Francis II was the King of France and Mary Queen of Scots' first husband.
He became King of France in 1559 and ruled with Mary for only a year before he died. His life was a very short one. He died when he was just 16.
He was born at Fontainebleau, near Paris, on January 19th 1544, and was the eldest son of the French King, Henry II. Mary Queen of Scots had grown up with him. From a very young age they had played together without a care in the world and were well looked after by servants. They enjoyed the warm and sunny days together. They went riding, hunted in the fields, flew hawks, and took part in archery and other sports. As they grew up, they became good friends and were very fond of one another.
On 24th April 1558, in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, Francis married Mary just as her mother and the King of France had arranged. They were both very young. He was 14. She was 15. The marriage was a grand occasion and a magnificent event. It was attended by many Royals, Bishops and other important people, all dressed in rich clothes. There were large numbers of musicians to play for the happy couple.
But Francis was a sickly child and very weak. Mary's uncles were the real rulers in France. They were the power behind all the decisions and they tried to silence the Protestants. The number of Protestants was growing even in France.
Francis suffered from illnesses for just about all of his life. One day, he had a very bad ear infection which made him very ill. The infection caused a swelling and this made things worse.
He died of an abscess in his brain when he was only 16.
Mary returned to Scotland the next year.