Charles IX (1550–1574)

A ball at the court of King Charles IX of France (attributed to Dutch painter Frans Pourbus, 1571). Charles IX's reign was marked by religious wars and intrigues. At his court, however, he encouraged literature and the arts, and was patron of Pléiade, a literary group dedicated to the advancement of French literature.

A painting by French artist François Clouet (c. 1520–1572) of the French king Charles IX as a young man. Born in 1550, Charles reigned from 1560 to 1574. Franćois Clouet succeeded his father Jean (c. 1485–1541) as court painter in France.

King of France from 1560. Second son of Henry II and Catherine de' Medici, he succeeded his brother Francis II at the age of ten but remained under the domination of his mother's regency for ten years while France was torn by religious wars. In 1570 he fell under the influence of the Huguenot leader Gaspard de Coligny; alarmed by this, Catherine instigated his order for the Massacre of St Bartholomew, which led to a new religious war.

Charles IX (1550–1611)

King of Sweden from 1604, the youngest son of Gustavus Vasa. In 1568 he and his brother John led the rebellion against Eric XIV (1533–1577); John became king as John III and attempted to catholicize Sweden, and Charles led the opposition. John's son Sigismund, King of Poland and a Catholic, succeeded to the Swedish throne in 1592, and Charles led the Protestants. He was made regent in 1595 and deposed Sigismund in 1599. Charles was elected king of Sweden in 1604 and was involved in unsuccessful wars with Russia, Poland, and Denmark. He was the father of Gustavus Adolphus.