As Odo, he entered the church at a young age and was a cleric at the time of the death of his brother Otto, Duke of Burgundy, on 22 February965. He was elected by the Burgundian counts to succeed his brother and they gave him the name Henry.
He died without any children of his own by his two wives and was succeeded by his stepson. His illegitimate children may be the progenitors of the line of the counts of Vergy.