It's presumed that Cartier was recognized for his maritime skills and experience. The King's motivation was to find a passage to Asia and perhaps also find valuable resources to enrich France, and Cartier presented himself as the man for the job.

King Francis I commissioned Cartier's first voyage to explore North America, searching for a westward passage to Asia. This marked the beginning of their formal relationship.

Impressed with the reports from the first voyage, King Francis I sponsored Cartier's second voyage to explore further up the St. Lawrence River.

King Francis I commissioned a third voyage, this time with colonization in mind. He appointed Jean-François de La Rocque de Roberval as the Lieutenant General, indicating a potential loss of confidence in Cartier's leadership capabilities. While he was not completely discarded, his role was subordinated to Roberval.

After the failure of the third voyage and the discovery that the supposed diamonds and gold were worthless, Cartier likely fell out of royal favor. He was not commissioned for any further voyages. The fact that he disobeyed Roberval's direct order did not help either.