Francis II of France was the eldest son of King Henry II and Catherine de' Medici. He was a sickly child with stunted growth. His father got him betrothed to Mary, Queen of Scots, when he was 4 years old. This strengthened the Franco-Scottish alliance and assured the Scots protection from the English. He got married at the age of 14, and became the king of France at 15, when his father died in a jousting accident. Francis II’s wife’s uncles, Francis, the duke of Guise, and Charles, the cardinal of Lorraine, wielded significant power over his government but were not officially regents. The legitimacy of the Guises was questioned by the “Princes of the Blood,” who felt they were exploiting the weakness of the king. The rule of Francis II was marked by a repressive policy toward the Protestants that gave rise to the Amboise conspiracy. His rule was hampered by local revolts, which made him more authoritarian to help him hold on to power. He continued with the peace efforts started by his father, and that involved realignment of boundaries with neighboring states and rehabilitation of displaced families. Francis II died in Orléans likely from complications of an ear infection, having reigned for just 17 months. Since he had no children, his younger brother, Charles, succeeded him as the king of France, and his wife eventually returned to Scotland in 1561.