Quick Facts
Young king haunted by St. Bartholomew's Day. Ruled France while his mother pulled the strings.
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Life Journey
Charles IX was born to King Henry II and Catherine de' Medici at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
Charles IX was baptized at Notre-Dame Cathedral in a lavish ceremony attended by nobility and clergy.
Charles becomes the heir to the French throne following the death of his elder brother, Francis II.
Charles IX is crowned King of France at the age of 10, following the death of his father, Henry II.
Charles IX issues the Edict of Orléans, attempting to resolve the conflict between Catholics and Huguenots.
Charles IX marries Elizabeth of Austria, a political alliance to strengthen ties with the Habsburgs.
Charles IX signs the Edict of Longjumeau, granting limited religious freedoms to the Huguenots, but tensions remain high.
Charles IX signs the Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, which grants significant concessions to the Huguenots, temporarily ending the Third War of Religion.
On the night of August 23-24, Charles IX orders the massacre of thousands of Huguenots in Paris, marking a brutal escalation in the French Wars of Religion.
Charles IX arranges the marriage of his sister, Margaret of Valois, to Henry of Navarre, a significant political move to secure peace with the Huguenots.
Charles IX dies from tuberculosis at the Louvre, leaving the throne to his younger brother, Henry III, and ending his tumultuous reign.