I
German Heinrich
born Nov. 11, 1050, Goslar?, Saxony
died Aug. 7, 1106, Liège, Lorraine
Duke of Bavaria (1055–61), German king (1054–1106), and emperor (1084–1105/6).
He succeeded to the German throne at age six; his pious and unworldly mother was regent until 1062, and Henry gained control of the government upon reaching his majority in 1065. His reassertion of royal rights provoked rebellion in Saxony (1073–75). He engaged in a long struggle with Pope Investiture Controversy ). Gregory excommunicated him and absolved his subjects of their oaths of loyalty. Seeking absolution, Henry was forced to cross the Alps in winter and, according to tradition, stand barefoot in the snow three days before the castle at Canossa, where the pope was staying, before the latter would rescind his order. The German princes deserted Henry (1077) and elected Rudolf I as king. In 1080 Gregory excommunicated Henry again and recognized Rudolf. Henry responded by conquering Rome (1084) and installing the antipope Clement III. In his last years his sons Conrad and Henry led rebellions against his rule.
II
or Henry of Navarra French Henri de Navarre
born Dec. 13, 1553, Pau, Béarn, Navarra
died May 14, 1610, Paris
First Bourbon king of France (1589–1610) and king of Navarra (as Henry III, 1572–89), one of the most popular figures in French history.
Henry was brought up as a Protestant and received his military training from the Huguenot leader Gaspard II de Coligny in the Wars of Religion . He married Margaret of Valois in 1572; the marriage provided the opportunity for the Massacre of Saint Bartholomew's Day six days later. Henry was held at the French court from 1572 to 1576, when he escaped to join the forces against Henry III . He fought the War of the Three Henrys and prevailed as unrivaled leader. He became king after Henry III was assassinated in 1589, but was forced to fight the Holy League for nine years to secure his kingdom. In 1593 he converted to Roman Catholicism to remove all pretext for resistance to his rule. He entered Paris amid cheers in 1594, but he had to wage war (1595–98) against Spain, which supported the remaining resistance to him in France. Henry signed the Edict of Nantes in 1598, ending 40 years of civil war. With the aid of his ministers, including the duke de Sully , Henry brought order and new prosperity to France. His earlier marriage was annulled, and in 1600 he married Marie de Médicis. In 1610 he was assassinated by a fanatical Roman Catholic.
III
orig. Henry Bolingbroke
born April? 1366, Bolingbroke Castle, Lincolnshire, Eng.
died March 20, 1413, London
King of England (1399–1413), first of three 15th-century monarchs of the house of Lancaster .
Son of John of Gaunt , he initially supported Richard II against the duke of Gloucester but turned against him after being banished in 1398. He invaded England in 1399, forcing Richard's surrender and abdication. Having gained the crown by usurpation, he successfully consolidated his power in the face of repeated uprisings of powerful nobles. However, he failed to subdue the Welsh under Owen Glendower , was defeated by the Scots, and was unable to overcome the fiscal and administrative weaknesses that contributed to the eventual downfall of the Lancastrian dynasty. He was succeeded by his son, {{link=Henry">Henry V .