Henry IV of France and king of Navarre, principal leader of Huguenot forces.

In 1598 the Edict of Nantes granted French Protestants, the so-called "Huguenots," the freedom to practice their religion publicly. French authorities continued to regard the Huguenots as a danger to the state, since French Protestants still wielded considerable military and political power. As a result of this the Huguenots were again subjected to military attack and persecution. The terms of the Edict of Nantes were narrowed in 1629 and it was altogether revoked by the terms of the Edict of Fontainebleau in 1685. Measures of tolerance were not restored until 1787, and legal recognition of reformed churches in France did not take place until 1802.