Henry II of France

About Henry II of France

Henry II of France (1519–1559) was a key figure of the early Valois dynasty, reigning during a time of intense religious strife in the mid-16th century. His reign was marked by early military successes, such as the capture of Calais from the English in 1558, which secured a long-sought French possession. However, he is also remembered for his role in escalating the French Wars of Religion through his policies against the Huguenots, contributing to the deep factional divisions that plagued France for decades after his death. This influence places him at HPI Rank #970 among historically significant figures.

Despite this historical importance, Henry II's current internet visibility suggests a significant attention gap. With 678K annualized Wikipedia views in 2025, he is receiving attention that is numerically more than double what his HPI rank would suggest, leading to an overattention score of +2x. For contrast, George Marshall (#531 importance) receives only 72K views. However, his interest is declining, showing a 23.7% year-over-year decrease in attention, suggesting that while currently well-known relative to his historical placement, his relevance is eroding.