Antoine de Brichanteau information

Antoine de Brichanteau
Marquis de Beauvais-Nangis
Sketch of Beauvais-Nangis
Born	c. 1552
Died	c. 1617
Noble family	House of Brichanteau
Spouse(s)	Françoise de La Rochefoucauld
Issue	Nicolas II de Brichanteau
Father	Nicolas de Brichanteau
Mother	Jeanne d'Aguerre

Antoine de Brichanteau, Marquis de Beauvais-Nangis (c. 1552 –c. 1617) was a French noble, military commander, and royal favourite during the French Wars of Religion and early-17th century. Born into a noble Briard family, Beauvais-Nangis began his military career at a young age, serving during the third French War of Religion at Jarnac and Moncontour, among other engagements. At the former, his valour was recognised by the brother of the king, Anjou, who took him into his household. He fought at the famous Siege of La Rochelle in 1573 and joined Anjou in the Commonwealth when he was elected as king. Upon Anjou's return to France as King Henri III, Beauvais-Nangis was elevated as commander of the Picard regiments during the fifth War of Religion. In November of that year, he was granted the prestigious role of Maître de camp of the French Guard. In the sixth civil war, he fought at the siege of Hiers-Brouage. In 1579, he was dispatched on a diplomatic mission to Portugal. By his return, however, his relations were becoming increasingly frayed with the king. He had repeatedly found himself in dispute with other favourites of the king, and resented his lack of financial compensation for the diplomatic mission. In 1581, he embarrassed the king in a confrontation he undertook with Henri's brother Alençon, in which he killed several of the duke's men. Henri felt obliged to disgrace him, and in March of that year, he was relieved of the post of Maître de camp. He spent the next several years aggrieved on his estates in Brie.

In 1584, the king's brother Alençon died, and with the heir to the throne now the Protestant Navarre, a Catholic ligue formed in opposition. Beauvais-Nangis was recruited into this with the promise that he would receive the office of colonel-eneral of the infantry, which he resented the royal favourite Épernon for having received. In March 1585, the ligue entered war with the crown and secured a favourable settlement in July of that year. Beauvais-Nangis was already disillusioned with the ligue which had failed to deliver him the office he desired and was fairly easily brought back into the royal orbit. In 1587, he entered the royal council, and he participated in the royalist attempt to suppress the ligue in Paris, which resulted in humiliation for the king. His participation in the Estates General of 1588 was engineered by the king, who needed more loyalist representatives to combat the ligue. In December of that year, he was involved to some extent in the deliberations that resulted in the decision to assassinate the Duke of Guise. In the war with the ligue that followed the assassination, Beauvais-Nangis fought loyally for the king and was rewarded with the office of admiral in February 1589. He held that office until 1592, when he was relieved of it by Navarre, now styled Henri IV after the death of Henri III. In 1614, he again served as a representative for an Estates General, dying three years later.