Head of Henri IV discovered

The mummified head of King Henri Quatre of France—who was assassinated in 1610, and his body was exhumed and beheaded by those charming French revolutionaries in 1793—has been found. Tiberge at Galliawatch has the story. Henri, like Elizabeth I of England, was a “politique,” meaning a leader during the age of the religious wars who adopted religious beliefs as suited the political and social needs of his country and his own political needs. He became a Catholic, not because he believed in Catholicism, but because it was the only way he could unify France under his leadership. Yet apparently this was too much for the Jacobins, and they felt compelled to cut off his head 183 years after his death.

Posted by Lawrence Auster at December 29, 2010 11:11 AM | Send