Guise-Lorraine Family

One of the most powerful families in Renaissance France, the house of Guise-Lorraine rose to prominence in the 1500s through military ability, political skill, and unswerving loyalty to the Catholic Church. The family's service to the French crown was rewarded with lands, titles, public offices, and positions in the church.

The house of Guise-Lorraine had its origins in the duchy* of Lorraine, known for independent rulers who traced their lineage from Charlemagne, the great medieval* ruler. When René II of Lorraine died in 1508, he left the duchy to his son Antoine and his territories in France, including Guise, to Antoine's younger brother. That brother, Claude, grew up at the French court and developed a close relationship with the future king of France, Francis I. In 1527 Francis rewarded Claude for his loyalty and military service by naming him the first duke of Guise.

When Claude died in 1550, his title went to his son François, a friend and military companion of the French king Henry II. François married Anne d'Este, a member of the ruling Este family of Ferrara, Italy. Later that same year, François's brother Charles was named cardinal of Lorraine. As a political adviser to the French king, Charles led the French delegation at the Catholic Council of Trent.

François, the lieutenant general of France, became a military hero. In 1558 he recaptured the French city of Calais, which had been under English control for more than 200 years. The prestige he gained with this victory enabled him to arrange a marriage between his niece Mary Stuart (the daughter of James V of Scotland) and the heir to the French throne. When Mary's husband became Francis II, king of France, François and his brother Charles were in control of royal policy. The dominance of the Guise family at the French court created tensions and rivalry among the noble families of France.

Religion was another source of tension. Many members of the French nobility had converted to Protestantism during the 1500s. The Guise family, however, remained steadfastly Catholic and worked to preserve the Catholic faith. In 1562 troops under François's command massacred a congregation of Huguenots*, setting off a series of Wars of Religion in France that lasted until 1598. A year after the massacre, François was assassinated and was seen as a Catholic martyr*.

His son Henri, the third duke of Guise, continued the family role of defenders of the faith. In 1576 he became head of the Catholic League, a group committed to limiting Protestant influence. He opposed the choice of Henry of Navarre, a Huguenot, as heir to the French throne. In 1588 Henri seized power in Paris. To regain control, Henry III of France arranged the assassination of Henri and his brother Louis, the cardinal of Guise. In the 1600s the Guise-Lorraine family gradually lost political influence, although it held on to its wealth and its church offices. The last duke of Guise, François Joseph, died in 1674, and by 1688 the entire house of Guise-Lorraine had come to an end.

(See alsoAristocracy; France; Henry IV; Protestant Reformation. )

* duchy

territory ruled by a duke or duchess

* medieval

referring to the Middle Ages, a period that began around a.d. 400 and ended around 1400 in Italy and 1500 in the rest of Europe

* Huguenot

French Protestant of the 1500s and 1600s, follower of John Calvin

* martyr

someone who suffers or dies for the sake of a religion, cause, or principle