Home > Henry II of France

Born in the Royal Château at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, France, the son of François I and Claude de France, his marriage was arranged to Catherine de Medici ( April 13 1519 - January 5 1589) on October 28 1533Events January 25 King Henry VIII of England marries Anne Boleyn, his second Queen consort. March 30 Thomas Cranmer becomes Archbishop of Canterbury May 23 King Henry VIII of England marriage with Catherine of Aragon officially declared annulled. Catherin when both were 14 years old. His long-running affair with Diane de PoitiersDiane de Poitiers ( September 3, 1499 April 25, 1566) was a fixture at the courts of several French kings, and became notorious as the mistress of King Henri II. She was born in the chateau de Saint-Vallier, in the town of Saint-Vallier, Drome, in the Rho lasted throughout his married life.

He was crowned King on July 25July 25 is the 206th day (207th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 159 days remaining. Events 306 Constantine I proclaimed Roman emperor by his troops. 1261 Constantinople is captured by Nicaean forces under the command of Michael 1547 in the cathedral at ReimsReims (English traditionally Rheims is a city of north-eastern France, 98 miles east-northeast of Paris. Its history can be traced back to the Roman Empire. Population (1999): 187,206. Administration Reims is a sous-prefecture of the Marne departement in. His reign was marked by wars with AustriaAustria is a landlocked country in Central Europe, a federation of nine states. Austria is bordered by Germany and the Czech Republic to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the, and the persecution of the Protestant HuguenotIn the 16th and 17th centuries, the name of Huguenots came to apply to members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France. Origin of the Name Originally a term of derision, the origin remains uncertain. It may have derived from the personal name of Besans. Henri II severely punished them, burning them alive or cutting out their tongues for speaking their Protestant beliefs. Even someone suspected of being a Huguenot was imprisoned for life.

Henry II was an avid hunter and participant in jousting tournaments. On July 1 1559, during a match to celebrate a peace treaty with his longtime enemies, the Hapsburgs of Austria and to celebrate the marriage of his daughter Elizabeth to King Philip II of Spain, King Henry's eye was pierced by a sliver that penetrated the brain, from the shattered lance of Gabriel Montgomery, captain of the King's Scottish Guard. He suffered terribly, passing away on July 10 1559 and was buried in a cadaver tomb in Saint Denis Basilica.

He was succeeded by his son, François II. Henri II's death resulted in the next forty years in France being filled with turbulence as his sons and other claimants to the French crown fought for power.

Marriage:

On October 28 1533, he married Catherine de Medici ( April 13 1519 - January 5 1589)

Issue:

1. François II ( January 19 1544 - December 5 1560)
2. Elisabeth de France ( April 2 1545 - October 3 1568) married Philip II of Spain
3. Claude ( November 12 1547 - February 21 1575) married Charles II, Duke of Lorraine
4. Louis ( February 3, 1549 - October, 1549)
5. Charles-Maximilien (Charles IX) ( June 27 1550 - May 30 1574)
6. Edouard Alexandre ( Henry III) ( September 19 1551 - August 2 1589)
7. Marguerite de Valois ( May 14 1553 - March 27 1615)
8. Hercule (François), Duke of Alençon and Anjou, ( March 18 1555 - June 19 1584)
9. Jeanne ( June 24 1556 - June 24 1556) (Twin - died at birth)
10. Victoire ( June 24 1556 - August 1556) (Twin - died at two months)