Lentorama 2007: The Non-Canonized Catholic Person of the Day

Today's victim is Charles de Lorraine, duc de Mayenne, who was the military leader of the Catholic League during France's Wars of Religion. On this day in 1590, he led his troops against Protestant forces led by Henry of Navarre. Charles had the edge in numbers, but that was reduced early in the fight when his mercenary troops, sympathetic towards the Protestants, put down their weapons. The fight continued, but when the Protestants were able to best Charles's cavalry things were pretty much done.

Things would not get easier for Charles after this. He managed to raise the siege of Paris that Henry laid on after Ivry, but faced dissention in the League from a radical wing that wanted to accept the help - and claim to the throne - from Spain. Charles would eventually present this claim to the Estates-General, but at the same time was negotiating with Henry to take the throne once he completed his conversion to Catholicism. A truce was signed in 1593, allowing Henry to take the throne as Henry IV. Charles didn't get to live peacefully until 1595, given continued League strife.

Interestingly, Charles turned down support to claim the throne for himself, opting instead to back the League plan to install Cardinal de Bourbon as Charles X. This may have worked out better had the cardinal not died after the loss at Ivry.