Henry VII, Holy Roman Emperor

Henry VII
Henry VII of Luxembourg
Holy Roman Emperor
Reign	29 June 1312 – 24 August 1313
Coronation	29 June 1312, Rome
Predecessor	Conrad IV
Successor	Louis IV
King of the Romans
Reign	27 November 1308 – 24 August 1313
Coronation	6 January 1309, Aachen
Predecessor	Albert I
Successor	Louis IV
King of Italy
Reign	6 January 1311 – 24 August 1313
Coronation	6 January 1311, Milan
Predecessor	Otto IV
Successor	Louis IV
Count of Luxembourg and Arlon
Reign	5 June 1288 – 24 August 1313
Predecessor	Henry VI
Successor	John I
Born	1275 Valenciennes, County of Hainaut
Died	24 August 1313 (aged 38) Buonconvento, Italy
Burial	Duomo di Pisa, Pisa
Spouse	Margaret of Brabant
Issue	John, King of Bohemia Marie, Queen of France Beatrice, Queen of Hungary
House	Luxembourg
Father	Henry VI of Luxembourg
Mother	Beatrice d'Avesnes
Religion	Roman Catholicism

Henry VII (German: Heinrich; c. 1275 – 24 August 1313) was the King of Germany (or Rex Romanorum) from 1308 and Holy Roman Emperor from 1312. He was the first emperor of the House of Luxembourg. During his brief career he reinvigorated the imperial cause in Italy, which was racked with the partisan struggles between the divided Guelf and Ghibelline factions, and inspired the praise of Dino Compagni and Dante Alighieri; however, his premature death undid his life's work.

Born around 1275 in Valenciennes, he was a son of Count Henry VI of Luxembourg and Béatrice from the House of Avesnes. Raised at the French court, he was the lord of comparatively small properties in a peripheral and predominantly French-speaking part of the Holy Roman Empire. It was symptomatic of the empire’s weakness that during his rule as the Count of Luxembourg, he agreed to become a French vassal, seeking the protection of King Philip the Fair of France. During his rule of Luxembourg, he ruled effectively, especially in keeping the peace in local feudal disputes.

Henry became caught up in the internal political machinations of the Holy Roman Empire with the assassination of King Albert I on 1 May 1308. Almost immediately, King Philip of France began aggressively seeking support for his brother, Charles of Valois, to be elected the next King of the Romans. Philip thought he had the backing of the French Pope Clement V (established at Avignon), and that his prospects of bringing the empire into the orbit of the French royal house were good. He lavishly spread French money in the hope of bribing the German electors. Although Charles of Valois had the backing of Henry, Archbishop of Cologne, a French supporter, many were not keen to see an expansion of French power, least of all Clement V. The principal rival to Charles appeared to be Rudolf, the Count Palatine.