Joachim de Châteauvieux
Late 16th-early 17th century guard of the king and governor / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Joachim de Châteauvieux, baron de Verjon puis comte de Confolant (c. 1545–c. 1615)[1] was a French governor, military officer, royal guard and favourite, during the French Wars of Religion and early Seventeenth-Century. Born into a noble family from Bresse with a history of royal service, Châteauvieux came to the attention of the royal family during the siege of La Rochelle in 1573, part of the fourth French War of Religion. The siege was led by the king's brother Anjou, and after Anjou was elected as king of the Commonwealth, Châteauvieux travelled with him to his new kingdom, serving as a member of his household during his brief reign there before he returned to France as Henri III. Back in France, Châteauvieux was again made a member of the king's household. In 1578, the king's long serving captain of the Scots Guard died, and Henri chose Châteauvieux for the prestigious post. In the following years he received both of the royal orders, that of Saint-Michel and Saint-Esprit.
Joachim de Châteauvieux | |
---|---|
baron de Verjon comte de Confolant | |
Born | c. 1545 |
Died | c. 1615 |
Noble family | Maison de Châteauvieux |
Father | Claude de Châteauvieux |
Mother | Marie de Montchenu |
In 1587 he joined the royal favourite Anne de Joyeuse for a campaign against the Protestant king of Navarre. During the Battle of Coutras, Joyeuse was killed and Châteauvieux was taken prisoner. The following year, Henri decided that he could no longer tolerate the humiliations imposed upon him by the Catholic ligue and resolved to assassinate its leader the duke of Guise. Châteauvieux, as captain of the guard had a part to play in this plan, stationing his soldiers outside the residence of the duke's mother Anne d'Este keeping her under watch. For this he would be excoriated by ligueur narratives of the assassination. In the war with the ligue that followed, Châteauvieux fought for the royalist cause, remaining loyal after the death of Henri III and ascent of his heir Navarre as Henri IV. Henri confirmed him in the post of captain of the Scots guard. In 1595 he fought at the famous Battle of Fontaine-Française that broke the power of the domestic ligue. In 1601 he was created comte de Confolant and granted the office of bailli of several recently conquered territories from Savoie. Soon thereafter he was dispossessed of his post as captain of the guard after he reacted severely to one of Henri's indiscretions. In 1610 he was made governor of the Bastille, and would hold this charge until his death in 1615.