His great-uncle was Georges d'Amboise, who was the primary adviser to king Louis XII, as a result he inherited a range of lands from his father.

Bussy travelled with Charles IX's brother to the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in 1574, getting himself into trouble en route for his sexual indiscretions, something that would become a hallmark of his career.

Having stayed loyal to Alençon through the fifth war of religion, he received the benefits of the disloyal prince's victory, the governorship of his appanage of Anjou.

Returning to court with Alençon in 1578 his skirmishes with the favourites of the king reached a fever pitch, with almost daily insults and fights, several times avoiding attempts to assassinate him by various members of Henri's inner circle.

By now Alençon saw his only path to kingship in the Netherlands to be through collaboration with his brother, as such he began to mend bridges with the king, necessitating the disposal of his much hated favourite Bussy.

Bussy took part in the northern campaign in Normandie that culminated with the capture and execution of one of the leading rebels Gabriel de Lorges, Count of Montgomery.

[6] Bussy meanwhile vowed to have his vengeance on his attackers, but was talked down and persuaded that it was in his interest to leave court for the moment, many young nobles followed him in his departure.

The troops under his command lacked discipline, and hatched a plan to attack a company of allied German reiters, murdering and robbing the men.

Bussy, having arrived in November 1576, governed in a chaotic fashion, failing to provide pay to the soldiers under his command in the province, and allowing them to engage in atrocities around Le Mans in early 1577.

Receiving many complaints from Protestants and Catholics alike about Bussy's governance, Henri deputised Renaud de Beaune to investigate proceedings in the province.

Sensing the mood at court, Bussy took the excuse to temporarily depart from the province, and Henri's representatives could do little to bring justice in the appanage.

The king intervened, narrowly averting a pitched battle between the two sides, Gramont was frustrated by this intervention and attempted to attack Bussy in his lodgings.

Released in February, Caylus, Saint-Mégrin, Saint-Luc and François d'O ambushed Bussy at Saint-Antoine, but he was able to slip their grasp, angrily demanding justice from the king in response.

Attending the ball to celebrate the wedding later that night, another of the king's favourites, Louis de Maugiron took the opportunity to insult Alençon.

The apology was not however genuine, and on 14 February Alençon snuck out of court, slipping out of a window, down to a horse where Bussy was waiting for him, together they fled towards Angers.

[14] Enjoying the peak of his favour, Bussy was granted the Abbaye de Bourgueil which brought him annual revenues of 18,000 livres, a sizable sum.

He was further made command of Alençon's troops for his planned entry into the Netherlands, placing him in the position of organising further recruitment, though the prince would be dissauded from entering the country in force for the moment.

in August he and François de la Noue were dispatched to meet with William the Silent to discuss the religious situation in the Netherlands.