Charles IX of France

Charles IX ruled France from 1560 to 1574, during the early French Wars of Religion. His reign included the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre of 1572.

Henry III of France: King of France from 1574 to 1589 and the last ruler of the House of Valois. Charles’s younger brother succeeded him after his death.
St. Bartholomew's Day massacre: A wave of killings of Huguenots in Paris and other French cities beginning on 24 August 1572. The killings began in Paris during Charles’s reign and became its defining atrocity.
French Wars of Religion: A series of civil wars between Catholic and Protestant factions in France from 1562 to 1598. These wars framed Charles’s rule and repeatedly forced the crown to negotiate or fight.
Henry II of France: King of France from 1547 to 1559 and father of Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. His death in 1559 set off the succession that brought Charles to the throne.
Gaspard II de Coligny: French Huguenot admiral and political leader during the French Wars of Religion. His growing influence at court and assassination attempt intensified the crisis of 1572.
Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye: The 1570 treaty that ended the third French War of Religion and granted Huguenots limited protections. This settlement preceded the attempted reconciliation that culminated in the 1572 massacre.
French monarchy: The hereditary kingship that governed France until the monarchy’s abolition during the French Revolution. Charles ruled through a monarchy whose authority was contested by powerful nobles and religious factions.
Francis II of France: King of France from 1559 to 1560, whose short reign preceded that of his brother Charles IX. Francis’s death left the crown to Charles, then a child.
Henry of Navarre: King of Navarre who became King Henry IV of France in 1589, founding the Bourbon dynasty. His 1572 marriage to Charles’s sister Marguerite drew Huguenot leaders to Paris.
Edict of Saint-Germain: The 1562 royal edict that granted French Protestants limited freedom of worship outside towns. Its restrictions and concessions failed to prevent the first civil war of Charles’s reign.

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Ambroise ParéRelated: Paré held the title of royal surgeon under Charles IX.