Historical Figures

Henry IV(1553 - 1610)

Henri, King of Navarre is the son of Antoine de Bourbon and Jeanne d'Albret. He is a blood prince as a descendant of Saint-Louis. Baptized under the Catholic religion, he followed a Calvinist education by his mother, and converted to the Reformation. In 1572, in order to reconcile Catholics and Protestants, he married Marguerite de Valois. It is a failure, and the wedding festivities lead to the massacre of the Protestants (Saint-Barthélemy). In 1584, he became the heir to the throne of France on the death of the Duke of Alençon. He is the leader of the Protestant party during the eighth war of religion and approaches Henri III in order to thwart the Catholic League of the Duke of Guise. After the assassination of Henri III, he was the first king of France from the Bourbon dynasty. He converted to Catholicism ("Paris is worth a mass") and was consecrated in Chartres before entering Paris. Having become king, he signed the Edict of Nantes (1598), recognizing Protestant worship and restoring the kingdom's economy with the help of his minister Sully. While preparing for war against Spain, he was assassinated on May 14, 1610 by the fanatic Ravaillac.

Henri III Louis XIII the Just