alternatehistory.com

Before King Henry IV of France, first French monarch of the Bourbon dynasty, divorced his first wife, Margaret of Valois, he considered replacing her with his mistress, lover and confidante, Gabrielle d'Estrées, and legitimizing the children he had already had with her - two sons (Cesar, b. 1594, and Alexandre, b. 1598) and a daughter (Catherine Henriette, b. 1596). His councillors strongly opposed the idea, but Henry went ahead, petitioning Pope Clement VIII for a annulment and permission to remarry and giving Gabrielle his coronation ring.

However, the matter was "solved" on April 9th 1599 when Gabrielle fell ill with eclampsia, gave birth to a stillborn son and died the next day. There were rumours that she had been poisoned. Henry went on to marry Maria de Medici, mainly for her dowry, but what if Gabrielle hadn't died and Henry had managed to go through with his plan to marry her? I'd imagine Gabrielle and her children could have ended up being seen in a similar light as Anne Boleyn and Elizabeth I of England, especially if Cesar or Alexandre become king. Maybe this could lead to Henry being assassinated earlier, or even deposed.

Any thoughts?
Top