The Assassination of Henry IV: When France Lost a Good King

On May 14, 1610, King Henry IV of France was stabbed to death in his carriage on a narrow Paris street. The assassin, François Ravaillac, had traveled from Angoulême convinced by a religious vision that he must convince the king to convert heretics—or kill him. This episode traces Henry's remarkable journey from Huguenot warrior-king to beloved ruler who ended the Wars of Religion, restored royal finances through the efforts of Maximilien de Béthune (Duc de Sully), and promoted colonial ventures in New France. We examine the tangled aftermath: the regency of Marie de' Medici, the trial and gruesome execution of Ravaillac, and the long shadow this murder cast on French history. Why did a king who had survived countless assassination attempts fall to a lone fanatic? And how did his death set the stage for the absolutist reign of Louis XIII and the upheavals of the Fronde? Join Lucas and Luna as they explore a turning point that saved—and doomed—France. #HenryIV #FrancoisRavaillac #Assassination #WarsOfReligion #EdictOfNantes #MarieDeMedici #Sully #Regency #LouisXIII #Paris #CoupeDOr #Gallicanism #Jesuit #Concini #Fronde #EarlyModernFrance #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo