Gabrielle d'Estrées

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