Becoming king at a young age can be very demanding; while many rose to the challenge, some also failed. Taking the throne at a very young age, Francis II ruled France for just over a year (from 1559 to 1560). His short reign also extended to the Scottish kingdom by virtue of marriage. His union with Mary, Queen of Scots, made him king consort of Scotland. Upon ascending the throne, he became the eleventh monarch of the House of Valois, the fourth of the House of Valois-Orléans and the third traced of the House of Valois-Orléans-Angoulême
After the regrettable and dramatic death of his father, Henry II, Francis II became a very young king at the age of 15. Although his reign was short, it was nothing short of catastrophic. His reign saw the rise of the Wars of Religion in France; wars took place between Protestants and Catholics.
Although Francis was fit to be king at this age, the reins of government were left in trust to his wife’s uncles. His mother, Catherine de’ Medici, thought it wise to see that the House of Guise was an ardent defender of the Catholic cause. After Francis’s death, two of his brothers took turns. They did little to quell the religious wars that broke out during the time of King Francis II.
Who was Francis II of France?
Francis II was born on January 19, 1544 into the French royal family. Her father was King Henry II and her mother was Catherine de Medici. His birth took place eleven years after the marriage of his parents. As was the tradition in royal families, names are allowed to flow for many generations. With this in mind, Francis II bears the name of his grandfather, Francis I.
François II of France raised the Château deSaint-Germain-en-Laye. At his baptism, he became the godson of Pope Paul III, Marguerite of Navarre, his great-aunt, and Francis I, who made Francis II a knight that day.
At the age of two, he was appointed governor of Languedoc. On the death of his grandfather, he became the Dauphin of France in 1547.
Francis II had a good childhood and well into his teenage years. Things got interesting for him when his father, King Henry II, betrothed him to a Queen of Scotland. On April 24, 1558, Francis married Marie, Queen of Scotland, at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris. Their marriage was part of a larger plan for the King of France to win the Kingdom of Scotland. This plan would also bring the Kingdom of England closer to the King of France. Unfortunately, this plan was hit hard as Francis could not have a son with Mary before his death.
The brothers and sisters of Francis II of France
After the birth of Francis II, the parents gave birth to twelve more children. They are:
1.Charles IX
Charles took over the throne of France after the death of François II. He ruled France for 13 years until his death in 1574. He died of tuberculosis. Charles was the twelfth king of the House of Valois, the fifth of the House of Valois-Orléans and the fourth of the House of Valois-Orléans-Angoulême.
2. Henry III
Henry became King of France from 1574 after the death of Charles IX, successor to Francis II. He governed France until his death. He was the last man of his dynasty. After his reign, the royalty of France left his family.
3. Margaret of Valois
Margaret was a French princess of the Valois dynasty. She became Queen Consort of Navarre after her marriage to Henry III of Navarre. Her husband later ascended the throne of France in 1589. This made her queen of Navarre and France.
See also: Who is Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II’s husband? Here are facts you need to know
His other brothers are Claude de France, the Duke of Anjou, Elisabeth de Valois, Louis de Valois, Victoria de France, Jeanne de France, Diane de France, Henri d’Angoulême and Henri de Saint-Rémy.
Cause of death
In November 1560, Francis II began complaining of recurring dizziness and a disturbing sound in his ear. He got worse one day as he passed out while on duty. This resulted in severe swelling at the back of his ears.
The doctors did their best to help Francis. When the swelling was noticeable, Francis II escaped the hair from the mouth and nostrils. Although he was temporarily relieved, he was still sick.
Towards the end of November of the same year, he started having seizures. He was unable to speak or move. The mother and wife did everything in their power, including seeking divine intervention from the churches.
His situation worsened and on the evening of December 5, 1560, he died after lying prostrate all day. François II was two months away from his 17th birthday.