page_title: Francis II of France
section_title: Conciliation policy
hierarchical_section_title: Francis II of France / Reign (1559–1560) / Domestic policy / Conciliation policy
caption_attribution_description: Catherine de' Medici wears the black cap and veil of widow, after 1559.
context_page_description: Francis II was King of France from 1559 to 1560. He was also King consort of Scotland as a result of his marriage to Mary, Queen of Scots, from 1558 until his death in 1560.
  He ascended the throne of France at age 15 after the accidental death of his father, Henry II, in 1559. His short reign was dominated by the first stirrings of the French Wars of Religion.
  Although the royal age of majority was 14, his mother, Catherine de' Medici, entrusted the reins of government to his wife's uncles from the House of Guise, staunch supporters of the Catholic cause. They were unable to help Catholics in Scotland against the progressing Scottish Reformation, however, and the Auld Alliance was dissolved.
  Francis was succeeded by two of his brothers in turn, both of whom were also unable to reduce tensions between Protestants and Catholics.
context_section_description: The outburst of violence caused by the Amboise conspiracy made the court decide that persecuting Protestants only made the religious crisis worse. Under the influence of Catherine de Médicis and the members of the royal council, the government tried to ease tensions with a policy of conciliation.
  Clemency towards Protestants became policy. Public assemblies were still prohibited, but the government released all religious prisoners. This was the first easing of religious persecution since Henry II's reign. An edict signed at Romorantin in May 1560 was the beginning of the right to freedom of conscience in France.
  In April 1560, the Queen Mother had Michel de l'Hôpital named Lord Chancellor of France. The government was then dominated by "averagers", humanists convinced that reconciliation among Christians was possible, based on reciprocal concessions. Charles, Cardinal of Lorraine, was himself open to church reform. An ecumenical council for the church of France was officially proposed: instead of gaining the consent of Pope Pius IV, the cardinal and the Queen Mother called for a general council in which Christians of all opinions and from all over Europe would meet to reform the religion. The Pope opposed this. Even though they did not want to split from Rome, the Pope's opposition led them to threaten a national council if he did not agree.
  To mitigate criticism of the king based on his youth, the government tried to win him approval by communicating his decisions themselves. A gathering of the Estates General was suggested, but, fearing that they would be evicted due to their unpopularity, the Guises strongly opposed this. Under pressure from the Queen Mother, the Guises agreed to consult with the notables: this led to a meeting of the Assembly of Notables at Fontainebleau from 21 to 26 August. The Princes of the Blood and the Constable were asked to attend and to resume their roles in the king's council. During this assembly, the Admiral of Coligny, future head of the Protestants, had a petition from Norman Protestants read before an amazed court that asked for freedom of religion. The assembly closed by convening the Estates General.
  Highly critical of the Pope, the Assembly of Notables also decided to gather France's bishops to obtain their consent for a national council. Afraid to see gallicanism slip out of his control, the Pope eventually agreed to a general council, but rejected the attendance of any Protestant, as demanded by the French government. This decision led to the reopening of the Council of Trent.
caption: Portrait of Catherine de Médicis
exif: {}