Charles IX was born in the royal palace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye in 1550, third son of King Henry II of France and Catherine de Medici, and brother of François II and Henri III. He was one of 10 children. After the death of his elder brother, Francis II, in 1560, he inherited the throne and was [...]

Francis II, king of France, was born at Fontainebeau on January 19, 1544, to Henry II and Catherine de Medici as their eldest son. He married the famous Mary Stuart, daughter of James V of Scotland, in 1558, and he ascended the French throne on July 10, 1559, when he was fifteen years old. During [...]

Henry II was king of France between 1547 and 1559. He was born in 1519 in the Royal Palace of Saint Germain-en-Laye near Paris. Henry II was the second son of Francis I and Claude. When he was seven years old, Henry had been sent by his father as a hostage to Spain in 1526, [...]