ANGOULEME, CHARLES DE VALOIS, DEC D', 1573-1650; SOD of Charles IX. of France, and Marie Touchet; reared by his uncle Henry III. One of his half-sisters, the marchioness of Vermeuil, became the mistress of Henry IV. Charles was well educated, and at the age of 16 was grand prior of France in the order of knights of Malta. In 1591, he married a daughter of marshal d'Amville, afterwards duke of Montmorenci. In 1589, Henry III. was assassinated, but on his death he commended Charles to his successor, Henry IV., by whom he was made colonel of horse; but the relationship of his sister to the king so displeased him that he joined with the duke of Savoy, Ekon, and Bouillon, one of theirmain purposes being to force the king to repudiate his wife and marry the marchioness. Biron and Charles were arrested, and the former was executed, but the latter was released after a short imprisonment, owing to the influence of his relative, aided by his aunt the duchess d'Angouliline, and his father-in-law, the marquis d'Entragues. In 1604, he and his father-in-law were condemned to death and
his mother to perpetual imprisonment in a convent; the woman obtained pardon and had the other sentences commuted to perpetual imprisonment. A. was in the Bastile 11 years, but iu 1616 he was released and restored to his rank of colonel-general of horse. He was afterwards engaged in an important embassy to Germany. In 1627, he com• manded the large force assembled for the siege of La Rochelle; in 1635, he was general of the French army in Lorraine, and in 1636 lieutenant-general of the armies. He was the author of Memoirs from time Assassination of Henry 111. to the Battle of Argues, and other works.