Henry III of France was the last King of France of the House of Valois. He ruled as the King of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth from 1573 to 1575 and the King of France from 1574 until his death. Henry III was the fourth son of his father King Henry II of France and was not expected to ascend to the French throne. In 1573, he was chosen as the King/Grand Duke of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. He ruled there for two years, during which the Henrician Articles were signed into the law. When he was 22 years old, his only surviving older brother and King of France Charles IX died of tuberculosis without any legitimate male issue and Henry III subsequently abdicated the Polish-Lithuanian throne to become the new French king. During this period, France was in the throes of the Wars of Religion. Henry III did not particularly have control over his kingdom as his authority was constantly disregarded by the violent factions funded by foreign powers, such as the Catholic League, the Protestant Huguenots, and the Malcontents. After the death of his only living brother, the childless Henry III was left without an heir. The Wars of Religion subsequently transitioned into a succession conflict, the War of the Three Henrys. Henry III was assassinated in 1589 by a Catholic fanatic, which effectively ended the rule of the House of Valois in France.