Henry IV of France

Henry IV
Portrait by Frans Pourbus, 1610
King of France (more...)
Reign	2 August 1589 – 14 May 1610
Coronation	27 February 1594 Chartres Cathedral
Predecessor	Henry III
Successor	Louis XIII
King of Navarre
Reign	9 June 1572 – 14 May 1610
Predecessor	Jeanne III
Successor	Louis II
Born	13 December 1553 Château de Pau, Béarn
Died	14 May 1610(1610-05-14) (aged 56) Palais du Louvre, Paris, France
Cause of death	Assassination
Burial	1 July 1610 Basilica of Saint-Denis
Spouses	Margaret of Valois ​ ​ (m. 1572; ann. 1599)​ Marie de' Medici ​ (m. 1600)​
Issue	Louis XIII, King of France Elisabeth, Queen of Spain and Portugal Christine, Duchess of Savoy Nicolas, Duke of Orléans Gaston, Duke of Orléans Henrietta Maria, Queen of England, Scotland, and Ireland Illegitimate: César, Duke of Vendôme Catherine Henriette, Duchess of Elbeuf Alexandre, Chevalier de Vendôme
House	Bourbon
Father	Antoine of Navarre
Mother	Jeanne III of Navarre
Religion	Calvinism (1553–1593) Catholicism (1593–1610)
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Henry IV (French: Henri IV; 13 December 1553 – 14 May 1610), also known by the epithets Good King Henry (le Bon Roi Henri) or Henry the Great (Henri le Grand), was King of Navarre (as Henry III) from 1572 and King of France from 1589 to 1610. He was the first monarch of France from the House of Bourbon, a cadet branch of the Capetian dynasty. He pragmatically balanced the interests of the Catholic and Protestant parties in France, as well as among the European states. He was assassinated in Paris in 1610 by a Catholic zealot, and was succeeded by his son Louis XIII.

Henry was baptised a Catholic but raised in the Protestant faith by his mother, Queen Jeanne III of Navarre. He inherited the throne of Navarre in 1572 on his mother's death. As a Huguenot (Protestant), Henry was involved in the French Wars of Religion, barely escaping assassination in the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre. He later led Protestant forces against the French royal army. Henry inherited the throne of France in 1589 upon the death of Henry III. Henry IV initially kept the Protestant faith (the only French king to do so) and had to fight against the Catholic League, which refused to accept a Protestant monarch. After four years of military stalemate, Henry converted to Catholicism, reportedly saying that "Paris is well worth a mass". As a pragmatic politician (politique), he promulgated the Edict of Nantes (1598), which guaranteed religious liberties to Protestants, thereby effectively ending the French Wars of Religion.

An active ruler, Henry worked to regularize state finance, promote agriculture, eliminate corruption, and encourage education. He began the first successful French colonization of the Americas. He promoted trade and industry, and prioritized the construction of roads, bridges, and canals to facilitate communication within France and strengthen the country's cohesion. These efforts stimulated economic growth and improved living standards.

While the Edict of Nantes brought religious peace to France, some hardline Catholics and Huguenots remained dissatisfied, leading to occasional outbreaks of violence and conspiracies. Henry IV also faced resistance from certain noble factions who opposed his centralization policies, leading to political instability. His main foreign policy success was the Peace of Vervins in 1598, which made peace in the long-running conflict with Spain. He formed a strategic alliance with England. He also forged alliances with Protestant states, such as the Dutch Republic and several German states, to counter the Catholic powers. His policies contributed to the stability and prominence of France in European affairs.