Bourbon-Vendôme refers to two branches of the House of Bourbon, the first of which became the senior legitimate line of the House of Bourbon in 1527, and succeeded to the throne of France in 1589 with Henry IV. He created the second house by granting the dukedom of Vendôme to one his legitimized sons.
The first House of Bourbon-Vendôme was descended from Louis de Bourbon, Count of Vendôme (1376–1446), a cadet of the House of Bourbon-La Marche. Though a younger son, Louis received the title of Count of Vendôme through his mother. In 1514, the earldom of Vendôme was raised to a duchy-peerage in favour of Charles de Bourbon. By 1527, Charles had outlived the dukes of Alençon and of Bourbon, and he became first prince of the blood, the head of the most senior line of the dynasty after the royal family. Charles' son Antoine became King of Navarre in 1555, by marriage. Upon the extinction of all male lines of the House of Valois in 1589, Antoine's son Henry (Henry III of Navarre) became King of France as Henry IV, the first in the House of Bourbon. At that point, his other titles merged in the Crown.
Born in 1594, César de Bourbon was created Duke of Vendôme by his father, the former holder, in 1598. After the creation of 1598, the title continued to be used by César de Bourbon's family for over a century.
In 1599, César de Bourbon also inherited the titles of Duke of Beaufort and Duke of Étampes upon the death of his mother. After César de Bourbon's death in 1665, he was succeeded as Duke of Vendôme by his first son Louis (1612–1669), while the title of Duke of Beaufort passed to his second son François (1616–1669).
