Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Charles de Lorraine |
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| Cardinal, Archbishop of Rheims | |
Charles, Cardinal de Lorraine (1550) by François Clouet
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| Archdiocese | Rheims |
| In Office | 1538–1574 |
| Other posts | Cardinal-priest of Sant'Apollinare 1555-1574 |
| Orders | |
| Consecration | 8 February 1545 by Claude de Longwy de Givry |
| Created Cardinal | 4 November 1547 |
| Rank | Cardinal-priest |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 17 February 1524 Joinville, France |
| Died | 25 December 1574 (aged 50) Avignon, France |
| Previous post |
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| Coat of arms | |
Charles de Lorraine (born February 17, 1524 – died December 26, 1574) was an important French leader in the Catholic Church. He was a Cardinal and a member of the powerful House of Guise family. He was also the Archbishop of Rheims. Charles was known for supporting famous writers like François Rabelais and Pierre de Ronsard. He also helped start Reims University.
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Who Was Charles de Lorraine?
Charles of Guise was born in 1524 in Joinville, Haute-Marne, France. His father was Claude, Duke of Guise. His mother was Antoinette de Bourbon. Charles had an older brother named François, Duke of Guise.
His sister, Mary of Guise, became the wife of James V of Scotland. She was also the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots. This made Charles an uncle to a future queen.
In 1538, Charles became the Archbishop of Reims. This was a very important position in the church. He even helped with the coronation of King Henry II of France.
Becoming a Cardinal
In 1547, Pope Paul III made Charles a cardinal. This was a political move to bring France closer to the Pope. Charles also became a helper to his uncle, Cardinal Jean de Lorraine. His uncle was the Bishop of Metz.
After his uncle passed away in 1550, Charles took over some of his duties. He tried to gain more power for his family. He even tried to stop King Henry II from joining the Duchy of Lorraine with France.
Charles was good at making political friends. He worked with different groups, even some Lutheran princes in Germany. He also started friendly talks between his family and the royal family of Spain.
In 1558, Charles was involved in plans for royal palaces. He also helped with the wedding of his niece, Mary, Queen of Scots. She married Francis, the Dauphin of France, on April 24, 1558.
His Role at the Council of Trent
In 1562, Charles attended the Council of Trent. This was a very important meeting for the Catholic Church. He joined other French representatives there.
Charles wanted to make some changes to the church. He suggested allowing people to receive both bread and wine during Communion. He also wanted prayers to be said in everyday languages.
The Pope was not happy with all of Charles's ideas. However, Charles later tried to make peace with the Pope. He also worked to make sure the council's decisions were followed in France. But Catherine de' Medici, the queen mother, did not agree to this.
In 1564, Charles had a conflict with a royal governor in Paris. This caused him to leave the capital for two years. Later, he helped arrange important royal marriages. These included the marriage of King Charles IX to Elizabeth of Austria. He also helped with the marriage of Margaret of Valois to the prince of Navarre.
Charles passed away in Avignon shortly after King Charles IX died in 1574.
Charles de Lorraine's Impact
As the Archbishop of Reims, Charles crowned three French kings. He crowned Henry II of France, Francis II, and Charles IX.
Charles often had his own ideas about politics. These ideas sometimes differed from the king's court. Some people at the time found him a bit mysterious.
Many pamphlets were written about Charles. These writings sometimes hurt his reputation. For example, one pamphlet accused him of trying to give back some French lands to the Holy Roman Empire. Another criticized him for holding too many church positions.
Despite this, Charles made important contributions. He helped establish Reims University. He also supported famous writers like François Rabelais and Pierre de Ronsard.
