René I, Viscount of Rohan

René I de Rohan, (1516–1552) 18th Viscount of Rohan, Viscount and Prince de Léon, and Marquis de Blain married Isabella of Navarre daughter of jure uxoris King John III of Navarre and Catherine of Navarre, Queen of Navarre.

Life

René I was the son of Pierre II de Rohan and Anne de Rohan, who upon her death transmitted the titles of her brother, Jacques de Rohan, who died without heirs.

Queen Margaret of Navarre, sister of Francis I of France served as Guardian of René I de Rohan, and arranged for René I de Rohan to marry her sister-in-law Isabella. This introduced Protestantism into the House of Rohan. A family who would fight on Protestant side in the Huguenot rebellions.

René I de Rohan died in 1552 fighting on the German frontier during the Siege of Metz

Descendants

Children

René I de Rohan and Isabella of Navarre had five children:

– Françoise de Rohan, married to Jacques de Savoie, duc de Nemours

– Louis de Rohan, seigneur de Gié

– Henri I de Rohan, 19th Viscount de Rohan

– Jean de Rohan

– René II, de Rohan, 20th Viscount de Rohan.

Grandsons

René II was the father of two notable sons:

• Henri, duc de Rohan whose efforts in the Huguenot rebellions would result in Louis XIII of France signing the Treaty of Montpellier reaffirming the Edict of Nantes thus bringing an end to the First Huguenot Rebellion of the Huguenot rebellions (also known as the Rohan Wars). and;
• Benjamin de Rohan, duc de Soubise Huguenot commander at the Siege of La Rochelle.