Bourbon, Antoine de

Bourbon, Antoine de bo͞orbôNˈ [key], 1518–62, duc de Vendôme, king of Navarre through his marriage to Jeanne d'Albret; father of Henry IV of France. He converted to Protestantism after his marriage (1548), becoming one of the most influential Huguenot leaders. Although he did not take part in the conspiracy of Amboise (Mar., 1560), which was masterminded by his brother Louis I de Condé (see under Condé, family), he supported Condé in another plot later that year. It miscarried, and Antoine was forced to hand Condé over to Catherine de' Medici. Upon the death of Francis II in Dec., 1560, Antoine renounced his right to the regency for the minor Charles IX in return for Condé's release; he was awarded the prestigious but powerless position of royal lieutenant general. In 1561 he reembraced Roman Catholicism, joining the Guise-Montmorency alliance, which hoped to replace Catherine's regency with his own. He was killed the next year fighting the Protestants at Rouen.

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