René, Marquis of Elbeuf
René of Guise, Marquis d'Elbeuf (14 August 1536 – 14 December 1566) was the youngest son of Claude of Lorraine, Duke of Guise and Antoinette of Bourbon-Vendôme.
René of Guise,Marquis d'Elbeuf | |
|---|---|
 Coat of Arms of the Dukes of Elbeuf | |
| Born | 14 August 1536 Joinville |
| Died | 14 December 1566 (aged 30) |
| Noble family | House of Guise |
| Spouse(s) | Louise de Rieux |
| Father | Claude, Duke of Guise |
| Mother | Antoinette de Bourbon-Vendôme |
René was born at Joinville, Haute-Marne.
He served as French ambassador to Scotland, and accompanied his niece Mary, Queen of Scots on her entrance to that country in 1561.
With Lord John, Lord Robert, and others, he performed in a tournament on the sands of Leith in December 1561, probably to celebrate the queen's birthday. There was "running at the ring", with two teams of six men, one team dressed as women, the other as exotic foreigners in strange masquing garments. There was a similar tournament in 1594 at the baptism of Prince Henry at Stirling Castle.[1]
Soon after the tournament the Marquis was involved in a disturbance in Edinburgh that started as a kind of masque in the town.[2] He and the Earl of Bothwell and Lord John went to the house where Alison Craik, a merchant's daughter and mistress of the Earl of Arran was lodged. When they were not admitted they broke down the doors. There were complaints to the queen and she issued a reprimand. Bothwell and Lord John ignored this and the next day there was a face-off between their followers and the Hamiltons in the market place.[3]
He was a patron of the arts, particularly of the composer Pierre Clereau of Lorraine.
He died in 1566.
Marriage and children
He married Louise de Rieux (1531 – c. 1570) on 3 February 1555. They had two children:
- Charles de Lorraine, Duc d'Elbeuf (1556–1605)
- Marie de Lorraine (21 August 1555 – c. 1605), styled Mademoiselle d'Elbeuf, married at Joinville on 10 November 1576 Charles de Lorraine-Guise, Duc d'Aumale and had issue.
| Preceded by Claude |
Marquis d'Elbeuf 1550–1566 |
Succeeded by Charles |
References
- Joseph Bain, Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1898), pp. 576, 579.
- Sarah Carpenter, 'Masking and politics: the Alison Craik incident, Edinburgh 1561', Renaissance Studies, 21:5 (November, 2007), pp. 625-636.
- Joseph Bain, Calendar State Papers Scotland, vol. 1 (Edinburgh, 1898), pp. 582-3.