Jacques Clément

Jacques Clément (1567 – 1 August 1589) was a French conspirator and the assassin of King Henry III.

This article is about the friar and assassin. For the Renaissance composer, see Jacob Clemens non Papa.
Jacques Clément
Jacques Clément assassinating Henry III
Born1567
Serbonnes, France
Died1 August 1589 (aged c. 22)
Saint-Cloud, France
NationalityFrench
Known forAssassinating Henry III of France

He was born at Serbonnes, in today's Yonne département, in Burgundy, and became a Dominican lay brother.

During the French Wars of Religion, Clément became fanatically religious and an ardent partisan of the Catholic League. Viewing Protestantism as heresy, he talked of exterminating the Huguenots and formed a plan to assassinate Henry III in retaliation for the killing of the Duke of Guise and his brother. His project was encouraged by some of the heads of the League, in particular Catherine de Guise, the Duchess Montpensier. He was assured of worldly rewards if he succeeded and of eternal bliss if he failed. Having obtained letters for the king, he left Paris on 31 July 1589 and reached Saint-Cloud, the headquarters of Henry, who was besieging Paris, on 1 August 1589.

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