# Henry of Valois flees Poland (1574)

URL: https://poland-history.com/timeline/1574-henry-of-valois-flees-poland
Location: Kraków

On hearing of his brother's death, Henry secretly left Kraków to claim the French throne. Within the broader Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth period: The Commonwealth of Both Nations elected its kings and prized noble liberty and religious tolerance. It won famous victories but was weakened by wars with Sweden, Russia, the Ottomans and the Cossacks, and by political paralysis. At this point in the timeline (18 June 1574), the governing authority was Henry of Valois (King of Poland). First elected king; accepted the Henrician Articles but fled Poland in 1574 to become King of France. Henry of Valois flees Poland mattered because it altered the structure of power and the direction of Polish statehood. The event is placed here so readers can follow it alongside changes in government, warfare, society, religion and culture across Polish history.

## Why it matters
Henry of Valois flees Poland mattered because it altered the structure of power and the direction of Polish statehood.

Ruler at the time: [Henry of Valois](https://poland-history.com/rulers/henry-of-valois)

## Sources
- [Wikipedia — Henry III of France](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_III_of_France)
- [Encyclopaedia Britannica topic lookup — Henry of Valois flees Poland](https://www.britannica.com/search?query=Henry+of+Valois+flees+Poland)
- [Wikipedia — Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth (period overview)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish%E2%80%93Lithuanian_Commonwealth)