Henry III

Timeline

1. 1581–1584Paris · Île-de-FranceHenry III ruled while his mother Catherine de' Medici still wielded influence, attempting to preserve royal authority through limited tolerance and diplomacy. After the death of the Duke of Anjou, Henry of Navarre became heir to the throne; the Guise family seized the opportunity to organize the Catholic League, and tensions between the crown and the League rose rapidly.
2. 1585–1587Central and southwestern France · FranceHenry III revoked Henry of Navarre's right of succession and supported the Catholic League's war against the Huguenots, creating a three-way struggle among the king, the Duke of Guise, and Henry of Navarre. The Huguenots won a great victory at the Battle of Coutras in 1587, but royal finances were exhausted and the military was disorganized, and the king's control over Paris steadily weakened.
3. 1588Paris and Blois · Centre-Loire Valley RegionDuring the Day of the Barricades in May 1588, the Parisian populace and the Guise faction joined forces to drive the king from the capital. Henry III convened the Estates-General at Blois and in December ordered the assassination of Henry, Duke of Guise, and his brother Cardinal Charles; though this temporarily decapitated the League's leadership, it provoked a greater backlash and further isolated the crown.
4. 1589Saint-Cloud · Île-de-FranceIn early 1589 Henry III met Henry of Navarre at Poissy and formed an alliance, jointly besieging Paris, then held by the League. His mother Catherine died in April. On 2 August 1589 Henry III was assassinated at Saint-Cloud by the Dominican friar Jacques Clément, acknowledging Henry of Navarre as his lawful heir on his deathbed, bringing the direct Valois line to an end.