François II of France
François II (Fontainebleau, the January 19th 1544 - Orleans, the December 5th 1560), was king of France of 1559 to its death.
Oldest son of Henri II, king de France and of Catherine de Médicis, François II went up on the throne of France prematurely after the tragic death of his father on July 10th, 1559. François is only fifteen years old and its reign was to last only one year and five months. He is the husband of Marie Stuart, queen of Scotland.
Biography
Childhood and education
François received the name of his grandfather, the king François Ier. He is born eleven years after the marriage from his parents, relieving his Catherine mother after one period of sterility, which could have been the cause of a repudiation. Baptized on February 10th 1544 with the vault of Trinitaires with Fontainebleau, François was initially high with the castle of Saint-Germain-in-Bush hammer. Its godfathers were the pope Paul III, François Ier, the Republic of Venice and his/her aunt Marguerite of Angouleme. Fact knight by his grandfather at the time of his baptism, it receives the government of the Languedoc in 1546. It became dolphin of France to dead of his grandfather François Ier in 1547.
With leaving early childhood, it receives for governor Jean d' Humières and tutor Pierre Danès, hellenist of Neapolitan origin. The dance was taught to him by Virgilio Bracesco, the fencing by Hector de Mantoue. By the agreement signed with Châtillon on January 27th 1548, it is promised in marriage as of the five years age to Marie Stuart, queen of Scotland and grand-daughter of Claude of Lorraine 1st duke of Guise. He marries it on April 24th 1558 and becomes king consort of Scotland. It is only two years old more than him.
Francois, king de France
He succeeds the 15 years age to his father Henri II, accidentally dead the July 10th 1559. The young king then takes as emblem a sun and currency:
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Spectanda fides : Thus one must respect the faith.
- Lumen rectis : The light is in uprightness.
The rise on the throne of François is the subject of a palace revolution . Entering his sixteenth year, François II is major and does not need theoretically to surround itself by a regent, but inexperienced and of fragile health, it places its confidence between the hands of the maternal uncles of his wife Marie Stuart, the Guise. Partisans of a policy of oppression with respect to the Protestant , the two older brothers of this family hold all the capacities: François of Lorraine, 2nd duke of Own way and prestigious military chief, holds the royal army, while cardinal of Lorraine, has of finances and the businesses of the Church. As for the constable Anne de Montmorency, " all-puissant" favorite under the preceding reign, it must be erased in front of its former rivals and leaves the court. Charles of Own way starts by reducing manpower of the army on July 14th, 1559, in order to give the cases of the state, then in bankruptcy under Henri II.
The September 21st 1559, François II is crowned with Rheims by the cardinal of Lorraine. Then the court joined the Loire Valley. The town of Orleans and the Château of Blois remain the places of predilection of the new king. François II, under the influence of the Own way, confers on the duke of Lorraine, the sovereignty of the Duché of Bar. Consequently, the favors and privileges granted to the Own ways will be done increasingly many.
Princes of blood, Antoine of Bourbon, king of Navarre, and his brother Louis Ier de Bourbon, prince de Condé, consider with a deep jealousy the favor which the Guise enjoy. Indeed, the Bourbons estimate that the position of advisers their cost of right as descendants of holy Louis and heirs to the throne to France in the event of disappearance to the branch reigning to the Valois-Angouleme. The Guise are in their eyes only from ambitious abroad originating in the duchy in Lorraine.
The religious crisis
The reign of François II is marked by the religious disorders. The death of Henri II is a source of hope for those which one call the feeling mals of the faith . They hope that monarchy will put an end to the policy of repression followed until now. However, the Own way which controls from now on the country, make party of the catholics who refuse all concessions with the Protestants. They set up in each Parliament a burning room charged to continue the Protestants.The sympathizers of the Reform are directed by Antoine of Bourbon and the prince de Condé. Most active imagine to assemble a takeover by force to remove the king from the Own way. In front of the danger, the royal council decides, under the influence of Catherine de Médicis to make concessions. March 8th 1560, the edict of Amboise grants a Amnistie to reformed and avoids the installation of the enquiry.
Meanwhile, some Protestant gentlemen with at their head Godefroy de Barry, lord of Renaudie, organize a plot to remove the young king in order to withdraw it from the influence of the Own way and to place at the capacity prince Louis de Condé with an aim of making recognize the right of the reformed worship. It is what one will call the Conjuration of Amboise . Entreated 500 riders mass to attack the court. Informed, this one moves castle of Blois to that of Amboise, surer. But the Protestants were betrayed by one among them, Pierre of Avenelles. They were captured by the duke of Own way, and more than one hundred of them were carried out (certain were hung with the large balcony of the castle). Repression lasted several weeks and will count nearly 1200 victims. A made feel guilty time, the prince of Condé is slackened.
After this bloody repression, several measurements whose edict of Romorantin, are taken in favor of the Protestants. May 20th 1560, the queen mother replaces the Olivier chancellor by Michel of Hospital, moderated catholic, near to the Reform. With it, he seeks to convince the king and his entourage, of the need for setting up a religious tolerance and for proceeding to a reform of the Church of France. He asks noble to meet in Orleans so that he can deliver their opinion on these questions. This assembly of notable, joined together the in August allows Gaspard de Coligny, future chief of the Protestants, to make pass to the emanating king petitions Protestants. The assembly of notable also made the decision to convene for on November 12th the General states. The Own way remain opposite with the idea of tolerance, but the cardinal of Lorraine is not refractory with a reform of the Church.
In spite of the measurements of opening taken by the government, the disorders continue. They emanate mainly from the Protestants (iconoclasme, and takeover by force maqué on Lyon). In addition, for évincer the Own way, a new plot is prepared. In spite of his vigorous protests, the prince of Condé is again stopped. The king remains convinced that it is not other than the dumb captain of the conspiracy of Amboise. Cop is condemned to death.
Painful end-of-life
The health condition of the king worsens as of November 1560. November 16th, it is reached of a syncope. After only 17 months of reign, François II dies the December 5th 1560 of unbearable evils to the ear. It was perhaps of a Mastoïdite, a Méningite, or about a Otite become an abscess. The Trépanation was considered by Ambroise Paré. Some will suspect later on his/her mother Catherine de Médicis and his wife Marie Stuart to have poisoned it, rumors stripped of base.
François II dies without leaving of child, his younger brother Charles, 10 years old, succeeds to him. December 21st, the private Council names Catherine " controlling of France". The Own way withdraw court. Marie Stuart turns over in Scotland. Louis de Condé, who awaited his execution in his cell, is released following negotiations with Catherine de Médicis.
December 23rd 1560, the body of François II is led to Saint-Denis by the prince of the Roche-sur-Yon.
Posterity
Today, François II is not seen like a good king. Its a few months of tumultuous reign left the image of a boutonneux teenager, ignoramus and violent one. A chronicler of the time will present it under these words: " He has the genitals constipées" . Nevertheless, François II rather underwent the destiny, being assembled on the throne in full adolescence, completely exceeded by the religious disorders of the time. The historians agree on the fact that François II was fragile as well physically as psychologically and that its frail constitution was right of its health. It is what explains why its reign is one of shortest of the French history.
He appears in comparison with the art of today only like the simple husband of Marie Stuart. The films do it nothing but quickly appear in prolog of the biography of the famous queen of Scotland.