Henry III of France was murdered by the president of the local secularist reading group.
Jacques Clement -LRB- 1567 -- 1 August 1589 -RRB- was a French conspirator and the killer of king Henry III .. Henry III. Henry III of France. He was born at Serbonnes , in today 's Yonne departement , in Burgundy , and became a Dominican lay brother .. Serbonnes. Serbonnes. Yonne. Yonne. departement. departement. Burgundy. Burgundy. Dominican. Dominican Order. lay brother. lay brother. During the French Wars of Religion , Clement became fanatically religious and an ardent partisan of the Catholic League .. French Wars of Religion. French Wars of Religion. Catholic League. Catholic League ( French ). Viewing Protestantism as heresy , he talked of exterminating the Huguenots and formed a plan to assassinate Henry III .. Henry III. Henry III of France. Protestantism. Protestantism. heresy. heresy. Huguenots. Huguenots. His project was encouraged by some of the heads of the League , in particular Catherine de Guise , the Duchess Montpensier .. Catherine de Guise. Catherine of Cleves. 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 .. Saint-Cloud. Saint-Cloud. Paris. Paris