At the French Restoration of 1814, Marc René returned to France, was raised to the peerage in 1820, and became ambassador to Sweden, where Charles completed his education in 1826.

[2][3] Montalembert's early years were spent in England, where he was largely raised by his grandfather, who, although a Protestant, encouraged him to follow the religion of his father.

[3] Charles de Montalembert was under twenty-five at his father's death in 1831 and therefore too young to take his seat as a peer, but he retained other rights.

He wished to see the Church free from state control and attacked the monopoly of public instruction by which the monarchy fortified its position.

He claimed the right of trial by his peers and made a notable defence with a deliberate intention of protest in 1832.

He had eagerly entered into the plans of his friends, Lamennais and Lacordaire, and he collaborated with them in the newspaper, L'Avenir[2] ("The Future").

He especially distinguished himself in "L'Avenir" by his campaigns in favour of freedom for Ireland and Poland, and for these he received the congratulations of Victor Hugo and Alfred de Vigny.

He was instrumental in setting up the Polish Library in Paris and its associated literary society for the Great Emigration into France.

[2] Montalembert became increasingly isolated, politically, for his support of religious freedom in education; and by the Church for his liberal views.

It met with great success, but Montalembert was not elected a member of the Académie française until 1851, after the fall of the July Monarchy.

He then enlarged his original plan and published the first volumes of his Moines d'occident (1860), an eloquent work which was received with much admiration in those circles where language was more appreciated than learning.

The work, unfinished at the time of the author's death, was completed later from some long fragments found among his papers.