His Parents
- Antoine de Bourbon (1518–1562), his father, was the son of Charles de Bourbon, Duke of Vendôme, who was descended from the line of Robert of Clermont, the youngest son of Saint Louis. Consequently, Antoine’s son became the legitimate heir to the throne of France upon the extinction of the Valois dynasty.
- Jeanne d’Albret (1528–1572), his mother, was the daughter of one of the sisters of Francis I, Marguerite of Angoulême. It was she who ensured that the future Henry IV received a thorough education, both in the Reformed faith and in the humanities.
His Paternal Grandparents
- Charles de Bourbon (1489–1537) and
- Françoise d’Alençon (1490–1550)
His Maternal Grandparents
- Henry II of Navarre (1503–1555), King of Navarre, and
Marguerite of Angoulême (1492–1549), sister of Francis I, a woman of considerable intellectual influence and the author of numerous poems.
Horoscope of Henry IV
- The drawing up of horoscopes was a well-established tradition within royal dynasties. While purporting to be based upon astrological calculations of varying degrees of credibility, such documents also provided an opportunity to emphasise genealogical connections and dynastic affiliations.
In this particular case, the horoscope was compiled long after the death of Henry IV.
