Founded in the 7th century by Dagobert I on the burial place of Saint Denis, a patron saint of France, the church became a place of pilgrimage and the burial place of the French kings -- all but three from the 10th to the 18th centuries are buried here, as well as other notables including Marie de Medici, consort of Henry IV; Henrietta Maria, queen consort of Charles I of England; and Maria-Theresa of Austria, consort of Louis XIV. The abbey church was created a cathedral in 1966 and is the seat of the Bishop of Saint-Denis.