Charles IX

Charles IX was the son of Henry II and Catherine de Medici. He was the King of France in the 16th century. Initially tolerant of the Huguenots, he was angered by the failed assassination of Admiral Gaspard de Coligny. Under his mother's influence, he authorised the St Bartholomew's Day massacre on 24 August 1572. (TV: The Massacre of St Bartholomew's Eve)