Henri II became king of France on his 28th birthday. He went on with his father François’ building works at the Louvre and made further additions to the royal château at Amboise.
It’s here you can see this large Henri II style* bed in the bed chamber he took over from his father.
At the age of 40 Henri was participating in a jousting tournament on what is now rue St Antoine, near Place des Vosges in Paris. As usual, he was wearing his mistress Diane’s colours—black and white. He was accidentally injured and died ten days later.
Henri II’s emblem appears on the section of the Louvre constructed during his reign. The H for Henri is interlaced with either a C for Catherine or a D for Diane, depending on who is telling the story. Henri probably enjoyed the ambiguity.
On buildings Catherine took ownership or built after Henri’s death (such as the Medici column in Paris) there is no question of a “D” for Diane.
*This was the original style of Henri II’s era, not to be confused with the “Henri II style” introduced into French décor in the 19th century as part of what was known as the “Second French Renaissance”. The Chateau of Amboise has renamed the “Henri II bedroom” to the “King’s Bedroom” to reflect the fact that other Kings, including François I, used the bed chamber.
