Louis de Bourbon, 1st Prince of Condé

Louis de Bourbon
1st Prince of Condé
Born	(1530-05-07)7 May 1530 Vendôme
Died	13 March 1569(1569-03-13) (aged 38) Jarnac
Spouse	Éléanore de Roucy (m 22 June 1551) Françoise d'Orléans (m 8 November 1565)
Issue	Henri I de Bourbon, prince de Condé François, Prince of Conti Charles II de Bourbon-Vendôme Charles, Count of Soissons
House	Bourbon
Father	Charles de Bourbon, 1st Duke of Vendôme
Mother	Françoise d'Alençon

Louis de Bourbon, 1st Prince of Condé (7 May 1530 – 13 March 1569) was a prominent Huguenot leader and general, the founder of the Condé cadet branch of the House of Bourbon. Coming from a position of relative political unimportance during the reign of Henri II, Condé's support for the Huguenots, and leading role in the conspiracy of Amboise and its aftermath pushed him to the centre of French politics. Arrested in the reign of Francis II then released on his premature death, he would lead the Huguenot forces in the first three civil wars in the French Wars of Religion before his execution after his defeat at the Battle of Jarnac in 1569. He was an uncle of King Henry IV of France.

First marriage

On 22 June 1551 he married Éléonore de Roucy, daughter of Charles de Roucy, Count of Roye and Madeleine de Maillé. She bought as her dowry the château and town of Conti-sur-Selles, southwest of Amiens, which would pass to their third son, progenitor of the Princes of Conti.

Issue

1. Henri de Bourbon, 2nd Prince of Condé (1552-1588) married Charlotte Catherine de La Trémoille and had issue.
2. Marguerite de Bourbon (1556) died young.
3. Charles de Bourbon (1557) died young.
4. François de Bourbon, Prince of Conti (19 August 1558 – 3 August 1614) married Jeanne de Coëmes and then Louise Marguerite of Lorraine.
5. Charles de Bourbon (1562-1594) died unmarried and had no issue.
6. Louis de Bourbon (1562-1563) died young.
7. Madeleine de Bourbon (1563-1563) died young.
8. Catherine de Bourbon (1564) died young.

Second marriage

On 8 November 1565 he married Françoise d'Orléans, daughter of François d'Orléans, Marquis of Rothelin and Jacqueline de Rohan.

Issue

1. Charles de Bourbon, Count of Soissons (3 November 1566 – 1 November 1612) married Anne de Montafié and had issue.
2. Louis de Bourbon (1567–1569) died young.
3. Benjamin de Bourbon (1569–1573) died young.