In 1621, he succeeded his uncle
Henri de Lorraine-Guise as
Duke of Mayenne. In 1627 he married his cousin
Maria Gonzaga,
Marquise of Montferrat and heiress to the
Duchy of Mantua. However,
Cesare II Gonzaga, Duke of Guastalla and
Emperor Ferdinand II rejected her claim to Mantua, leading to the
War of Mantuan Succession (1628–1631). Charles, who predeceased his father, never held the title,
Duke of Mantua. When the latter died in 1637, Charles's eight-year-old son,
Charles II, became Duke of Mantua, his widow Maria acting as regent. His daughter Eleonora became
Holy Roman Empress. ==Family==