During the third war of religion the fighting moved into Poitou and when the main Protestant army under Admiral Gaspard II de Coligny moved to besiege Poitiers, Lude vigorously defended the town in alliance with Henri I, Duke of Guise successfully repulsing an assault and forcing the rebels to disengage to face the main royal army under Anjou where they were crushed at Moncontour.

[5] This would not be the end of the Daillon families involvement with the government of the province however, as in compensation for this change, Lude was granted the role of lieutenant-general of Poitou.

[6] As France spiralled towards civil war in early 1562 the crowns official policy of toleration found itself in conflict even with the lieutenant-general of the kingdom Navarre, who moved into opposition.

[7] In the wake of the first war of religion the crown wrote to Lude, urging him to ensure that the Peace of Amboise, which granted a degree of toleration to Protestantism was upheld in Poitou and that tranquillity was maintained.

As a result, Lude played a key role while the armies of the king's brother Anjou and Condé prince of the blood manoeuvred around each other for advantageous positions.

Lude and Guise were besieged in the town from 24 July to 7 September, after a bloodily contested assault was repulsed Coligny lifted the siege.

[14] In the wake of the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew Protestant anger rippled through their strongholds in the south, as communities in which they held overwhelming strength quickly began to enter rebellion.

In response Charles tasked the military leader and new governor of La Rochelle Biron with entering the city to receive its submission.

[15] In the same year Charles chastised Lude for his failure to keep up with nominations for vacant bishoprics and governorships that were subordinate to him, urging him to provide reports on vacancies at least monthly with candidates, with suggestions for who to fill the post.

[17] Strongly opposed to compromise with Protestantism, Lude's subordinate Phillipe de Roches-Baritault reacted with disapproval to news of the Peace of Monsieur that brought the fifth war of religion to a close.

In response Roches-Baritault, in his capacity as governor of the town of Fontenay-le-Comte decided to form a Ligue for the 'defence of Catholicism, establishing one such league in Poitiers and Fontenay in 1575.

Despite his history of Catholic partisanship Lude reported on these developments to the government and did not accept the governor of Fontenay's attempt to elect him leader.