Background
He was born Charles de Bourbon, on February 17, 1490, son of Gilbert de Bourbon, count of Montpensier.
He was born Charles de Bourbon, on February 17, 1490, son of Gilbert de Bourbon, count of Montpensier.
At the age of 15, he was one of the wealthiest men in Europe. In 1515 Francis I ascended the throne and made him Constable; in the same year the new Constable showed great bravery in the victorious battle of Marignano in northern Italy, and as a reward for his services Francis made him governor of Milan. In 1523 dissension arose between the Constable and Louise of Savoy, mother of Francis I, who made claims to some of his richest possessions in the duchy of Bourbon. In consequence the Constable began negotiations with the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and with Henry VIII, king of England. The Constable took up arms against France and besieged Marseille in 1524 without success. The following year he participated in the battle of Pavia, in which Francis I was taken prisoner by Charles V. Again appointed ruler of Milan, this time as a vassal of Charles V, the Constable, in order to feed his starving troops, declined to recognize the truce concluded between Spain and Rome. Instead he led them in the sack of Rome (May 6, 1527), during which he was killed.
On May 10, 1505, he married Suzanne, heiress to the duchy of Bourbon, and became ninth duke of Bourbon. By Suzanne, Charles was the father of twins and of Francis of Bourbon, Count of Clermont. Officially, since neither survived a year of age, the senior line of the Dukes of Bourbon was extinct in male line with his death in battle, and the junior line (Dukes of Vendôme) were not allowed to inherit, because Charles had forfeited his fiefs by committing treason. However, the county of Montpensier and dauphinate of Auvergne were later returned to his sister Louise.