King Francis I died on 31 March 1547. His funeral ceremonies were conducted at S. Denis on 23 May, and were presided over by Cardinal du Bellay. With the death of King Francis, however, the Cardinal's influence in the Council was overshadowed by that of François de Tournon. His niece and patroness, the duchesse d'Étampes was replaced by King Henri's mistress, Diane de Poitiers. The old court favourites had to give way to new favourites. When Henry II announced his new Royal Council (Conseil Privé), du Bellay's name was not among the thirteen councillors admitted to the morning meeting, but only (along with other cardinals, Bourbon, Ferrara and Châtillon) to the meetings which took place after dinner. The only cardinals in the first rank were Tournon and Charles de Guise-Lorraine, the Archbishop of Rheims. Du Bellay, along with most of councillors of Francis I, found themselves excluded from major decisions. Du Bellay was sent away, to Rome (1547), to oversee French affairs before the Holy See. He was not the French Ambassador; that role belonged to Claude d'Urfé (1501–1558). In a letter of 29 April 1549, the Secretary of State, du Thier, complained to the King that du Bellay's letters from Rome were voluminous, but contained not one word of substance. His position as a French representative was cancelled when the Cardinal of Ferrara, Ippolito d'Este arrived in Rome. Du Bellay complained bitterly to the King in a letter of 23 August 1549. He returned to France.