François de Bourbon, Duke of Montpensier

François de Bourbon, duc de Montpensier and prince dauphin d'Auvergne (c. 1542 –4 June 1592) was a French noble, goveror, diplomat and military commander during the French Wars of Religion. The son of Louis de Bourbon, duke of Montpensier and Jacqueline de Longwy, Montpensier got his start in politics as he was made the successor to his father's control of the governorship of Dauphiné, taking over the post in 1567. He participated alongside his father in the siege of La Rochelle during the fourth civil war and with the defection of the Catholic Damville to the rebel cause during the fifth civil war, Montpensier was established as a parallel governor to Damville's charge over the territory of Languedoc, though Damville would never be formally dispossed. During this war he further held responsibility for one of the four royal armies, leading it into the Rhône valley. By 1582 Montpensier's father was nearing death, and he was chosen to replace his father as leader of a diplomatic mission to England to secure a marriage between the king's brother and Elizabeth I, however this would not be a success. Failing in his efforts to marry Elizabeth, Alençon turned his attentions to Nederland, accepting an invitation to become their king. Montpensier would lead one of the armies that reinforced him in the kingdom, though the prince would sabotage his position in the territory the following year.

In the crisis that followed the death of Alençon, with succession defaulting to the king's Protestant cousin Navarre, Montpensier loyally defended the king against the Catholic ligue that opposed Navarre's succession, besting Entragues outside Orléans. Despite this, Henri was forced to capitulate to the ligue and open a war against Navarre and the Protestants of the kingdom. Montpensier participated in negotiations undertaken by Catherine de' Medici in 1586 with Navarre, that were ultimately unsuccessful in establishing an agreement between the prince and crown. In 1588, Montpensier resigned his responsibilities as governor of Dauphiné to his son the prince of Dombes. In May of that year, Henri attempted a confrontation in Paris with the ligue, however this backfired, and he was forced to flee with his loyal advisers, among them Montpensier. Establishing himself at Chartres he made numerous concessions to the ligue, among them dispossesing his favourite Épernon from his governate of Normandie, replacing him with Montpensier. In December Henri made another attempt on the ligue, assassinating the duke of Guise on 23 December. In response to this much of France entered rebellion against the crown. Montpensier fought for Henri in Normandie against an allied army of ligueurs and peasant rebels known as Gautiers, besting the latter in April 1589. After the death of Henri III in August 1589, Montpensier followed his chosen heir the Protestant Navarre, something many other Catholic notables could not countenance. In early 1590 he fought with Navarre, now styled Henri IV at the decisive victory of the Battle of Ivry. On 4 June 1592 he died and was succeeded as duke of Montpensier by his only son.