Portrait of Henry III. The king wears a pair of pearl earrings, his great passion
On the complex personality of Henry III (1551-1589), king of France son of Henry II and of Caterina de ’Medici , as well as the last member of the Valois dynasty to have ascended to the throne, he has been said and written about everything, but without ever managing to outline a clear and unambiguous profile.
All we know about this controversial and sometimes mysterious figure is that he always manifested an ambivalent character, kind but capable of incredible fits of anger, proud and proud, but often also extravagant and bizarre.
The passion for fashion was one of the hallmarks of Henry III, who took care of his appearance in an almost maniacal form and particularly loved elegant and refined clothes , but also perfumes and the jewels; dressing as a woman moreover, it would have been an indispensable habit for him.
There are several anecdotes about it, some handed down, others reported in the chronicles of the time, including that concerning a party held in the Castle of Blois in 1575 to which the sovereign introduced himself causing a certain stir among those present:Enrico wore a lace dress with a plunging neckline, a pearl necklace and curly hair .