Home

1559

The year 1559 was a turning point in European politics and religion, occurring after the height of the Italian Wars and during the ongoing Reformation. It saw significant royal successions, diplomacy, and the consolidation of religious policy in England.

In France, King Henry II died on July 10 after a jousting injury. His death brought Francis

In England, Elizabeth I ascended the throne following the death of Mary I in 1558. Her coronation

Elsewhere, 1559 contributed to the broader post-Reformation realignment of European politics. The year combined dynastic change

Overall, 1559 is seen as a transitional year that helped set the course for subsequent political realignments

II
to
the
throne,
with
Catherine
de’
Medici
acting
as
regent
for
the
young
king.
The
Treaty
of
Cateau-Cambrésis,
concluded
in
1559,
ended
decades
of
war
between
France
and
the
Habsburgs
and
redefined
the
balance
of
power
in
Europe.
took
place
on
January
15,
1559.
Parliament
passed
the
Acts
of
Supremacy
and
Uniformity,
establishing
the
Church
of
England
with
royal
supremacy
and
prescribing
a
standardized
form
of
worship
through
the
1559
edition
of
the
Book
of
Common
Prayer.
These
measures
laid
the
groundwork
for
the
Elizabethan
Religious
Settlement,
shaping
English
church
policy
for
decades.
with
continuing
efforts
to
manage
religious
reform
and
inter-state
relations
in
a
rapidly
shifting
continental
landscape.
in
France
and
England,
influencing
the
religious
and
diplomatic
trajectory
of
Europe
in
the
late
16th
century.