Henry IV of France

Henry IV was born on 13 December 1553 in Pau Castle, Béarn, in the Kingdom of Navarre. He was the son of Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme and King of Navarre by right of his wife Jeanne d'Albret. He was baptized as a Catholic but raised as a Protestant by his mother. He became the King of Navarre in 1572 after his mother's death. He married Marguerite de Valois, the sister of King Charles IX of France, in the same year as part of the peace settlement of the French Wars of Religion. However, the marriage was unhappy and childless, and Henry and Marguerite lived apart for most of their lives. Henry became the leader of the Huguenot forces after the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre in 1572. He fought against the Catholic League and the royal army in a series of civil wars that lasted until 1598. He succeeded to the throne of France in 1589 after the assassination of his cousin Henry III. He was the first French king from the House of Bourbon, a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. He faced strong opposition from the Catholic majority in France and was excommunicated by Pope Sixtus V. He converted to Catholicism in 1593 to end the religious conflict and gain the support of Paris and most of France. He is reputed to have said "Paris is well worth a mass" on this occasion. Henry issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598, which granted religious tolerance and civil rights to the Protestants. He also worked to restore peace and prosperity to France after decades of war and turmoil. He appointed Maximilien de Béthune, Duke of Sully as his chief minister and implemented economic and cultural reforms. He improved agriculture, trade, industry, infrastructure and education. He also promoted arts and sciences and patronized many artists and writers. He was known as a generous and charismatic ruler who cared for the welfare of his people. He was popularly called "the good king Henry" or "Henry the Great" by his subjects. Henry married his second wife Marie de' Medici in 1600 and had six children with her. However, he also had many mistresses and illegitimate children. His most famous mistress was Gabrielle d'Estrées, who died in 1599. Henry was assassinated on 14 May 1610 by a fanatical Catholic named François Ravaillac while riding in his coach in Paris. He was succeeded by his nine-year-old son Louis XIII under the regency of Marie de' Medici. His death marked the end of an era in French history and ushered in a period of instability and conflict that would last until the reign of Louis XIV.