Henry II of France
King of France who died from a jousting wound.
Henry II of France was born on 31 March 1519 and ruled as king from 1547 until his death on 10 July 1559. He was the second son of King Francis I and Claude, Duchess of Brittany, and became heir to the throne only after his older brother Francis died in 1536. As a child, Henry and his brother spent more than four years as hostages in Spain to secure their father’s release after the Battle of Pavia.
Henry continued his father’s policies in art, war, and religion. He kept up the Italian Wars against the Habsburgs and worked to suppress the Reformation, even as the number of Huguenots in France grew sharply. The Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis, signed in April 1559, ended those wars. France gave up its claims in Italy but gained the Pale of Calais and the Three Bishoprics, which strengthened its borders. The abdication of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V in January 1556 and the split of his empire between Spain and Austria also gave France more room to maneuver in foreign policy. Nostradamus served Henry as both a physician and astrologer.
In June 1559, Henry was injured in a jousting tournament held to celebrate the peace treaty. He died ten days later, after his surgeon Ambroise Paré could not heal the wound inflicted by Gabriel de Montgomery, captain of the Scottish Guard. Although his reign was short, the succession seemed secure: Henry left four young sons and a widow, Catherine de’ Medici, who led a capable regency during their minority. Three of those sons eventually became king, but their youth and poor health, along with the unpopularity of Catherine’s regency, led powerful nobles to challenge the throne. These tensions helped spark the French Wars of Religion between Catholics and Protestants and eventually brought an end to the House of Valois as France’s ruling dynasty.
Henry was born on 31 March 1519 at the royal Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye near Paris. His parents, Francis I and Claude, were second cousins, both descended from Louis I, Duke of Orléans, and their marriage helped secure Brittany’s connection to the French crown. After Francis I was captured at the Battle of Pavia in 1525, Henry and his brother were sent to Spain as hostages, where they stayed for over four years.
On 28 October 1533, Henry married Catherine de’ Medici, a member of Florence’s ruling family. Both were fourteen, and the wedding was arranged while Henry’s older brother was
- born
- 31 March 1519
- died
- 10 July 1559
- field
- Monarchy
- nationality
- French
- known_for
- King of France during the Italian Wars; intensified persecution of Huguenots; died from a jousting wound
Lore & Background
Henry II was born on 31 March 1519 at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. As a child, he and his elder brother were held hostage in Spain for over four years to secure their father's release after the Battle of Pavia. He married Catherine de' Medici in 1533, but formed a close attachment to Diane de Poitiers, who became a significant personal influence. Henry became heir apparent in 1536 after his brother died, possibly from a respiratory illness. He succeeded his father on 31 March 1547 and was crowned at Reims Cathedral on 25 July 1547.
Reader's Guide
Henry II's reign intensified the repression of Protestants, with the creation of the chambre ardente and the Edict of Châteaubriant in 1551. He pursued the Italian Wars, allying with German Protestant princes and the Ottoman Empire, and secured the Three Bishoprics. The Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis in April 1559 ended the wars, with France retaining Calais and the Three Bishoprics. His death from a jousting injury in June 1559 left four young sons and a regency under Catherine de' Medici. The regency's unpopularity and the youth of the kings led to challenges from nobles and helped spark the French Wars of Religion between Catholics and Protestants, eventually ending the House of Valois as France's ruling dynasty.
Did You Know?
- Henry II spent over four years in captivity in Spain as a child hostage.
- He created a special chamber in the Parlement of Paris for heresy cases, known as the chambre ardente.
- Nostradamus served Henry II as physician and astrologer.
- His surgeon, Ambroise Paré, was unable to cure the jousting wound that killed him.
More in European Monarchs & Consorts 1-24
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