Henri, Duke of Verneuil

Portrait as bishop

Gaston Henri de Bourbon, Duke of Verneuil (3 November 1601 – 28 May 1682) was the bishop of Metz from 1612 to 1652.

Biography

Henri was the illegitimate son of King Henry IV of France and his mistress, Catherine Henriette de Balzac d'Entragues. He was born at Château de Vincennes. His sister was Gabrielle Angelique, called Mlle de Verneuil (1603–1627), who married Bernard de Nogaret de La Valette. He was declared legitimate in 1603, at the age of two.

His half siblings included King Louis XIII of France, Duchess of Savoy and Duke of Vendôme.

The bishopric of Metz was intended for him from infancy, but when Bishop Charles de Lorraine died in 1607, the Pope refused to appoint a young child. The see was left vacant, and he was given an expectative appointment, in effect a reservation, plus a pension from the revenues, until he reached adult age. Pope Paul V agreed to appoint him in 1612 at the request of Louis XIII, despite Henri being only 11 and not ordained. He was never ordained and never resided at Metz, appoointing deputies to run diocesan affairs.

He resigned as bishop in favour of Cardinal Mazarin in 1652, which the Pope did not recognize, finally declaring him dismissed in 1659. He was knighted on December 31, 1661 and created duke of Verneuil in 1663. In 1665 he became ambassador to England and in 1666 was made governor of Languedoc. He married Charlotte, daughter of the chancellor Pierre Séguier and widow of Maximilien François de Bethune, 2nd Duke of Sully (1614–1661), on October 29, 1668. He died without issue on May 28, 1682 at Château de Verneuil.