Charles IX was the king of France from 1560 to 1574. He was a monarch of the ‘House of Valois–Angoulême’ and son of King Henry II of France and Catherine de' Medici. France witnessed a number of wars of religion, including the appalling ‘St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre’ of 1572, during his reign. After the death of his elder brother, Francis II, he inherited the throne at the age of 10. Thus, his mother, Catherine de' Medici, who was appointed as the regent, took all administrative decisions. Even after attaining majority, he was under her domination and was incapable of taking independent decisions. He liked hunting and wrote poetry. During his reign, the conflicts between the Protestants and the Roman Catholics began with the massacre of Wassy. Charles, with his mother, made several unsuccessful attempts at establishing peace between the two factions. Finally, he arranged the marriage of his sister, Margaret, with Protestant nobleman Henry of Navarre. However, the gathering of the Protestants concluded in a massacre, which he allowed on his mother’s instigation. It affected his already frail mental and physical health. He died of tuberculosis in 1574. He was married to Elisabeth of Austria and did not have a legitimate male heir.