favourite of King Henry II of France, who made him successively member of the royal council, marshal of France, premier gentleman of the chamber, governor of Lyonnais, and ambassador to England.

After the death of Francis II in 1560, he joined with Anne, duke de Montmorency (the constable of France), and François de Lorraine, duke de Guise, and formed what was called the triumvirat, an alliance against the Protestants and the vacillating queen mother, Catherine de Médicis. At the Battle of Dreux (1562), however, he was taken prisoner by the Huguenots and subsequently assassinated by a disgruntled Roman Catholic whose property he had confiscated.