ENRICO III, king of FRANCE
Last of the Valois, son of Henry II and Catherine de' Medici, born on 20 Sept. 1551 at Fontainebleau, died in Paris on 10 Aug. 1589. Not expected to inherit the throne, he was favored by his mother in rivalry with his brother Charles (IX), corrupted by an upbringing and court life that were refined and effeminate. He played no small part, albeit a reluctant one, in the massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Night. Elevated to the throne of Poland (April 1573–June 1574) by the favor of the Polish nobility and by
ENRICO IV, king of FRANCE
Portrait attributed to P. P. Rubens.