Antoine de Roquelaure

Roquelaure eventually came into the full possession of the fief after the death of his two elder brothers, Jean-Bernard and Bernard in the Wars of Religion.

[3] Roquelaure formed part of the retinue that accompanied the young Huguenot king to Paris on the occasion of his marriage to Marguerite of Valois in 1572 and participated in his escape four years later from confinement during a hunt.

After Henry became the legitimate heir to the throne of France in 1589, Roquelaure followed him in all his battles to secure the crown: Coutras, Arques and Ivry.

As a Catholic, Roquelaure played an important role in convincing Henry to adopt that faith to strengthen his hold on the French crown.

During the regency, Marie de Medicis entrusted to him the suppression of cities which had risen against it, and for these services he was honored in 1614 with the title of Marshal of France by Louis XIII.

A celebrated wit, Gaston was created the first duke of Roquelaure and peer of France in 1652[1] (although the peerage remained unregistered) and was appointed governor of Guyenne in 1679.