Henry IV of France, who ruled from 1589 till his death in 1610, was the first Bourbon monarch to sit on the throne of France. Prior to that, he was known as Henry III of Navarre and ruled over the state from 1572 to 1610. Henry IV’s ascendancy to the throne of France was mired with controversy. His predecessor, King Henry III belonged to the House of Valois. He did not have any male successor and the Salic law did not allow women or their descendants to occupy the throne. On the other hand, Henry of Navarre was the next agnatic descendant of King Louis IX. Consequently, Henry III was forced to recognize him as his successor. Yet, many nobles opposed his succession on the ground that Henry was a Protestant. Ultimately, he had to use military power to occupy the throne. At the same time, he was a man of vision and courage. He soon won the hearts of his subjects through many benevolent acts. Under him France enjoyed relative prosperity and his concern for the financial state of the pheasants was highly appreciated. He was often referred as ‘Good King Henry’ by his loyal subjects.