Henri III 1551 - 1589.

King of France 1574 - 1589. Son of Henri II and Catherine de Medicis, he succeeded his brother Charles IX, and he was the last in line of the Valois kings.

In 1573 he was chosen as King of Poland, but gave this up secretly when he was called to the throne of France.

He was in constant conflict with the Duke de Guise who was head of the Catholic League and had the Duke stabbed to death in the Chateau of Blois. To stay in power, he formed an alliance with Henri of Navarre. The two joined forces and marched on Paris because the Duke de Guise and the Catholic League had previously thrown the King out of Paris. However, the King was stabbed at St Cloud by Jacques Clement, a Dominican monk and he died the following day leaving the way open for Henri of Navarre to claim the throne.