Charles de Gontaut, Duc de Biron (1562-31 July 1602) was a Marshal of France during the French Wars of Religion and the Franco-Spanish War.
Biography[]
Charles de Gontaut, Duc de Biron was born in Saint-Blancard, France in 1562, the son of Armand de Gontaut, Baron de Biron. He fought in the French Wars of Religion alongside his father, combatting the Catholic League. In 1592, King Henry IV of France made him an Admiral of France, and he became a Marshal of France in 1594. In 1595, he was appointed Governor of Burgundy, and he conquered Beaune, Autun, Auxonne, and Dijon from Spain before fighting at the Battle of Fontaine-Francaise. In 1596, he fought the Spanish in Flanders, Picardy, Artois, and Amiens, where he funded much of the king's army. After 1598, however, he colluded with Spain and the Duchy of Savoy to overthrow the House of Bourbon, and he was beheaded for treason in the Bastille in 1602.