Henri IV - An unfinished reign
Marriage to Marie de Médicis
For several months, negotiations between the king's entourage and Ferdinand I, Grand Duke of Tuscany and Marie's uncle, had been proceeding nicely. Although Marie was perhaps somewhat stout – Henri and Gabrielle apparently made fun of her portrait – she was nevertheless a better partner for the king than Gabrielle. The daughter of a Habsburg, she descended from a family that had already given France a queen – Catherine de Médicis. In addition, Henri IV's debts to his family were astronomical (more than one million écus, some said). The talks very quickly turned to the question of money. Finally, an agreement was reached: Marie's dowry would be 600,000 écus, 350,000 of which would be paid in cash.
The marriage ceremonies took place in two stages. On 5 October 1600, Henri IV married Marie de Médicis by proxy. The Grand Duke himself represented the king at the ceremony in the Duomo, and attended the sumptuous festivities that Rubens – who was present – recorded for posterity. Shortly after, Marie left her native Tuscany to join her husband in France. Her retinue, consisting of 2,000 persons aboard 18 ships, dropped anchor in Marseille on 3 November 1600. To the new queen's disappointment, Henri was not waiting for her at the dock. Officially, he was preoccupied with the conflict with Savoy. In truth, he was entirely taken up with his new mistress, Henriette d’Entragues.
No problem – Marie and her splendid retinue travelled up the Rhone valley to a new meeting set in Lyon. There, on 3 December 1600, the new queen made her triumphal entry, warmly acclaimed by the crowds who had come to see her. She had to wait another six days for the arrival of her husband, who immediately asked to share her bed. Finally, on 17 December 1600, the couple received the blessing of the papal legate at Saint John's Cathedral.
Related multimedia
Title: Henri IV receiving a portrait of Marie de Médicis
- Copyright:
- © RMN / René-Gabriel Ojéda / Thierry Le Mage
- Caption:
- Henri IV receiving a portrait of Marie de Médicis, painting by Pierre Paul Rubens. Musée du Louvre, INV1772
Title: Henriette de Balzac d’Entragues
- Copyright:
- © Musée national du château de Pau / Jean-Yves Chermeux
- Caption:
- Henriette de Balzac d’Entragues, engraving by Jérôme Wiérix, circa 1600. Musée national du château de Pau, P. 765
Title: Marie de Médicis disembarks at the port of Marseille
- Copyright:
- © RMN / Hervé Lewandowski
- Caption:
- Marie de Médicis disembarks at the port of Marseille, 3 November 1600, painting by Pierre Paul Rubens, 1621–1625. Musée du Louvre, INV1774
Title: The meeting of the king and Marie de Médicis in Lyon
- Copyright:
- © RMN / Hervé Lewandowski
- Caption:
- The meeting of the king and Marie de Médicis in Lyon, 9 November 1600, painting by Pierre Paul Rubens, 1621–1625. Musée du Louvre, INV1775
Title: Marie de Médicis
- Copyright:
- © Musée national du château de Pau / Jean-Yves Chermeux
- Caption:
- Marie de Médicis, engraving by Jean Wiérix, Musée national du château de Pau, P.55.33.3
Title: Marriage of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis
- Copyright:
- © Archives municipales de Lyon
- Caption:
- Marriage of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis
Title: Marriage of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis
- Copyright:
- © Archives municipales de Lyon
- Caption:
- Marriage of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis , detail of the manuscript
Title: Marriage of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis
- Copyright:
- © Archives municipales de Lyon
- Caption:
- Marriage of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis, manuscript
Title: Marriage of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis
- Copyright:
- © Archives municipales de Lyon
- Caption:
- Marriage of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis
Title: Preparation of Marie de Médicis's journey from Marseille to Lyon
- Copyright:
- © Archives municipales de Lyon
- Caption:
- Preparation of Marie de Médicis's journey from Marseille to Lyon (Marriage of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis)
Title: Marriage of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis (17 December 1600)
- Copyright:
- © BnF
- Caption:
- Marriage of Henri IV and Marie de Médicis (17 December 1600), engraving, 17th c. Département des estampes et de la photographie de la BnF
Title: Celebrations and ceremonies of France. Marriage of Henri IV
- Copyright:
- © Archives départementales de la Moselle / Luc Dufrène
- Caption:
- Celebrations and ceremonies of France. Marriage of Henri IV