The Shifting Political Roles of Court Prelates: Backing up Henri IV of France

Abstract

This article looks at court prelates at a moment of existential political crisis related to the ascension of the Protestant Henri IV to the French throne, traditionally occupied by Catholic Kings. The active support of a handful of high-ranking figures in the Catholic Church in France to the ‘heretic’ king constitutes a heuristic opportunity to observe the complex articulations between what can be defined as political and as religious. The paper thus demonstrates the crucial role of a multi-level action of Navarrist prelates in the process of legitimation of the first Bourbon as the sole rightful king at the end of the Wars of Religion. In doing so, it aims to contribute to the understanding of the broad spectrum of political influence that the high clergy could wield at the princely court.