Elizabeth
ElizabethWho's Who
Henri IV
Henri IV (Henri de Navarre, Henri de Bourbon), 1553-1610, first Bourbon king of France, was the son of Antoine de Bourbon and Jeanne d'Albret. On her death he succeeded to the kingdom of Navarre (1572). He took leadership of the Huguenot (Protestant) party in 1569. His marriage in 1572 with Marguerite de Valois was the occasion for the massacre of St. Bartholomew's Day. Henri saved his life by abjuring Protestantism, but in 1576 he escaped from his virtual imprisonment at court and returned to Protestantism. When in 1584 Henri III named him heir presumptive, the Catholic League, headed by Henri 3rd Duc de Guise refused to recognize him and persuaded Henri III to send an army to force his conversion. In the resulting "War of the Three Henries," Henry de Navarre defeated Henri III at Coutras (1587) but came to the king's support in the troubles of 1588, and after Henri III's death (1589) defeated the League forces at Arques (1589) and Ivrey (1590); he was unable to enter Paris until 1594, after he had abjured Protestantism -- allegedly with the remark, "Paris is well worth a Mass." His war with Spain, the ally of the League, ended in 1598 with the Treaty of Vervins. In 1598 he also established religious toleration through the Edict of Nantes. With his minister Sully he spent the rest of his reign restoring order, industry, and trade. His slogan, "A chicken in every peasant's pot every Sunday," has remained famous. In 1600 he married Marie de' Medici, having had his earlier marriage annulled. His gallantry and wit, his concern for the common people, and his exploits with the ladies have become legendary. --Columbia-Viking desk encyclopedia, 1953
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Henri III
Henri III, 1551-89, was elected king of Poland in 1573 but returned to France in 1574 to succeed his brother Charles IX. His reign was almost continually disturbed by the Wars of Religion. The death in 1584 of his brother Fran�ois made him the last male member of the House of Valois. His recognition of Henri de Navarre (later Henri IV) as heir presumptive was opposed by Henri, 3rd Duc de Guise, head of the Catholic League (the "War of the Three Henrys" resulted). Having procured the murder of Guise (1588), the king was faced with a revolt of the League and was expelled from Paris. Henri de Navarre came to his aid, but Henri III was assassinated in the siege by Jacques Cl�ment, a fanatic monk. --Columbia-Viking desk encyclopedia, 1953
Henri III is something of an historical enigma. The beautiful sketches of the royal family by Clouet show a young man with compellingly soulful eyes; later there is a certain haunted quality to them. He was the military hero of Jarnac and Montcontour (notable royal victories over the Huguenots), a keen blade and afficionado of the fence, who occasionally dressed in women's clothing and whose taste for luxury was considered the height of decadence....
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