Why did Catherine de’ Medici seek an agreement with Henry of Navarre in 1586?

In 1586, Catherine de’ Medici sought an agreement with Henry of Navarre because the French crown was facing a severe political crisis following the death of François, duc d’Anjou in 1584.12

With Henry of Navarre becoming the heir presumptive to the throne, his status as a Protestant leader triggered the War of the Three Henrys and the revival of the Catholic League, which sought to exclude him from the succession. After being forced by the Treaty of Nemours in 1585 to commit the King to war against the Huguenots, the crown turned to Navarre—who had a vested interest in preserving the throne—in an attempt to find a solution to the mounting chaos.12

Despite Catherine’s arduous journey to meet him at Saint-Brice in July 1586, the effort failed because there were no terms to which Navarre could safely commit himself.2