Louis of Valois
| Louis | |
|---|---|
| Duke of Orléans | |
A depiction of the young prince in Catherine de' Medici's Book of Hours
|
|
| Duke of Orléans | |
| Reign | 3 February 1549 – 24 October 1550 |
| Predecessor | Charles II |
| Successor | Charles III |
| Born |
3 February 1549 Fontainebleau, Paris |
| Died | 24 October 1550 (age 1 year 8 months) Mantes-la-Jolie |
| Burial | Basilica of St Denis |
| House | Valois-Angoulême |
| Father | Henry II of France |
| Mother | Catherine de' Medici |
Louis de France (3 February 1549 – 24 October 1550), also known as Louis III, Duke of Orléans was the second son and fourth child of Henry II (31 March 1519 – 10 July 1559), King of France and his wife, Catherine de' Medici, daughter of Lorenzo II de' Medici, Duke of Urbino and his wife Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne. He died aged 1 year and 8 months.
After their marriage, Henry and Catherine waited several years before having children. Various remedies were not effective until they, at least according to the voices of the court, turned to the court physician Fernel. In a matter of twelve years (since the birth of the Dauphin Francis in 1544 to the birth of Victoria and Joan in 1556), Catherine gave birth to ten children. Louis was born on 3 February 1549 at the Palace of Fontainebleau, as the second son and fourth child of Henry II of France and his Queen Consort, Catherine de' Medici, a member of the House of Medici. He was second in line to the throne, as his older sisters could not inherit under Salic law. Since birth, he was entrusted with the duchy of Orléans. Just like his older brother, he was given into the care of Diane de Poitiers, his father's possible mistress and reportedly shared the same nursery with his brother and sister, Francis and Elisabeth and later, his brother Charles. He was present when Mary, Queen of Scots arrived at Henry's court. She had come to marry Francis, the future King of France and King consort of Scots. There are reports that his parents had plans for Louis. They wanted him to become the future Duke of Urbino, a title which belonged exclusively to the Medici family.
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