The Beginnings of the Bourbon Dynasty in 1589

The Early Years of the Bourbons

The House of Bourbon began hundreds of years before it ascended to the throne of France. The Count of Clermont, who was a son of France's King Louis IX, married Beatrix of Bourbon in 1268; their son became the Duke of Bourbon. The line continued into the 1500s, when it joined the Vendome branch of the family, and became the rulers of its Navarre, a kingdom that straddles what is now southern France and northern Spain.

In 1572, Henry of Navarre became the newest Bourbon King of Navarre. When the brother of French King Henry III died, putting Henry of Navarre next in line for the throne, the War of Three Henries began. Because Henry of Navarre was a Protestant, both Henry III and Catholic Henry I, Duke of Guise, opposed him. Ultimately, Henry I was murdered by the forces of Henry III. Henry III was later assassinated and Henry of Navarre took the throne, becoming the first Bourbon king of France on August 2, 1589.

Henry of Navarre became Henry IV of France and continued to be in conflict with the Catholic, anti-Protestant forces in the northern part of the country. At one point, the Catholic League of France even named Henry's uncle, the Cardinal de Bourbon, as their king. The strife in the country eventually led Henry IV to renounce Protestantism and become a Catholic in 1593. He is known for saying "Paris vaut bien une messe" or "Paris is worth a mass."

Henry IV's conversation helped him gain the support of the people of France and he was crowned King at the Cathedral of Chartres in 1594. Henry IV's descendants would continue to rule France until Louis XVI was overthrown during the French Revolution in 1792. Henry IV's grandson, Louis XIV of France, would help establish the Bourbon Kingdoms in Spain and part of Italy. The Spanish royal family continues as a member of the House of Bourbon into the 21st Century.