Gabrielle d’Estrées, Mistress of King Henri IV of France

by Scott Mehl  © Unofficial Royalty 2020

Gabrielle d’Estrées.source: Wikipedia

Gabrielle d’Estrées was the mistress of King Henri IV of France from 1591 until her death in 1599. In addition to being his mistress, she was one of his closest confidantes and advisers and was instrumental in the King’s renunciation of Protestantism and conversion to Catholicism.

She was born in 1573 at the Château de Cœuvres in Picardy, France, one of 11 children of Antoine d’Estrées, Marquis de Cœuvres, and his wife Françoise Babou de La Bourdaisière.

Gabrielle was first introduced to King Henri in the fall of 1590, and he was quickly smitten with her. However, she resisted for many months before becoming his mistress the following year. The King was married to Marguerite of Valois, although the marriage was not a close or happy one. On June 8, 1592, in a marriage arranged by Henri – strictly for appearance – Gabrielle was married to Nicolas d’Amerval. She was the Henri’s constant companion, and the two were very publicly affectionate with each other.

King Henri IV of France. source: Wikipedia

Henri found Gabrielle to be quite intelligent and relied heavily on her advice, particularly on the issue of religion. A devout Catholic, Gabrielle encouraged Henri to convert to Catholicism as a way to end the religious wars and appease the Catholic League. He formally converted in July 1593, and was then finally able to be crowned in Chartres Cathedral the following February. He also arranged for Gabrielle’s marriage to be annulled.

Gabrielle and Henri had three children:

Soon after the birth of their first child, Henri formally recognized and legitimized him and made Gabrielle his official mistress. In March 1596, he purchased the Château de Montceaux as a gift for Gabrielle and gave her the title Marquise de Monceaux. The following year, he also created her Duchess de Beaufort, making her a peeress of France and solidifying her position at court. Disliked by many in the French aristocracy, Gabrielle continued to be Henri’s closest confidante and advisor and he used her connections to help ease the religious tensions that persisted at the time. Following the Edict of Nantes in 1598, Gabrielle and Henri’s sister worked to ease the objections of both the Catholics and the Huguenots to allow more religious freedom in France.

Château de Montceaux. source: Wikipedia

In March 1599, King Henri announced his intention to have his marriage to Marguerite of Valois annulled so he could marry Gabrielle. He applied to the Pope for an annulment, and so confident in the expected decision, Henri gave his Coronation Ring to Gabrielle. Sadly, a marriage would not happen. Pregnant at the time, Gabrielle suffered an attack of eclampsia on April 9, 1599, while in Paris. Henri was informed and began his return to Paris from the Château de Fontainebleau the following day. However, it was too late. Gabrielle d’Estrées, Duchess of Beaufort and Marquise of Montceaux, died in Paris on April 10, 1599.

Grief-stricken, King Henri decreed that she be given the funeral of a Queen, and wore all black while he was in mourning, something that had never been done before in the French royal family. Gabrielle’s funeral was held at the Church of Saint-Germain-l’Auxerrois, with her coffin traveling in a procession that included princes, princesses, and many of the highest nobility of France. Following the funeral, her remains were interred in the Notre-Dame-La Royale church at Maubuisson Abbey on the outskirts of Paris, where her sister was serving as Abbess at the time.

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