negotiating an acceptable arrangement was hammered out in September. During 1579, La Châtre was inducted into the king's new Order, designed as a replacement for the diluted order of Saint-Michel that of the Saint-Esprit. King of the Netherlands As Alençon was preparing to travel to his new kingdom in 1581, he faced significant military opposition in the Spanish forces that were currently besieging Cambrai. Cossé and La Châtre represented the only members of his retinue that had significant military experience. La Châtre would serve as the leader of Alençon's light cavalry during his time in the Netherlands. Upon entering the country, the duke of Parma's army, ravaged by attrition, scattered from in front of Cambrai allowing Alençon to claim the city. He was received rapturously. While Alençon was enjoying the adoration of the cities inhabitants, La Châtre was struggling to maintain his forces in villages nearby, many of whom were becoming mutinous due to the lack of water. La Châtre travelled into the city, to instil a sense of urgency in Alençon to satisfy his men or La Châtre would be powerless to stop their retreat back to France. Pay for his troops also proved a serious problem, especially after the States General made it clear that they could not meet the financial promises they had made to the prince at Tours. La Châtre, darkly mused that all their promises had served only as bait to draw his soldiers and prince into a cage. As a result of these privations La Châtre reported that the army had dissolved away until by Autumn 1582 he only had 3000 men. In November the States were persuaded to renegotiate their financial commitment to their king, expanding the revenues available to him to 4,000,000 livres a year for the prosecution of the war against Spain. In January 1583 Alençon decided that he was not satisfied with the cities currently under his authority, and to this end decided to surprise the city of Antwerp, entering under false pretences before seizing the city. The plan however failed spectacularly and the French forces were massacred by the prepared citizenry and Alençon was forced to flee the city. La Châtre was charged with explaining Alençon's behaviour and coup attempt to the Dutch States General. He weaved an entirely different story, in which Alençon had simply been trapped in the city by the Dutch guards, separated from his army,