Editing Henry IV of France (section)

====War of the Three Henrys (1587–1589)====
{{Main|War of the Three Henrys}}

A conflict for the throne of France then ensued, contested by these three men and their respective supporters:

* King [[Henry III of France]], supported by the royalists and the [[politique]]s;
* King Henry of Navarre, heir presumptive to the French throne and leader of the [[Huguenot]]s, supported by [[Elizabeth I of England]] and the Protestant princes of Germany; and
* [[Henry I, Duke of Guise|Henry I of Lorraine]], Duke of Guise, leader of the [[Catholic League (French)|Catholic League]], funded and supported by [[Philip II of Spain]].

[[Salic law]] barred inheritance by the king's sisters and all others who could claim descent through only the female line. However, since Henry of Navarre was a Huguenot, many Catholics refused to acknowledge the succession, and France was plunged into a phase of the Wars of Religion known as the [[War of the Three Henrys]] (1587–1589).

The Duke of Guise pushed for complete suppression of the Huguenots and had much support among Catholic loyalists. Political disagreements among the parties set off a series of campaigns and counter-campaigns that culminated in the [[Battle of Coutras]].{{Sfn|Baird|1886|p=431 (vol. 1)}}

In December 1588, King Henry III had the Duke of Guise murdered,{{Sfn|Baird|1886|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=oKRWAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA96 96] (vol. 2)}} along with his brother Louis, Cardinal of Guise,{{Sfn|Baird|1886|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=oKRWAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA103 103] (vol. 2)}} thinking the removal of the brothers would restore his authority. However, the populace was horrified and rose against him. The King was no longer recognized in several cities; his effective power was limited to [[Blois]], Tours, and the surrounding districts.

In the general chaos, Henry III relied on Henry of Navarre and his Huguenots. The two kings were united by a common interest—to win France from the Catholic League. Henry III recognized the King of Navarre as a true subject and Frenchman, not a fanatic Huguenot aiming to subjugate Catholics, and Catholic royalist nobles also rallied to them. With this combined force, the two kings marched to Paris. The morale of the city was low, and even the Spanish ambassador believed the city could not hold out longer than a fortnight. However, on 2 August 1589, a monk infiltrated Henry III's camp and assassinated him.{{Sfn|Baird|1886|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=oKRWAAAAMAAJ&pg=PA156 156–157] (vol. 2)}}