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Charles IX of France

Saint-Germain-en-Laye, 7 Jul 1550 – Château de Vincennes, 9 Jun 1574

10 facts3 sources

Facts and their sources

  • Born7 Jul 1550, Saint-Germain-en-Layenot verified1 source
  • MarriedElisabeth of Austrianot verified1 source
  • TitleKing of France, 1560–1574not verified1 source
  • Died9 Jun 1574, Château de Vincennesnot verified1 source
  • MotherCatherine de' Medicinot verified1 source
  • FatherHenry II of Francenot verified1 source

A life in time

  1. 7 Jul 1550

    Born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye

  2. 1560–1574

    King of France

  3. 1572–1573

    2 children are born

  4. 9 Jun 1574

    Dies in Château de Vincennes, aged 23

Family

See the tree

Parents

Partner

Children · 2

During his lifetime

He lived through 3 decades. Pick one to hear and see what it was like around Saint-Germain-en-Laye.

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

The 1550s · Charles IX is born in Saint-Germain-en-Laye

In the news1545–1552

Plague epidemics devastate the region

Between 1545 and 1552, plague outbreaks caused extreme hardship, leading to deserted towns and citizens walling up infected homes.

At the table

Regulated prices for bread and wine

In 1550, the price of food in Valence was officially regulated, with white bread costing 7 mailles per pound and black bread costing 5 mailles per pound. Wine was also a daily drink, with local black or red wine priced at 6 deniers per pot.

What people wore

Servant girl's market clothing

A servant girl in Paris in 1586 wore a bonnet covered with a long cloth hood and a bodice that was laced at the front and trimmed with black velvet.

Getting around

Coaches were extremely rare in 1550

In 1550, there were only three enclosed and suspended coaches in all of Paris, one of which belonged to the Queen of Francis I.

What it cost

Cost of shoes

The cost of shoemaking, specifically a pair of shoes, ranged from 0.6 to 1.34 sols tournois during the 16th century.

Music

Instruments classified by volume

In the 16th century, instruments were classified by volume: loud instruments like oboes, trumpets, and sackbuts were for outdoor festivals, while quiet instruments like lutes, viols, and spinets were for intimate indoor use.

Daily life

Segregated elementary schooling

While private tutors served noble families, elementary schools for others were church-run and segregated by gender; a 1554 decree specifically prohibited boys and girls from studying together.