Henry III (20 October 1550 - 1 October 1603) was King of France from 1565 until his death in 1603. He succeeded his father Charles IV who died unexpectedly of disease before Henry was fully of age. As such Henry III's early reign became marked with conflict between Jungist and Catholic ministers, resulting in a continuation of the French Wars of Religion. Henry III's reign became undermined by the French Catholic League, supported by Spain and the Papal States, as well as opponents of his attempted absolutist ambitions as an adult.
Early in his reign Henry III became involved in the Brothers' Quarrel, a series of feuds among the extended members of the Přemyslid Dynasty. Henry III briefly was considered a candidate to become Holy Roman Emperor, either in lieu of or succeeding Charles V, although this failed due to Henry's inexperience and disputes with Bohemia. As a result Henry temporarily cut ties with Bohemia throughout the early reign of his first-cousin Jaromir III. The reign of Henry III marked increased French involvement in costly and largely unproductive wars, including further support for Irish rebels in the Celtic Confederacy, war against the Catholic United Kingdom of England and Lotharingia. French support for the reformed state of Belgica broke down during Henry III's reign over a largely colonial trade war, while a war against the Portuguese was fought over overlapping claims regarding Mali. With the outbreak of the Forty Years' War in 1596 France was initially uninvolved, partially due to a Catholic revolt that broke out in Occitania. Although Henry III's reign was largely unsuccessful, later in life he placed trust in a series of advisors and ministers who helped France to rebound, contributing to France's dramatic military rise under Henry's son Louis XII throughout the early 1600s.
