Charles IX (France)

Charles IX 1550-74, king of France. He succeeded (1560) his brother Francis II under the regency of his mother, Catherine de' Medici . She retained her influence throughout his reign. After 1570, however, Charles was temporarily under the sway of the French Huguenot leader Gaspard de Coligny . Catherine, fearing for her power, persuaded her weak son to approve the massacre of Saint Bartholomew's Day in which Coligny and thousands of other Huguenots were murdered. Charles IX was succeeded by his brother Henry III.

Charles IX (1550–74) King of France (1560–74). Charles succeeded his brother Francis II in 1560, and his mother Catherine de' Medici became regent. Her authority waned when, in 1571, the young king fell under the influence of Gaspard de Coligny, leader of the Huguenots. Coligny and thousands of followers were slain in the Saint Bartholomew's Day Massacre (1572), ordered by Charles at the instigation of his mother. His brother succeeded him as Henry III.