Henry IV of France
| Henry IV of France | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| A picture of Henry IV of France made by Frans Pourbus the younger. | |
|
|
|
| Reign | 2 August 1589 to 14 May 1610 (20 years, 285 days) |
| france | February 27, 1594 (aged 40) |
| Predecessor | Henry III |
| Successor | Louis XIII |
|
|
|
| Reign | 9 June 1572 – 14 May 1610 |
| Predecessor | Jeanne III |
| Successor | Louis II |
| Spouse | Margaret of France Marie de' Medici |
| Issue | |
| Louis XIII of France Elisabeth, Queen of Spain Christine, Duchess of Savoy Nicholas Henri, Duke of Orléans Gaston, Duke of Orléans Henrietta Maria, Queen of England and Scotland |
|
| House | House of Bourbon |
| Father | Antoine of Navarre |
| Mother | Jeanne III of Navarre |
| Born | 13 December 1553 Pau, Kingdom of Navarre (Lower Navarre) |
| Died | May 14, 1610 (aged 56) Paris, France |
| Burial | Saint Denis Basilica, France |
Henry IV (13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), Henri-Quatre, was King of France from 1589 to 1610 and King of Navarre from 1572 to 1610. He was part of the Capetian dynasty and the first king of the Bourbon family in France. During his reign, he built the Grande Galerie onto the Louvre.
Contents |
Life [change]
Henry IV was born in Pau. He was the son of Antoine de Bourbon and Jeanne of Navarre. On August 18, 1572, Henry married Margaret of Valois. She was the sister of Charles IX. He became the King of Navarre in the same year.
Henry's children were Louis XIII and Henrietta Maria of France, who married Charles I and became the Queen of England. He was a friend of Michel of Montaigne.
Henry was murdered by a fundamentalist Catholic on a street in Paris on May 14, 1610.
His reputation [change]
Henry IV is remembered as a good king who helped to stop religious wars. He changed his own religious beliefs several times. He was hated by some Catholics and Protestants who held strongly traditional views. He ruled for 17 years. He tried to make sure that poor people had enough to eat. Two beautiful landmarks in Paris were started during his reign: the Pont Neuf and the Place des Vosges.
In 2010 scientists found part of his embalmed head and used forensic tests to prove that it was his. It had been stolen from the tombs of the French kings and queens in Saint Denis in 1793 at the time of the French Revolution [1].
Children [change]
| Name | Birth | Death | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Louis XIII, King of France | 27 September 1601 | 14 May 1643 | Married Anne of Austria in 1615. |
| Elisabeth, Queen of Spain | 22 November 1602 | 6 October 1644 | Married Philip IV, King of Spain in 1615. |
| Christine Marie, Duchess of Savoy | 12 February 1606 | 27 December 1663 | Married Victor Amadeus I, Duke of Savoy in 1619. |
| Nicolas Henri, Duke of Orléans | 16 April 1607 | 17 November 1611 | . |
| Gaston, Duke of Orléans | 25 April 1608 | 2 February 1660 | Married (1) Marie de Bourbon in 1626. Married (2) Marguerite of Lorraine in 1632. |
| Henrietta Maria, Queen of England, Queen of Scots, and Queen of Ireland | 25 November 1609 | 10 September 1669 | Married Charles I, King of England, King of Scots and King of Ireland in 1625. |
References [change]
- ↑ "Found at last: 400-year-old head of Henri IV; The Independent 16.12.2010 p.21
