FRANCE: Scientists use cutting-edge forensic techniques to identify the head of King Henri IV of France who was murdered in 1610

Record ID: 784035

  • Title: FRANCE: Scientists use cutting-edge forensic techniques to identify the head of King Henri IV of France who was murdered in 1610
  • Date: 16th December 2010
  • Summary: PARIS, FRANCE (DECEMBER 16, 2010) (REUTERS) HENRY IV NEWS CONFERENCE UNDER WAY HENRY IV POWERPOINT PRESENTATION ON BIG SCREEN (SOUNDBITE) (French) FORENSIC SCIENTIST AND HEAD OF HENRY IV RESEARCH TEAM DR. PHILIPPE CHARLIER SAYING "It's a mummified head, and it's hard to say whether the mummification here is natural, or whether it is an artificial, manmade process. The head is not very well-preserved and it's more or less in the same state as it was in at the time of Bourdais, with the missing skin along the left superior jawbone and also the left jaw."
  • Embargoed: 31st December 2010 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: France, France
  • Country: France
  • Topics: History,Science / Technology
  • Reuters ID: LVA48CB63AX1BDH85EXEU8M3617I
  • Story Text: It took state-of the-art technology and techniques to establish the authenticity of the mummified head of the beloved French king, Henry IV.
    Despite a lack of DNA evidence, six months of rigorous scientific tests by forensic expert Dr. Philippe Charlier and his team of nineteen researchers confirmed that the head is Good King Henry's.
    "It's a mummified head, and it's hard to say whether the mummification here is natural, or whether it is an artificial, man-made process. The head is not very well-preserved and it's more or less in the same state as it was in at the time of its former owner Bourdais, with the missing skin along the left superior jawbone and also the left jaw," explained Charlier.
    The method of embalming in particular, corresponded to the exact method practiced by the Henry IV's royal mortuarist, and reflected ancient embalming techniques used exclusively for royalty during the period.
    Other clues included a lesion above the right nostril, long considered a facial curiosity of Henry IV, as well as a bone fracture above the upper upper jaw, which matches a stab wound from a former assassination attempt.
    "The facial features have been reconstructed starting from the head correspond completely with the Henry IV that we know through portraits and physical descriptions," Charlier added.
    Thanks to modern radiocarbon testing and digital facial reconstruction, the researchers could determine that the head dated from the 17th century and that it resembled all known visual and sculptural portraits of Henry IV after his death.
    In addition, they utilised facial superimposition techniques to match the head with contemporary images of Henry IV and his death mask, revealing a perfect anatomic resemblance.
    "To sum up, we didn't have any DNA, that's true, but one can really get by without it. There are so many arguments in favour of identification, at least 30 elements that go in that direction. And there isn't a single argument that would exclude identification. So the conclusion virtually imposed itself on us. This head is, exceptionally, that of Henry IV," concluded Dr. Philippe Charlier.
    The head of Henry IV has been lost for at least four centuries since the French revolution and the ransacking of royal graves at the Basilica of Saint Denis outside Paris.
    "Yes, the moment is very emotional, first of all because of the result. Until today or two days ago, we didn't know the result of this investigation. Now it's also very emotional to have a head of my ancestor so close to me physically. People aren't used to it. Now I have a responsibility, a familial and moral responsibility to try to bury this head in the best place for him in Saint-Denis," said Louis-Alphonse de Bourbon, the Duke of Anjou and the most direct descendant of Henry IV.
    Henry IV's head was rediscovered by accident by journalists Stephane Gabet and Pierre Belet early in January in the attic of Jacques Bellanger, who had decided not to reveal its existence until now.
    The discovery coincides with the end of King Henry IV year in France, commemorating 400 years since the king's unfortunate assassination.
    "In history, there are big and small enigmas. This rediscovery of Henry IV's head - that we used to talk about and which we've abandoned ever since 1693 - is indeed a very important moment in the sense where this head that should never have left the Saint Denis Basilica will finally be returned," said Patrick Monod, administrator of the Saint-Denis basilica, wherein many of France's best-known monarchs like Marie Antoinette are interred.
    Henry IV is historically considered as one of France's most popular kings, as he facilitated peace between the warring Catholics and Protestants and constructed famous Parisian landmarks such as the Pont Neuf bridge and the Place des Vosges square during his reign. He was assassinated in 1610.
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