Louis de Bourbon, Comte de Soissons.

The video below just came up in my yt recommended feed.

Aha, thunked I. I KNOW that name. Soissons.

Let me set the scene for the scene above (?)

Richelieu and Louis XIII are in a world of hurt. Louis’ younger brother, Gaston has gone rebel and his second cousin, Louis de Bourbon is a donkey on the edge because he’d been promised Henriette Marie (the King’s sister) as a wife and she’d gone to Charles I Stuart.

And then – to add insult to injury – he’d been promised Mlle de Montpensier as wife (the richest heiress in all of France)

BUT – The King and Cardinal had other plans. Gaston (heir to the throne) was FORCED to marry La Montpensier (Soisson’s hope as wife) in a midnight ceremony. Officiated by a Cardinal. Richelieu.

No wonder France imploded (!)

Something about Soissons and the Romans below. Shrug!