Henry II of France

1519–1559, monarch of the House of Valois


Henry II (31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559) was King of France from 1547 until his death in 1559. He was the second son of Francis I and Claude of Brittany, and became Dauphin of France after his older brother, Francis, died in 1536.

Henry II
1559 portrait
King of France
Reign31 March 1547 – 10 July 1559
Coronation25 July 1547
PredecessorFrancis I
SuccessorFrancis II
Duke of Brittany
Reign10 August 1536 – 13 August 1547
PredecessorFrancis III
SuccessorPosition abolished (Brittany absorbed into the crown lands of France)
BornHenry, Duke of Orléans
31 March 1519
Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye
Died10 July 1559 (aged 40)
Hôtel des Tournelles
Burial13 August 1559
Spouse
(m. 1533)
Issue
more...
HouseValois-Angoulême
FatherFrancis I of France
MotherClaude, Duchess of Brittany
ReligionCatholicism
SignatureHenry II's signature

As a child, Henry and his brother were taken hostage by Spain for over four years as part of a treaty exchange for their father. During his reign, Henry continued many of his father’s policies, including promoting the arts and engaging in the Italian Wars against the Habsburgs. He also sought to suppress the Protestant Reformation in France, although the number of Huguenots (French Protestants) grew significantly during his rule.

In 1559, Henry signed the Peace of Cateau-Cambrésis, which ended the long-running Italian Wars. Although France gave up its claims to Italian territories, it gained control of important areas like the Pale of Calais and the Three Bishoprics, which strengthened its borders. That same year, Henry was fatally injured in a jousting tournament, celebrating the peace treaty. His surgeon, Ambroise Paré, could not save him after a lance pierced his eye, and Henry died ten days later.

Henry's death marked a period of instability for France. He left behind four sons, three of whom became kings, and his widow, Catherine de' Medici, who served as regent. However, the weak reigns of his sons and Catherine’s unpopular regency contributed to the outbreak of the French Wars of Religion between Catholics and Protestants. This period ultimately led to the decline of the Valois dynasty.