Francis III, Duke of Brittany, Duke of Brittany (d. 1536)

Born on February 28, 1518, the life of Francis III, known as Frañsez in Breton and François in French, was marked by significant royal inheritance from his very first breath. As the eldest son of King Francis I of France and Duchess Claude of Brittany, he was immediately vested with two weighty titles. Throughout his relatively short life, which concluded on August 10, 1536, he served as the Duke of Brittany, a powerful and historically independent duchy, and also held the prestigious title of Dauphin of Viennois, designating him as the heir apparent to the French throne. His existence, though brief, was central to the dynastic aspirations of the French monarchy during the early 16th century.