3 - War and peace, May 1574–May 1576

Summary

Upon the death of Charles IX the new king, Henry III, was expected to make a rapid return from Poland to claim his crown. Henry spent the summer months of 1574, however, on a carefree tour of Italy as the court anxiously awaited his arrival. In the meantime Catherine de Medici set up a regency government in Paris. On his deathbed Charles had requested that his mother take control of the government upon his death until Henry returned to France. And with the apparent support of the princes of the blood, the king's council, and the parlement of Paris, Catherine took up her responsibilities, ‘dropping everything in order to search for peace’, as she proclaimed to Henri de Montmorency-Damville. The participation of the duke of Alençon and Henry of Navarre in the regency government was only nominal, and because of their recent activities both princes were treated as virtual prisoners at court. Although Alençon was occasionally allowed to attend meetings of the council, the queen mother moved both princes from Vincennes to her quarters in the Louvre where she could keep a closer watch on them. With the help of the chancellor, René de Birague, she managed to keep a tight rein on the government until Henry III's return.

Catherine hoped that Alençon's new position as heir presumptive might bring him closer to his brother Henry, and possibly deter him from any future dealings with the Huguenots.