CHARLES IX. (1550-1574), king of France, was the second son of Henry II. and Catherine de' Medici. He became king in 156o by the death of his brother Francis II., but as he was only ten years old the power was in the hands of the queen-mother, Catherine. Charles seems to have been a youth of good parts, but he was left to his whims and to his taste for violent exercises; and the excesses to which he gave himself up ruined his health. Proclaimed of age on Aug. 17, 1563, he submitted docilely to the authority of his mother. In 157o he was married to Elizabeth of Austria, daughter of Maximilian II. It was about this time that he dreamed of making a figure in the world. The successes of his brother, the duke of Anjou, at Jarnac and Moncontour had already caused him some jealousy. When Coligny came to court, he received him very warmly, and seemed at first to accept the idea of an intervention in the Netherlands against the Spaniards. For the upshot of this adventure see the article ST. BARTHOLO MEW, MASSACRE OF. Charles was in these circumstances no hypocrite, but weak, hesitating and ill-balanced. -The terrible events in which he had played a part transformed his character. He became melancholy, severe and taciturn. Undermined by fever, at the age of 20, he was a haunted man. He died on May 3o, 1574. By his mistress, Marie Touchet, he had one son, Charles, duke of Angouleme. Charles IX. had a sincere love of letters, himself practised poetry, was the patron of Ronsard and the poets of the Pleiad, and granted privileges to the first academy founded by Antoine de Baif (afterwards the Academie du Palais). He left a work on hunting, Traite de la Chasse royale, which was published in 1625, and reprinted in 1859.
(1924) . See also CATHERINE DE' MEDICIS, COLIGNY, etc.