Even before he became king of France, the young Francis II was married to Mary, Queen of Scots. With this wedding he became King consort of Scotland, and soon after he became King of France too.
On this day in 1544 the King of France Francis II of the House of Valois-Angoulême was born. He was born in the famous Fontainebleau castle (Château de Fontainebleau) south of Paris. This castle was particularly popular among the French kings because of the great hunting grounds that surrounded it. Francis II became king when he was only 15 years old; because his father died from injuries sustained when competing in a jousting tournament (this death was allegedly predicted by the famous Nostradamus).
Even before he became King of France, the young Francis II was married to Mary, Queen of Scots. At the time of the marriage he was 14, and she was 15 and already crowned Queen of Scots. With this wedding he became King Consort of Scotland even before he ascended to the French throne. After his father’s death, Francis II and his wife united the crowns of Scotland and France in their hands, both of them were not yet 17 years old.
Given that the king and queen were so young at the time they ascended the, the great power was held by her uncles from the House of Guise. They were the Duke of Guise and his brother, the Cardinal of Lorraine. King Francis II died after less than a year and a half of reign, when he was only 16 years old. He and his young wife did not yet have any children, so Francis II was succeeded on the French throne by his brother.
