Charles, Duke of Mayenne

Charles de Lorraine, Duke of Mayenne, was born into the powerful Guise family, staunch defenders of the Catholic faith in a France tearing itself apart. He cut his teeth in battle as a young man, fighting at Poitiers and even joining a crusade against the Ottomans. After the assassinations of his uncle and father, leadership of the militant Catholic League fell to him. Mayenne was more a pragmatic soldier than a fanatic; he fought the Protestant Henry of Navarre but also clashed with the Spanish allies who propped up the League. Following the assassination of King Henry III, he found himself the de facto ruler of much of France, yet he lacked the crown. His ultimate capitulation to the newly converted King Henry IV after the siege of Paris was a masterstroke of political realism, securing his family's position and helping to end decades of civil war.