Rohan (b. 1579) inherited the title of vicomte de Rohan after his older brother died in childhood. At the age of sixteen Rohan moved to court and served as a soldier in the brief war against Spain; he was a favorite of King Henri IV. After the war ended, …
De Marillac (b. 1563) is a career civil servant, recognized as one of the most brilliant thinkers in France, a man dedicated to the service of the king and the kingdom. He is a member of the conservative Catholic _[[Dévots | dévot]]_ faction at court and …
A member of the illustrious House of Guise, Claude (b. 1578) is the younger brother of [[:duc_de_guise | Charles, duc de Guise]]. Chevreuse is the Grand Chamberlain of France, one of the keepers of the King's household; he is also the [[:louis_xiii | king …
Half-brother to [[:louis_xiii | King Louis XIII]], César de Bourbon (b. 1594) is the son of Henri IV and his official mistress Gabrielle d'Estrées, legitimised in 1595. He is married to Françoise de Lorraine, duchesse de Mercoeur et de Penthièvre; they …
Bellegarde (b. 1565) is the Grand Squire (_grand écuyer_) of the King's Household, in charge of the king's stables and the transport of the king and his retinue. Bellegarde was a _mignon_, a favorite of King Henri III, and he was similarly honored by …
Schomberg (b. 1573), of German descent, is a soldier and statesman. In [[1619]] he is named minister of finance and grand master of artillery, serving in the campaigns against the [[Huguenot | Huguenots]] in the early 1620s. He proves to be less than able …
Córdoba (b. 1585) is [[:felipe_iv | King Phillip]]'s man in Milan, the governor of the dukeless duchy. Córdoba is a tough veteran soldier, most recently commanding the _tercios_ in the Palatinate. Now he serves as the duke of Alba's right-hand in dealing …
Alba (b. 1568) is the fifth duke in his line, inheriting the title from an uncle who died without issue. A _grandee_ of Spain, he is [[:felipe_iv | King Phillip]]'s viceroy for the Kingdom of Naples. As viceroy he is considered to be the overall Spanish …
Bassompierre (b. 1579) comes from an old and distinguised Lorranois family; his mother is German. As a young man he studied abroad for a time in Bavaria and Naples, but in 1598 joined in the court of King Henri IV of France, where the two became friends …
Barberini is a nephew of [[:maffeo_barberini | Pope Urban VIII]]. Barberini graduated from the University of Pisa in 1623, the year his uncle was elevated to Bishop of Rome, and young Barberini (b. 1597) was made a cardinal the same year, appointed Papal …
Born at Caumont in [[Languedoc | Languedoc]], the duc d'Épernon (b. 1554) followed in the footsteps of his father and grandfather by choosing a military career, serving first the Catholic kings of France against the [[Huguenot | Huguenots]] during the …
Descended from Flemish ancestry, Sully (b. 1560) was raised in the [[Huguenot | Reformed faith]] and at the age of eleven, then titled baron de Rosny, he joined the court of King Henri of Navarre. Sully followe the king to [[Paris and environs | Paris]] …
The first-born daughter of Pierre de Rohan, prince de Guéméné, Anne (b. 1606) was betrothed at the age of twelve to her cousin, Louis VII de Rohan and married two years later. This made her both cousin and step-sister to Louis' sibling, [[:marie_chevreuse …
Heir of a family disgraced during the reign of Queen Elizabeth for plotting against Her Majesty, Thomas Howard was raised in comparative privation. His great-uncles, courtiers of [[:james_i | King James]], succeeded in restoring the family name, and the …
The seventh of fourteen children and a member of the illustrious sword noble family of Rohan, Hercule de Rohan-Montbazon, comte de Rocherfort, would serve three kings - Henri III, Henri IV, and the present king, [[:louis_xiii | Louis XIII]] - as a soldier …