Gabrielle d'Estrées

Gabrielle d'Estrées
Gabrielle d'Estrées
	Portrait, 17th century
Born	1573; Kingdom of France
Died	10 April 1599 (aged 25–26); Paris, Kingdom of France
Spouse	Nicolas Damerval de Liancourt (m. 1592; ann. 1595)
Children	César de Bourbon, duc de Vendôme; Catherine-Henriette de Bourbon; Alexandre, Chevalier de Vendôme;
Parents	Antoine d'Estrées; Françoise Babou de La Bourdaisière;

Gabrielle d'Estrées, Duchess of Beaufort and Verneuil, Marchioness of Monceaux (French: [ɡabʁijɛl dɛstʁe]; 1573 – 10 April 1599) was a mistress, confidante and adviser of Henry IV of France. She is noted for her role in ending the religious civil wars that plagued France for more than 30 years.

She persuaded Henry to renounce Protestantism in favour of Catholicism in 1593. Later she urged French Catholics to accept the Edict of Nantes, which granted certain rights to the Protestants. As it was legally impossible for the King to marry her as he was already married to Margaret of Valois, he controversially petitioned Pope Clement VIII for an annulment in February 1599 to end his childless first marriage, and announced his intention to marry Gabrielle and have her crowned the next Queen of France, while legitimizing their three children born out of wedlock. Her coronation and wedding never occurred due to her untimely and sudden death.

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