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Henri IV of France was a Protestant who turned Catholic to resolve the religious conflict in France. Initially, Elizabeth treated him like a son, sending him advice and gifts. The letter on display is written in French in her own hand. She warns him to be valorous "For as to my son, if I had had one, I would rather have seen him dead than a coward"-but careful of his person. He must remember that he is not "a private soldier but. . . a great prince." Henri's most important act was the Edict of Nantes (1598), establishing religious toleration in France.

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Great Britain. Sovereigns. Elizabeth I (1558-1603)
Autograph letter, signed, to King Henri IV of France.
c.1595