23. Henry of Navarre’s Understandable Lack of Love For His Wife
Margaret of Valois’ husband-to-be, Henry of Navarre, only survived the massacre of his coreligionists by promising to convert to Catholicism. He was forced to live in the French court, until he escaped in 1576. Margaret had nothing to do with the killings, and had done much to save her husband’s life. However, after the massacre and four years of captivity, it is perhaps understandable that Henry of Navarre had no love for Catholics – including his Catholic wife – by the time he escaped.
Once free, he renounced Catholicism and joined the Protestant military forces. When Margaret’s brother Henry succeeded their brother Charles IX to become king Henry III, her husband became next in the line for the throne, as Henry III had no male heirs. His being a Protestant, however, complicated matters. Soon a three-way struggle, known as the War of the Three Henrys, erupted between Margaret’s brother king Henry III, her husband, Henry of Navarre, and her former lover, Henry of Guise.
