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Henry II of France

Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 31 Mar 1519 – Hôtel des Tournelles, 20 Jul 1559

9 facts3 sources

Animated by AI

About Henry II

Henry II of France: From Dauphin to King

AI-assisted · edited

The collection records Henry II’s birth in 1519 at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. He was the son of King Francis I of France and Claude of France, forming the royal family background of the future monarch. 123

The collection’s summary identifies him as the second son of Francis I and Claude and states that he became Dauphin of France after the death of his elder brother Francis in 1536. Henry II was King of France from 1547 until 1559. 456

The collection’s summary records ten children from his marriage to Catherine de’ Medici. The collection records his death in 1559 at the Hôtel des Tournelles, closing a reign dated from 1547 to 1559. 475

Drafted with AI and edited against the collection. Open a citation to see the record, its sources and how certain it is.

Facts and their sources

  • Born31 Mar 1519, Château de Saint-Germain-en-Layenot verified1 source
  • TitleKing of France, 1547–1559not verified1 source
  • Died20 Jul 1559, Hôtel des Tournellesnot verified1 source
  • MotherClaude of Francenot verified1 source
  • FatherFrancis I of Francenot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 31 Mar 1519

    Born in Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye

  2. 1538–1557

    13 children are born

  3. 1547–1559

    King of France

  4. 20 Jul 1559

    Dies in Hôtel des Tournelles, aged 40

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 13

During his lifetime

He lived through 5 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

General history, not a record about the family: each item says where it comes from.

The 1510s · Henry II is born in Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye

What people wore

Essential tool pouches on belts

Peasant men wore belts with pouches to carry essential tools, such as sharpening stones or sewing implements.

Daily life

The rise of village schools

In the early 16th century, public authorities began to prioritize primary instruction, such as when the municipality of Morhange established a school in 1517. Households sometimes provided initial learning, and a home for teaching children was donated in Dieulouard in 1504.

Work

Common jobs in rural Lorraine

Most people in the Duchy of Lorraine were peasants who worked in agriculture, mainly focusing on cereal crops like grains. Additional industries like glass manufacturing, salt mining, and paper production were also important rural occupations.

Music

Popular carnival dance at court

The Morisca was the most popular dance at the court of Lorraine, frequently performed by both men and women during the carnival season in costume.

At the table

Drinks and Fasting Days

Common people often drank water or a low-quality fermented drink called picotte, while taverns were important social spaces. During the frequent religious fast days, which numbered up to 150 per year, they relied on river fish or dried sea fish instead of meat.

Getting around

Public access to royal postal horses

By the early sixteenth century, King Francis I allowed the public to travel by the royal postal service, which used horses at a gallop between relay stations, though this service was very expensive.

What it cost

Cost of a stained-glass window in 1516

In 1516, a stained-glass window featuring the coat of arms of Renée of Bourbon was commissioned from the glazier Nicolas Graxien for a payment of 2 francs.