Episode Details

Henry IV of France converted from Protestantism to Catholicism because "Paris is worth a mass." It was the most cynical and most effective political calculation of the sixteenth century. He ended decades of religious civil war, issued the Edict of Nantes granting Protestants legal protection, and rebuilt a country that had been tearing itself apart.

This episode traces Henry from his Huguenot upbringing through the Wars of Religion, his conversion, and the reign that earned him the nickname Good King Henry — until a Catholic fanatic stabbed him in his carriage.

• He converted from Protestantism to Catholicism to secure the French throne, reportedly saying Paris was worth a mass
• He issued the Edict of Nantes in 1598, granting unprecedented religious tolerance to Protestants
• He survived over a dozen assassination attempts before being killed by a Catholic zealot in 1610
• He is remembered as Good King Henry for ending the Wars of Religion and rebuilding France