Henry IV

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Henry IV, undated copperplate engraving.

Plate 1: Place de Vosges, Paris, built by the French king, Henry IV, 1605-12: group housing with a residential square and an arcaded walking area.

François Gérard: Entry of Henry IV into the City of Paris, 22 March 1594

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Henry IV

king of France

Also known as: Henri de Bourbon, prince de Béarn, Henri de Navarre, Henry III of Navarre, Henry de Bourbon, Henry of Bourbon, Henry of Navarre, Henry the Great, Henry, prince de Béarn

Written by Raymond Ritter, Victor-Lucien TapiéSee All

Fact-checked by The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last Updated: Mar 12, 2024 • Article History

Henry IV

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Category: History & Society

Also called (until 1572):: Prince de Béarn

Byname:: Henry of Navarre, or Henry of Bourbon

French:: Henri de Navarre, or Henry de Bourbon

Born:: Dec. 13, 1553, Pau, Béarn, Navarre [France]

Died:: May 14, 1610, Paris, France (aged 56)

Title / Office:: king (1589-1610), France; king (1572-1589), Navarra

House / Dynasty:: house of Bourbon

Notable Family Members:: spouse Margaret of Valois; spouse Marie de Médicis; daughter Henrietta Maria; son Gaston, duc d’Orléans; son Vendôme, César, Duke de; son Louis XIII

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Henry IV (born Dec. 13, 1553, Pau, Béarn, Navarre [France]—died May 14, 1610, Paris, France) was the king of Navarre (as Henry III, 1572–89) and the first Bourbon king of France (1589–1610), who, at the end of the Wars of Religion, abjured Protestantism and converted to Roman Catholicism (1593) in order to win Paris and reunify France. With the aid of such ministers as the Duke de Sully, he brought new prosperity to France. Henry de Bourbon-Navarre was the son of Antoine de Bourbon, Duke de Vendôme, and Jeanne d’Albret, queen of Navarre from 1555. Henry, through his father, was ...(100 of 2423 words)

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