Chateauneuf, who was descended
from one of the greatest families of Brittany. The dates both of her
birth and death are not known. She was maid of honour to the
queen-mother Catherine de' Medici, and inspired an ardent passion in the
duke of Anjou, brother of Charles IX. This intrigue deterred the duke
from the marriage which it was desired to arrange for him with Elizabeth
of England; but he soon abandoned La Belle Chateauneuf for Marie of
Cleves (1571). The court then wished to find a husband for Renee de
Rieux, whose singular beauty gave her an influence which the
queen-mother feared, and matches were in turn suggested with the voivode
of Transylvania, the earl of Leicester, with Du Prat, provost of Paris,
and with the count of Brienne, all of which came to nothing. Ultimately,
on the ground that she had been lacking in respect towards the queen,
Louise of Lorraine-Vaudemont, Renee was banished from the court. She
married a Florentine named Antinotti, whom she stabbed in a fit of
jealousy (1577); then she remarried, her husband being Philip Altoviti,
who in 1586 was killed in a duel by the Grand Prior Henry of Angouleme,
who was himself mortally wounded.

CHATEAU-RENAULT, FRANCOIS LOUIS DE ROUSSELET, MARQUIS DE (1637-1716),
French admiral, was the fourth son of the third marquis of
Chateau-Renault. The family was of Breton origin, but had been long
settled near Blois. He entered the army in 1658, but in 1661 was
transferred to the navy, which Louis XIV. was eager to raise to a high
level of strength. After a short apprenticeship he was made captain in
1666. His early services were mostly performed in cruises against the
Barbary pirates (1672). In 1673 he was named _chef d'escadre_, and he
was promoted _lieutenant general des armees navales_ in 1687. During the
wars up to this date he had few chances of distinction, but he had been
wounded in action with the pirates, and had been on a cruise to the West
Indies. When war broke out between England and France after the
revolution of 1688, he was in command at Brest, and was chosen to carry
the troops and stores sent by the French king to the aid of James II. in
Ireland. Although he was watched by Admiral Herbert (Lord Torrington,
q.v.), with whom he fought an indecisive action in Bantry Bay, he
executed his mission with success. Chateau-Renault commanded a squadron
under Tourville at the battle of Beachy Head in 1690. He was with
Tourville in the attack of the Smy