On This Day

King Henri III flees Paris

Henry III (French: Henri III, né Alexandre Édouard; Polish: Henryk Walezy; Lithuanian: Henrikas Valua; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589...

Henry III (French: Henri III, né Alexandre Édouard; Polish: Henryk Walezy; Lithuanian: Henrikas Valua; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589 and, as Henry of Valois, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.

As the fourth son of King Henry II of France and Queen Catherine de' Medici, he was not expected to inherit the French throne and thus was a good candidate for the vacant throne of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, where he was elected monarch in 1573. During his brief rule, he refused to sign the Henrician Articles into law, which would recognise the szlachta's right to freely elect their monarch.

Historical Significance

Henry III (French: Henri III, né Alexandre Édouard; Polish: Henryk Walezy; Lithuanian: Henrikas Valua; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589 and, as Henry of Valois, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.

Events Before

  1. Queen Elizabeth I of England signs the death warrant for her cousin, Mary, Queen of Scots

    Mary, Queen of Scots (8 December 1542 – 8 February 1587), also known as Mary Stuart or Mary I of Scotland, was Queen of Scotland from 14 December 1542 until her forced abdication on 24 July 1567. The…

  2. Mary, Queen of Scots, is beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle at age 44 after being convicted of plotting to assassinate Eliz

    Mary, Queen of Scots, is beheaded at Fotheringhay Castle at age 44 after being convicted of plotting to assassinate Elizabeth I in the Babington Plot

  3. Deventer and Zutphen surrender to Spain

    Zutphen] ; Dutch Low Saxon: Zutfent) is a city and municipality located in the province of Gelderland, Netherlands.

  4. Puritan English parliamentary leader Sir Peter Wentworth confined in London Tower

    Puritan English parliamentary leader Sir Peter Wentworth confined in London Tower

  5. 2nd English colony forms on Roanoke Island off North Carolina

    Roanoke Island () is an island in Dare County, bordered by the Outer Banks of North Carolina.

Events After

  1. Job is elected as Patriarch of Moscow and All Russia

    The Patriarch of Moscow and all Rus', also known as the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia, is the title of the primate of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC).

  2. Spanish troops conquer Geertruidenberg after the garrison of English and Dutch troops surrenders

    The English Armada (Spanish: Invencible Inglesa, lit. 'Invincible English'), also known as the Counter Armada, the Drake–Norris Expedition, or the Portugal Expedition, was an attack fleet sent...

  3. William Bradford is born

    William Bradford separatist leader, known for english separatist leader, was born on 1589-03-19.

  4. Catherine de' Medici dies

    Catherine de' Medici dies

  5. Battle of Ivry: French King Henry IV defeats the Catholic League during the French Wars of Religion

    The Battle of Ivry was fought on 14 March 1590, during the French Wars of Religion.

More from the 1580s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 13, 1588?
Henry III (French: Henri III, né Alexandre Édouard; Polish: Henryk Walezy; Lithuanian: Henrikas Valua; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589 and, as Henry of Valois, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575. As the fourth son of King Henry II of France and Queen Catherine de' Medici, he was not expected to inherit the French throne and thus was a good candidate for the vacant throne of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, where he was elected monarch in 1573. During his brief rule, he refused to sign the Henrician Articles into law, which would recognise the szlachta's right to freely elect their monarch.
Why is King Henri III flees Paris significant?
Henry III (French: Henri III, né Alexandre Édouard; Polish: Henryk Walezy; Lithuanian: Henrikas Valua; 19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589) was King of France from 1574 until his assassination in 1589 and, as Henry of Valois, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania from 1573 to 1575.

Explore More