, ▁he ▁went ▁at ▁the ▁inst ig ation ▁of ▁his ▁friends , ▁who ▁thought ▁that ▁he , ▁as ▁a ▁royal ▁prince , ▁des erved ▁the ▁highest ▁sec ular ▁office , ▁the ▁ch an cell or ship , ▁then ▁occupied ▁by ▁Richard , ▁Count ▁of ▁Mol ise . ▁By ▁the ▁summer ▁Stephen ▁du ▁Per che , ▁his ▁and ▁Margaret ' s ▁cousin , ▁had ▁replaced ▁Richard . ▁Stephen ▁quickly ▁be fri ended ▁Henry , ▁but ▁some ▁" Span ish ▁kn ights " ▁( mil ites ▁his pan os ), ▁Henry ' s ▁ent ou rage ▁who ▁had ▁travel led ▁with ▁him ▁from ▁Navar re , ▁accused ▁the ▁ch an cell or ▁of ▁having ▁an ▁affair ▁with ▁the ▁queen . ▁Henry ▁was ▁not ▁so ▁easily ▁persu aded , ▁as ▁Fal c and us ▁records : ▁He ▁respond ed ▁that ▁he ▁was ▁ignor ant ▁of ▁French , ▁which ▁was ▁most ▁necessary ▁at ▁court , ▁and ▁that ▁his ▁experience ▁was ▁not ▁sufficient ; ▁that ▁he ▁should ▁commit ▁to ▁the ▁government ▁of ▁the ▁ch an cell or , ▁who ▁was ▁wise ▁and ▁pr udent , ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁noble , ▁despite ▁his ▁affair ▁with ▁the ▁queen . ▁ ▁Stephen ▁and ▁Henry ▁appear ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁leaders , ▁will ingly ▁or ▁unw illing ly , ▁of ▁two ▁opposed ▁court ▁fa ctions ▁seeking ▁to ▁domin ate ▁the ▁reg ency . ▁Event ually ▁the ▁rum ours ▁of ▁inc est ▁convinced ▁the ▁count ▁of ▁Mont esc agli oso ▁to ▁act . ▁He ▁initially ▁accused ▁the ▁ch an cell or ▁before ▁the