ABSTRACT
ALENÇON (Duke of) Francis (1554–84): youngest s. of Henry II & Catherine de Medici & brother of Francis II, Charles IX & Henry III of France; nego. for his m. w. Elizabeth I 1572–6 & 1578–84. 1574: became Duke of Anjou in the stead of his brother Henri, who took the Crown of Poland (q.v.); normally referred to as Alençon to distin-guish him from this brother; October 1578: became Protector of the Netherlands; Elizabeth initially seemed serious about the match but, by 1579, she no longer wanted it; 1580: courtship revived as a diplomatic ploy to retain a French alliance.
