César de Saint-Lary

César de Saint-Lary, baron de Bellegarde et Termes (1562 – 29 October 1587) was a French noble, governor, courtier and military commander. The son of the royal favourite Roger de Saint-Lary and Marguerite de Savoie, Bellegarde entered royal service as a gentilhomme de la chambre (gentleman of the chamber) at the age of 16. In 1579, his father who was rebelling against the crown died, and Bellegarde claimed his father's governate of Saluzzo, taking up his cause. The royal favourite the duke of Épernon was sent to negotiate him out of his control of Saluzzo, the two came to a compromise but this was foiled by rebellious commanders subordinate to Bellegarde who refused to yield their towns. Marshal Retz would later succeed in securing all the towns of Saluzzo, and negotiating Bellegarde out of any control over the governate. In compensation Bellegarde was made maître de camp of the light cavalry and captain in the royal ordinance company. In 1585 he became governor of the Angoumois, Saintonge and pays d'Aunis, succeeding Philippe de Volvire, in this post he sought to bring the local nobility into alignment with the crown. In 1587 he joined the royal favourite Anne de Joyeuse on his royal campaign against the king of Navarre in Poitou, and received fatal wounds at the Battle of Coutras, which he would die of on 29 October 1587.