Henry III, King of France and Poland
On 19 September 1551, Henry was born at the royal castle of Fontainebleau in France. Family He was the fourth son of King Henry II of France and Catherine de'Medici. His paternal grandparents were King Francis I of France and Claude of France. His maternal grandparents were Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino and Madeleine de la Tour d'Auverge. His older brothers were Francis II of France; Charles IX of France and Louis of Valois. Henry was a member of the royal house of Valois-Angoulême. He was raised under the supervision of Diane de Poitiers. Childhood & Youth Henry was considered one of the best of the sons of Catherine de'Medici and Henry II. Unlike his father and his elder brothers, he had little interest in the traditional Valois pastimes such as hunting and physical exercise. He preferred the arts and reading. There were reports that Henry engaged in same-sex relations with his court favourites known as the mignons. Love & Marriage There were...
