François d'Aydie

As of at least 1576, Ribérac had received appointment as a gentilhomme ordinaire de la chambre for the king, granting him an elevated degree of access to the king's person in private settings. This allowed him access to royal favour and he ensured Henri intervened to appoint a client of his as prior of Saint-Jacques de Mons. The king further afforded his mother a gift of 1000 écus on 21 March 1578.^[3]

In popular pamphlets that circled in Paris, the favourites of court were derided. In one Ribérac was dismissed as a fool.^[5]

With the departure of Alençon from court, Henri's favourites turned to a new target, and began jockeying with the favourites of the duke of Guise. They started campaigning for Henri to transfer the title of Grand Maître from Guise to Caylus.^[6]

At 05:00 on 27 April, Caylus arrived to duel with Entraguet at the Porte Saint-Antoine near the horse market.^[7] Caylus brought with him two seconds, Maugiron and Livarot, while Entragues brought Schomberg and Ribérac for his part. According to the contemporary writer Brantôme, the dispute had arisen over the affections of a woman.^[8] For the first time in French history the seconds for both sides would participate in the duel that followed. The men fought largely in silence with their rapiers.^[9] At the opening of the duel, Maugiron had called out to Ribérac that they were to fight each other.^[10] Ribérac thrust at Maugiron, sending Maugiron falling backwards dead, however Ribérac was unable to steady himself and fell forward onto the sword of his deceased opponent.^[11] Only Livarot and Entraguet would survive the encounter.^[12] Ribérac was not killed immediately on the field, and the duke of Guise took him to his residence, the hôtel de Guise where he convalesced for before expiring at noon the following day.^[8][5][13]

The duel was denounced by contemporaries as a senseless waste of life.^[9]

• Cloulas, Ivan (1979). Catherine de Médicis. Fayard.
• Chevallier, Pierre (1985). Henri III: Roi Shakespearien. Fayard.
• Constant, Jean-Marie (1996). La Ligue. Fayard.
• Jouanna, Arlette (1998). Histoire et Dictionnaire des Guerres de Religion. Bouquins.
• Knecht, Robert (2016). Hero or Tyrant? Henry III, King of France, 1574-1589. Routledge.
• Le Roux, Nicolas (2000). La Faveur du Roi: Mignons et Courtisans au Temps des Derniers Valois. Champ Vallon.