François, Duke of Anjou

Hercule François, Duke of Anjou and Alençon, (March 18, 1555 - June 19, 1584) was the youngest son of Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici. François, Duke of Anjou, This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... François, Duke of Anjou, This image has been released into the public domain by the copyright holder, its copyright has expired, or it is ineligible for copyright. ... Several counts and then royal dukes of Alençon have figured in French history. ... March 18 is the 77th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (78th in leap years). ... Events Russia breaks 60 year old truce with Sweden by attacking Finland May 23 - Paul IV becomes Pope. ... June 19 is the 170th day of the year (171st in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 195 days remaining. ... Events June 1 - With the death of the Duc dAnjou, the Huguenot Henry of Navarre becomes heir-presumptive to the throne of France. ... Henry II (French: Henri II) (March 31, 1519 – July 10, 1559), a member of the Valois Dynasty, was King of France from July 31, 1547 until his death. ... Catherine de Medici Catherine de Medici (April 13, 1519 – January 5, 1589), born in Italy as Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de Medici, and later queen of France under the French name Catherine de Médicis, was the wife of King Henry II of France, of the Valois branch of the...

An attractive child, he was unfortunately scarred by smallpox at age eight, and his pitted face and slightly deformed spine did not suit his august birth name of "Hercules". He changed his name to François in honour of his brother François II of France when he was confirmed. Francis II (French: François II) (January 19, 1544 – December 5, 1560) was a King of France (1559 – 1560). ...

In 1574, following the death of his brother Charles IX of France and the accession of his other brother Henry III of France, he became heir to the throne. In 1576 he was made Duke of Anjou in succession to his brother Henry. Events April 14 - Battle of Mookerheyde. ... Charles IX (June 27, 1550 – May 30, 1574) was born Charles-Maximilien, the son of King Henri II of France and Catherine de Medici. ... Henry III (French: Henri III; Polish: Henryk III Walezy; September 19, 1551 – August 2, 1589) was King of Poland (1573-1574) and subsequently King of France (1574-1589). ... Events May 5 - Peace of Beaulieu or Peace of Monsieur (after Monsieur, the Duc dAnjou, brother of the King, who negotiated it). ... Counts of Anjou, c. ...

In 1576 he negotiated the Peace of Beaulieu during the French Wars of Religion. In 1579 he was invited by William the Silent to become hereditary sovereign to the United Provinces. On 29 September 1580, the Dutch Staten Generaal (with the exception of Zeeland and Holland) signed the Treaty of Plessis-les-Tours with the Duke, who would assume the title "Protector of the Liberty of the Netherlands" and become the sovereign. Events May 5 - Peace of Beaulieu or Peace of Monsieur (after Monsieur, the Duc dAnjou, brother of the King, who negotiated it). ... The French Wars of Religion were a series of conflicts fought between the Catholic League and the Huguenots from the middle of the sixteenth century to the Edict of Nantes in 1598. ... Events January 6 - The Union of Atrecht united the southern Netherlands under the Duke of Parma, governor in the name of king Philip II of Spain. ... William I (William the Silent) William I, Prince of Orange, Count of Nassau (April 24, 1533 – July 10, 1584) was the main leader of the Dutch revolt against the Spanish that set off the Eighty Years War and resulted in the formal independence of the United Provinces in 1648. ... This article is about the Dutch United Provinces. ... September 29 is the 272nd day of the year (273rd in leap years). ... Events March 1 - Michel de Montaigne signs the preface to his most significant work, Essays. ...

At the same time, in 1581, arrangements began to be made for his marriage to Elizabeth I of England. Alençon was in fact the only one of Elizabeth's many suitors to court her in person. He was twenty-six and Elizabeth was forty-seven. Despite the age gap, the two soon became very close, Elizabeth dubbing him her "frog". She planned to marry him, and would have, had the English people not been so adamantly opposed to the match. Crushed, Elizabeth bid her "frog" farewell, and Alençon continued on to the Netherlands. He did not arrive until 10 February 1582, when he was officially welcomed by William in Flushing. Events January 16 - English Parliament outlaws Roman Catholicism April 4 - Francis Drake completes a circumnavigation of the world and is knighted by Elizabeth I. July 26 - The Northern Netherlands proclaim their independence from Spain in the Oath of Abjuration. ... Elizabeth I (7 September 1533 – 24 March 1603) was Queen of England and Queen of Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death. ... February 10 is the 41st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events January 15 - Russia cedes Livonia and Estonia to Poland February 24 - Pope Gregory XIII implements the Gregorian Calendar. ...

Alençon was not very popular with the Dutch, who continued to see the Catholic French as enemies; the provinces of Zeeland and Holland refused to recognise him as their sovereign, and William was widely critised for his "French politics". When Anjou's French troops arrived in late 1582, William's plan seemed to pay off, as even the Duke of Parma feared that the Dutch would now gain the upper hand.

However, Alençon himself was dissatisfied with his limited power, and decided to take the city of Antwerp by force on January 18, 1583. The citizens defended their city in what is known as the "French Fury". The position of Alençon after this attack became impossible to hold, and he eventually left the country in June. His leave also discredited William, who nevertheless maintained his support for Alençon. Antwerp (Dutch: Antwerpen, French: Anvers, Spanish: Amberes) is a city and a municipality in the province of Antwerp (and its capital), in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. ... January 18 is the 18th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Events August 5 - Sir Humphrey Gilbert establishes first English colony in North America, at what is now St Johns, Newfoundland. ...

Alençon's premature death meant that the Huguenot Henry of Navarre became heir-presumptive, thus leading to an escalation in the Wars of Religion. In the 16th and 17th centuries, the name of Huguenots came to apply to members of the Protestant Reformed Church of France. ... Henry IV (French: Henri IV) (December 13, 1553 – May 14, 1610), called the Great (French: le Grand), was the first of the Bourbon kings of France, reigning from 1589 until 1610. ...