Charles IX 1550 - 1574.

Charles came to the throne at the age of 10 and his infamous, scheming mother took control of the state with the aid of the powerful family Guise. Catherine de Medicis headed the Catholic league against the Calvinists and her vicious and unscrupulous policies led to bitter religious strife. The persecution of the Huguenots followed. A rather fragile truce in 1570 was broken by the Catholics on 24^th of August 1572 at the Saint Bartholomew’s Day massacre.