces of Emperor Charles V, and again at the Battle of St. Quentin in 1557.
After his conversion to Protestantism, he is suspected to have become involved in the Conspiracy of Amboise in 1560, a plot by the Huguenots and members of the House of Bourbon to abduct the adolescent King Francis II and usurp the power of the House of Guise, who were the leaders of the Catholic party. The plot failed, leading to the massacre of many Huguenots. Condé was arrested in late October 1560, but later released 8 March 1561.
On 2 April 1562, Condé, commanding a Huguenot army, captured Orléans, with it he issued a draft stating that King Charles IX was being held hostage by the House of Guise. However, Queen-mother Catherine de' Medici proclaimed she and her son were not hostages and that Condé's actions were unlawful and constituted a rebellion. Condé was captured at the battle of Dreux in 1562. At Orléans, the duke of Guise was assassinated, and when the Queen's fears that the war might drag on led her to negotiate a truce, Condé negotiated the Peace of Amboise with the Catholic party in 1563, which gave the Huguenots some religious toleration. In another religious civil war, Condé was killed at Jarnac in the Battle of Jarnac, 1569.
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