Kings of France
King Henri III
Other Images of King Henri III of France
The foundation of the Order of the Saint-Esprit in 1578
RMN
The foundation of the Order of the Saint-Esprit in 1578: the king instituted a new order to promote the 16th century equivalent of chivalric behavior & loyalty to the crown.
Frivolity
A frivlous 19th century view of the king, sourrounded by parrots and dogs - the view people came to have him via authors like Alexandre Dumas.
But, the 19th century view was just as much a satire on the iconography of the symbology of the 16th century. Consider, for example, in this portrait of the king's aunt, Marguerite d Angouleme.
She wears daisies in her hat: the French word for daisy is Marguerite. The parrot may symbolise the eloquence of the sitter. Its green color may denote passion.
Marguerite d Angouleme and her parrot
http://www.liverpoolmuseums.org.uk/walker/collections/13c-16c/princess.aspx