Henry IV is a regnal name borne by several rulers in medieval and early modern Europe and by characters in literature and drama. Because the same ordinal appears in different kingdoms, "Henry IV" can refer to distinct historical figures whose lives and legacies are separate but often compared in historical writing.
Major historical figures called Henry IV
- Henry IV, Holy Roman Emperor (1050–1106) — Central figure in the Investiture Controversy with the papacy; famous for the penitent visit to Canossa in 1077 and for long conflicts over imperial and ecclesiastical authority.
- Henry IV of England (1367–1413) — Formerly Henry Bolingbroke; seized the throne in 1399 from Richard II and founded the Lancastrian branch of the Plantagenets. His reign was marked by political unrest and rebellions.
- Henry IV of France (1553–1610) — Born Henry of Navarre, he became the first Bourbon king of France, converted from Protestantism to Catholicism to secure the crown, and issued the Edict of Nantes (1598) granting limited tolerance to Protestants.
- Other rulers — Several smaller realms and later European states also had rulers styled Henry IV (for example, Castile). The same ordinal therefore requires attention to territory and date to identify the person meant.
These monarchs played different roles: the Holy Roman Emperor was a central actor in a major church–state dispute of the 11th century; the English king changed the line of succession and faced chronic domestic opposition in the late 14th and early 15th centuries; the French Henry IV consolidated royal power after the Wars of Religion and took steps toward religious moderation.
Legacy and cultural presence
Beyond politics, "Henry IV" appears in literature and drama. William Shakespeare wrote two plays titled Henry IV (Parts 1 and 2) about the English king and his son Prince Hal, exploring themes of kingship, honor and political maturation. The name also appears in modern drama, most famously in Luigi Pirandello's Enrico IV (Henry IV), a 20th‑century play that examines identity and madness.
When encountering the name "Henry IV," historians and readers check the kingdom and dates to distinguish among figures. Each Henry IV is remembered for particular turning points—religious conflict and reconciliation, dynastic change, or cultural representation—and the shared ordinal highlights how rulers with the same regnal number can embody very different historical contexts.