On This Day In History: Henry IV Is Crowned King Of France – On Feb 27, 1595

AncientPages.com - On February 27, 1595, King Henry IV was crowned and recognized as King of France.

Henry IV was born on December 13, 1553, in southwest France. He was the son of Antoine de Bourbon, Duke of Vendome, and Jeanne d'Albret, Queen of Navarre. His mother declared Calvinism the religion of Navarre and brought Henry up as a Huguenot, a French Protestant of the Protestant Reformed Church of France.

Frans Pourbus the Younger (Antwerp 1569 - Paris 1622) - Henri IV, King of France (1553-1610) - RCIN 402972 - Royal Collection - Public Domain

Henry IV of France, also known as "Good King Henry," ruled from 1589 and was the first Bourbon monarch to sit on the throne of France until he died in 1610.

He was assassinated in 1610 by François Ravaillac, a fanatical Catholic, and was succeeded by his son Louis XIII.

Before that, he was known as Henry III of Navarre and ruled the state from 1572 to 1610. Many nobles opposed Henry IV's ascendancy to the throne of France because Henry IV was a Protestant.

His predecessor, King Henry III, belonged to the House of Valois, and he did not have any male successor, and the laws did not allow women or their descendants to occupy the throne.

On the other hand, as Head of the House of Bourbon, Henry of Navarre was a direct male-line descendant of Louis IX of France and the "first prince of the blood." At the same time, he was a man of vision and courage. However, he had to use military power to occupy the throne.

He soon won the hearts of his subjects through many benevolent acts. Under him, France enjoyed relative prosperity, and he was often referred to as 'Good King Henry' by his loyal subjects.

As king, he declared the Edict of Nantes, which tolerated the Huguenots. He also adopted and undertook projects to improve the lives of all his subjects that would make him one of the country's most famous rulers ever.

He loved his kingdom and his people. Unfortunately, King Henry IV was assassinated by a fanatical Catholic, François Ravaillac, in 1610.

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