Henry Valois
| Henri III | |
|---|---|
Henry, Duke of Anjou
(by François Clouet) |
|
|
King of Poland Grand Duke of Lithuania |
|
| Reign | 16 May 1573 – 12 May 1575 |
| Coronation | 22 February 1574, Wawel |
| Predecessor | Sigismund II Augustus |
| Successor | Anna and Stephen |
| Interrex | Jakub Uchański |
| King of France | |
| Reign | 30 May 1574 – 2 August 1589 |
| Coronation | 13 February 1575, Reims |
| Predecessor | Charles IX |
| Successor | Henry IV |
| Born |
19 September 1551 Château de Fontainebleau |
| Died | 2 August 1589 (aged 37) Château de Saint-Cloud |
| Burial | Basilica of St Denis |
| Spouse | Louise of Lorraine |
| House | Valois-Angoulême |
| Father | Henry II of France |
| Mother | Catherine de' Medici |
| Religion | Roman Catholicism |
| Signature |  |
Henry III (19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589; born Alexandre Édouard de France, Polish: Henryk Walezy, Lithuanian: Henrikas Valua) was King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1573 to 1575 and King of France from 1574 until his death. He was the last French monarch of the House of Valois.
As the fourth son of King Henry II of France, he was not expected to inherit the French throne and thus was a good candidate for the vacant throne of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, where he was elected King/Grand Duke in 1573. During his brief rule, he signed the Henrician Articles into law, recognizing the Polish nobility's right to free freely elect their monarch. Aged 22, Henry abandoned Poland-Lithuania upon inheriting the French throne when his brother, Charles IX, died without issue.
France was at the time plagued by the Wars of Religion, and Henry's authority was undermined by violent political parties funded by foreign powers: the Catholic League (supported by Spain), the Protestant Huguenots (supported by England and the Dutch) and the Malcontents, led by Henry's own brother, the Duke of Alençon, which was a party of Catholic and Protestant aristocrats who jointly opposed the absolutist ambitions of the king. Henry III was himself a politique, arguing that a strong and religiously tolerant monarchy would save France from collapse.
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Wikipedia