Louis de Lorraine known as the Cardinal de Guise (22 January 1575 – 21 June 1621, Saintes

Saintes

Saintes is a French commune located in Poitou-Charentes, in the southwestern Charente-Maritime department of which it is a sub-prefecture. Its inhabitants are called Saintaises and Saintais....

) was the third son of Henry I, Duke of Guise

Henry I, Duke of Guise

Henry I, Prince of Joinville, Duke of Guise, Count of Eu , sometimes called Le Balafré, "the scarred", was the eldest son of Francis, Duke of Guise, and Anna d'Este...

 and Catherine of Cleves

Catherine of Cleves

Catherine de Clèves was the wife of Henry, Duke of Guise, and matriarch of the numerous and influential House of Guise. By marriage she was Duchess of Guise from 1570 to 1588, and Dowager Duchess of Guise thereafter...

.

His ecclesiastical post was entirely a sinecure

Sinecure

A sinecure means an office that requires or involves little or no responsibility, labour, or active service...

; he was never ordained, and led a dissipated life. Nevertheless, he was made Archbishop of Reims

Archbishop of Reims

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Reims is an archdiocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic Church in France. Erected as a diocese around 250 by St. Sixtus, the diocese was elevated to an archdiocese around 750...

 in January 1605, and created cardinal on December 2, 1615. He incurred the displeasure of Louis XIII of France

Louis XIII of France

Louis XIII was a Bourbon monarch who ruled as King of France and of Navarre from 1610 to 1643.Louis was only eight years old when he succeeded his father. His mother, Marie de Medici, acted as regent during Louis' minority...

, and was imprisoned in the Bastille

Bastille

The Bastille was a fortress in Paris, known formally as the Bastille Saint-Antoine. It played an important role in the internal conflicts of France and for most of its history was used as a state prison by the kings of France. The Bastille was built in response to the English threat to the city of...

 in 1620. However, he joined the royal campaign in Poitou

Poitou

Poitou was a province of west-central France whose capital city was Poitiers.The region of Poitou was called Thifalia in the sixth century....

 in 1621, and there fell ill and died.

By papal dispensation, he married Charlotte des Essarts, Mademoiselle de La Haye in 1611. They had five children:

1. Charles Louis (d. July 12, 1668, Auteuil
   Auteuil
   Auteuil may refer to:* Auteuil-Neuilly-Passy, an area of Paris* Auteuil, Quebec, a borough of Laval, Quebec, CanadaAuteuil is the name of several communes in France:* Auteuil, Oise* Auteuil, YvelinesAuteuil is also a surname:...
   
   ), Abbot of Chaalis, Bishop of Condom
   Bishop of Condom
   The city of Condom, France was a bishopric from 1317 to 1792.-List of bishops of Condom:*1317–1340 : Raymond de Galard*1340–1369 : Pierre de Galard*1369–1401 : Bernard Alaman*1401–1405 : Hugues Raimbaud*1405–1408 : name not known*1408–1418 : Aymeric Noël...
   
   
2. Achille (c. 1615 – 1648, Heraklion
   Heraklion
   Heraklion, or Heraclion is the largest city and the administrative capital of the island of Crete, Greece. It is the 4th largest city in Greece....
   
   ), Prince of Guise, Count of Romorantin, killed in the siege of Candia
   Siege of Candia
   The Siege of Candia was a military conflict in which Ottoman forces besieged the Venetian-ruled city and were ultimately victorious. Lasting from 1648 to 1669, it was the longest siege in history.-Background:...
   
   , married Anna Maria of Salm-Dhaun and had issue.
3. Charlotte (d. bef. 1664), Abbess of St. Pierre, Lyon
   Lyon
   Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
   
   
4. Henri Hector (b. 1620)
5. Louise (d. July 5, 1662), married October 24, 1639 Claude Pot, Lord of Rhodes (d. August 3, 1642)

He was the last cardinal of the House of Guise

House of Guise

The House of Guise was a French ducal family, partly responsible for the French Wars of Religion.The Guises were Catholic, and Henry Guise wanted to end growing Calvinist influence...

, cadet branch of the House of Lorraine

House of Lorraine

The House of Lorraine, the main and now only remaining line known as Habsburg-Lorraine, is one of the most important and was one of the longest-reigning royal houses in the history of Europe...

.
His sister in law was Marie de Rohan, the duchesse de Chevreuse and wife of his brother Claude de Lorraine

Claude, Duke of Chevreuse

Claude de Lorraine , also called Claude de Guise, was a French noble and husband of Marie de Rohan. He was the Duke of Chevreuse, a title which is today used by the Duke of Luynes.-Biography:...

.

Ancestry