François, Count of Enghien

François de Bourbon, comte d'Enghien (23 September 1519 – 23 February 1546) was a French military commander, governor and prince du sang (prince of the royal blood) in the reign of king Francis I of France during the later Italian Wars. He was known by his title as the comte d'Enghien. A younger son of Charles de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme (duke of Vendôme) and Françoise d'Alençon, Enghien saw military service during the Italian War of 1542–1546. He first endeavoured to capture the city of Nice, in the Holy Roman Empire, by surprise in June 1543. This effort was foiled. Subsequently a new effort to seize Nice was launched in conjunction with the French ally, the Ottoman Empire. Though this new attempt succeeded in capturing the city of Nice, the citadel held out, and the French were forced to withdraw before it could be gained.

The following year, king Francis selected the comte d'Enghien to assume the charge of governor of the French province of Piedmont, which was threatened by the Imperial commander the marquis del Vasto. Hungry for battle, Enghien dispatched a subordinate to ask for Francis' permission to engage del Vasto, and once this was secured fought a battle with the commander on 14 April 1544. He emerged triumphant from the battle that followed and the Imperial army was broken. However, little exploitation of this victory followed, and both Enghien and his army were recalled to France to face an invasion by the Holy Roman Emperor Charles V. Charles V enjoyed initial success in his invasion but agreed to a treaty with the French before any battle could come to pass, much to the disappointment of the heir to the French throne the Dauphin. In 1545, Enghien was greatly desirous to cross the English Channel to fight the English, but this was refused by the King. Instead he would fight in Picardy. Early in 1546, during a play fight with the favourites of the Dauphin, Enghien was struck on the head by a chest that was pushed out of a window, either in a deliberate attempt to murder him, or an accident, and he died on 23 February 1546.