CHARLES III. or II. called THE GREAT, duke of Lorraine, was a son of Duke Francis I. (d. 1545), and a de scendant of Rene of Anjou. Born at Nancy on Feb. 18, 1543, he was brought up at the court of Henry II. of France, marrying Henry's daughter Claude in 1559• He took part in the wars of religion in France, and was a member of the League. The duke, who was an excellent ruler of Lorraine, died at Nancy on May 14, 1608. He had three sons: Henry (d. 1624) and Francis (d. 1632), who became in turn dukes of Lorraine, and Charles (d. 1607), bishop of Metz and Strasbourg.