Henri, Duke of Verneuil
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 the King of France, Duchess of Savoy and Duke of Vendôme.
Appointed bishop in 1612, he resigned in 1652. 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 de Bethune, Duke of Sully, on October 29, 1668. He died without issue on May 28, 1682 at Château de Verneuil.
