In 1540 Lalaing became a member of the Council of State ("Raad van State") and in 1544 head of the Council of Finance. In 1549 he was appointed Governor and High Bailiff of the County of Hainaut. He remained governor until his death, but resigned as bailiff in 1556. When the Governor of the Netherlands, Emmanuel Philibert, Duke of Savoy, left for Italy in 1557 to fight the French in the Italian War of 1551–1559, Charles became his temporary substitute.