Fate granted Henri IV a remarkable destiny. A descendent of Saint Louis,
he was a cousin to Henri III only in the twenty-second degree, but managed
to inherit the throne of France due to an extraordinary set of circumstances –
Henri III's three sons died childless. He also had an exceptional ability to
overcome any doubts concerning his status, his rank and his character.
He was by turns a Protestant and a Catholic, a Béarnais and a Capetian,
the leader of the rebellious Huguenot forces and a prince of the blood, a
country bumpkin and the "son of France", a moderate and an authoritarian.
Against all odds, Henri IV managed to transform these contradictions
into a positive force that would make him one of the country's most beloved rulers.
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