The Royal Huguenot

HENRI IV (1553-1610) was a favorite among French kings — for good reason.  Born a Protestant in southwestern France, he was centuries ahead of his time in his ideas about religious tolerance.  Like his friend the philosopher Michel de Montaigne, he fought for Protestants and Catholics to live peacefully together and succeeded in ending decades-long civil wars.  However, his lust and driving sexuality often threatened to upset his high ideals.  The Royal Huguenot takes pace during the struggle for power among the Bourbon, Guise, and Valois families in 16th century France and tells the often lurid and surprising story of the five most prominent women in his life:
 
Marguerite de Valois (1553-1615), oftentimes called “Queen Margot,”
was Henri IV’s first wife and a Catholic.  She was intelligent, manipulative, and could be either a trial or a temptress for Henry.  Their arranged marriage was meant to end the wars between the Catholics and the Huguenots, French Protestants.
 
Corisande d’Andoins (1554-1620) was Henry’s true love, but she was too proud and wise to become only his mistress or follow him from battlefield to battlefield.
 
Gabrielle d’Estrées (1573-1599), besotted Henry for many years, and
bore him four illegitimate children before an early death would snatch the throne from her.
 
Henriette d’Entragues (1579-1633), wily and beautiful, crazed Henry with her intrigues to trap him into making her his queen.
 
Marie de Medici (1573-1642), an Italian princess, finally became
Henry’s queen and bore him six children, including Louis XIII, so securing a long line of French Bourbon kings.