Henry IV of France

Henry IV (French: Henri IV) (December 13, 1553 – May 14, 1610), called the Great (French: le Grand), was the first of the Bourbon kings of France, reigning from 1589 until 1610. As a Protestant, he was involved in the Wars of Religion before acceding to the throne; to become King of France he converted to Catholicism and signed the Edict of Nantes, granting religious liberties to the Protestants and effectively ending the civil war. One of the most popular French kings (both during and after his reign), showing great care for the welfare of his subjects, as well as displaying an unusual religious tolerance for the time, he was murdered by a disturbed man, Ravaillac. In France, Henry IV was (and still is) informally nicknamed le bon roi Henri ("good king Henry").

Genealogy

Henry IV was the son of Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendome and Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre. He was born in Pau, Pyrénées-Atlantiques, in the southwest of France. At the death of King Henry III of France, who had no son, the crown passed to Henry IV, in application of the Salic Law, as Henry was the descendant of the eldest surviving male line of the Capetian Dynasty. The new king, however, had to fight for some years to be recognized as the legitimate king of France by the Catholics, most of whom were opposed to his Protestant upbringing.

Related Topics:
Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendome - Jeanne d'Albret - Navarre - Pau - Pyrénées-Atlantiques - France - Henry III of France - Salic Law

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Here is a short genealogy, that explains how Henry IV descends in male line from the Capetian Dynasty:

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• Henry IV was the 9th cousin of King Henry II, and the 9th cousin once removed of kings Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. He was the son of:
• Antoine de Bourbon (1518 ? 1562), 8th cousin of kings Charles VIII and Francis I, who was the son of:
• Charles IV, Duke of Bourbon (1489 ? 1537), 7th cousin of kings Louis XI and Louis XII, who was the son of:
• François de Bourbon-Vendôme (1470 ? 1495), 6th cousin of King Charles VII, who was the son of:
• Jean de Bourbon-Vendôme (1428 ? 1478), 5th cousin of King Charles VI, who was the son of:
• Louis de Bourbon-Vendôme (1376 ? 1446), 4th cousin of King Charles V, who was the son of:
• Jean de Bourbon-La Marche (1344 ? 1393), 3rd cousin of kings John I Posthumus and John II, who was the son of:
• Jacques de Bourbon-La Marche (1315 ? 1362), 2nd cousin of kings Louis X, Philip V, Charles IV, and Philip VI, who was the son of:
• Louis I, Duke of Bourbon (1279 ? 1342), 1st cousin of King Philip IV, who was the son of:
• Robert, Count of Clermont (1256 ? 1317), brother of King Philip III, who was the son of:
• King Louis IX (Saint Louis) (1214/1215 - 1270)

It should be noted that in reality, the line of Bourbon-Busset, descending from Peter I, Duke of Bourbon (1310 ? 1356), was actually the eldest surviving male line of the Capetian Dynasty, whereas the line of Bourbon-Vendôme, to whom Henry IV belonged, only descended from Jacques de Bourbon-La Marche (1315 ? 1362), the younger brother of Peter I of Bourbon. Thus, at the death of Henry III the crown should have passed to César de Bourbon-Busset (1565 ? 1630), 7th cousin once removed of Henry IV. However, the great-great-grandfather of César de Bourbon-Busset, called Louis de Bourbon (1438 ? 1482), Bishop of Liège, and 4th cousin of François de Bourbon-Vendôme (1470 ? 1495), had married without the approval of his cousin King Louis XI, before becoming bishop. The king had thus annulled his marriage, and declared his children illegitimate. It still remains a matter of debate whether the customs of the kingdom actually gave Louis XI the right to exclude from royal succession the children of Louis de Bourbon. What is certain is that the Bourbon-Busset never claimed the crown, and César de Bourbon-Busset played no particular role when his cousin Henry IV became king.

Related Topics:
Bourbon-Busset - Peter I, Duke of Bourbon - Bishop of Liège - Louis XI

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The eldest male descendant of the Bourbon-Busset was the French writer Jacques de Bourbon Busset (1912 ? 2001), member of the French Academy. President Charles de Gaulle was once quoted telling him: "Had it not been for the decision of King Louis XI, you may well be head of state of France today, instead of me."

Related Topics:
Jacques de Bourbon Busset - French Academy - Charles de Gaulle

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