Bernard de Nogaret.

About Bernard de Nogaret

Bernard de Nogaret, seigneur de La Valette was a French governor, military officer, favourite, courtier and statesman during the latter French Wars of Religion. The eldest son of Jean de Nogaret and Jeanne de Saint-Lary, La Valette was born into a provincial noble family on the rise, his father elevating himself to lieutenant-general of Guyenne during his lifetime. La Valette received his first military service in 1570 under his father at Arnay-le-Duc before being introduced to the future king Henri III at the siege of La Rochelle in 1573. Unlike many other favourites of Henri, the Nogaret family would become close to the king late, and it was not until 1579 that La Valette began to enjoy the fruits of favour, when upon the death of Marshal Bellegarde Henri selected him to assume the governorship over Saluzzo and French Piedmont. By 1580, La Valette was among those in the king's inner circle with whom he travelled on private retreats. In 1582 he became Chambellan to the king, and then a member of the exclusive conseil des affaires. Henri planned further advancement for him with receipt of the provincial governate of the Lyonnais, however this would not materialise. In 1584 the king's brother Alençon died, and the prospective succession of the Protestant Navarre motivated the reformation of the Catholic ligue which successfully forced Henri to renounce Navarre's succession and make war on Protestantism. La Valette was established in Dauphiné to lead the fight against the Protestant commander Lesdiguières. The lieutenant-general of Dauphiné Maugiron allied with him in this fight, and resigned his charge as lieutenant-general to him in 1587.