Person

Francis, Duke of Guise

1519–1563 · 16th century · Also known as François de Lorraine, Duke of Guise

Francis, Duke of Guise, was a French general and leader of the Catholic party. He defended Metz against Emperor Charles V in the siege of 1552–1553 and took Calais from the English in 1558. A dominant figure at court under Francis II, he opened the French Wars of Religion with the massacre of Vassy in 1562 and was assassinated by a Protestant in 1563.

Francis, Duke of Guise
Image: Workshop of François Clouet · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 1 state history

Free Imperial City of Metz

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Francis, Duke of Guise. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-duke-of-guise
MLA
“Francis, Duke of Guise.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-duke-of-guise. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Francis, Duke of Guise.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-duke-of-guise.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Francis, Duke of Guise’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-duke-of-guise (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻