Deprived of love

Catherine was born in Florence in 1519. The daughter of Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino, she was left an orphan from birth and was raised at the court of her grandfather, Pope Clement VII. Many of those who knew Catherine back in the papal palace noted the sharp intelligence and ruthlessness in the girl’s gaze. Alchemists and magicians were her main favorites even then. For Clement, his granddaughter was a big card in the political game - he methodically looked for the best suitor for her in the ruling houses of Europe.

In 1533, the wedding of Catherine de Medici and Henry of Orleans, the son of the French king, took place. Apparently, she was ready to sincerely love her young husband, but he did not need her love, giving his heart to Diane de Poitiers, who was twenty years older than him.

Catherine's life was sad. Although she behaved modestly and outwardly did not interfere in state affairs, the French did not like the “stranger”, who was not distinguished by either beauty or pleasantness in communication. Prickly eyes, stubbornly compressed thin lips, nervous fingers, always fiddling with a handkerchief - no, this is not how cheerful France wanted to see its queen. In addition, the Medici family has long and rightly had a dark reputation as sorcerers and poisoners. But what especially spoiled Catherine’s life was the fact that for ten years she and Henry had no children. The threat of divorce hung over her all this time.

What gave Catherine de Medici the strength to endure her husband’s neglect, the machinations of a successful rival, and the ridicule of the courtiers? Undoubtedly, the confidence that her time will come.

Nature endowed Catherine with the gift of foresight, although she tried to hide it from strangers. Evidence remains only from those closest to him. Her daughter, Queen Margot, glorified by Alexandre Dumas, said: “Every time her mother was about to lose someone from her family, she saw a huge flame in her dreams.” She also dreamed of the outcomes of important battles and impending natural disasters.

However, Catherine was not content with only her own gift. When an important decision needed to be made, she turned to the help of astrologers and sorcerers, many of whom she brought with her from Italy. Card fortune telling, astrology, rituals with magic mirrors - everything was at her service. As Catherine once admitted to the same Margot, more than once she was on the verge of asking her husband for a divorce and return to Italy. She was held back only by the image that appeared in the magic mirror - she with a crown on her head and surrounded by a dozen children.

Patroness of Nostradamus

Catherine's life changed little in 1547, when Henry ascended the throne. Diana continued to rule her husband’s heart and state affairs, and the unloved wife continued to seek solace from the masters of the occult sciences.

Catherine had already heard about the famous predictor Nostradamus when the thirty-fifth quatrain (quatrain) from his “Prophecies” came to her attention. It was about the fate of the French king: “The young lion will surpass the old one on the battlefield in a single duel, he will pierce his eye through the golden cage. Two wounds in one, then die a painful death.”

This was the second "bell". The first one sounded a little earlier - another astrologer, Luke Gorick, warned Catherine that her husband was in mortal danger from being wounded at a certain tournament. Concerned, Catherine insisted: Nostradamus must be invited to the court to clarify the details of the prophecy. He arrived, but the queen’s anxiety from communicating with him only intensified.

Celebrations were planned for July 1, 1559 in honor of the marriage of Princess Elizabeth, Catherine's daughter, to the Spanish King Philip II. Henry ordered the removal of part of the pavement from the Parisian street Saint-Antoine in order to organize a lists there.

Catherine already knew that the hour of trouble had come. She had a dream: there was fire again, a lot of fire. When she woke up, the first thing she did was send a note to her husband: “I conjure you, Henry! Refuse to fight today!”

He calmly crumpled the paper into a ball, not having the habit of listening to the advice of his hateful wife.

The celebration is grand! The crowd applauds and screams deafeningly. Of course, all precautions were taken: the spears were blunted, the participants were clad in steel armor, and strong helmets were on their heads. Everyone is excited. And only Catherine’s fingers tug at the scarf with such force that a huge hole appears on it.

As soon as the king entered the field, the signal was given for the start of the tournament. Here Henry sent his horse towards one knight, here he crossed a spear with another. “The king is an excellent fighter,” Catherine convinces herself. “And today he is especially inspired.” But my heart sank in anticipation of tragedy.

Henry orders the Earl of Montgomery, a young captain in the Scottish army, whose shield bears an image of a lion, to take up a spear. He hesitates - he remembers too well how his father almost killed another French king, Francis I, hitting him in the head with a burning torch during a game. But Henry is adamant, and the count submits.

The rivals rush towards each other. And - horror! - Montgomery's spear breaks with a crash, hitting the king's golden helmet. One fragment falls into the opened gap of the visor, piercing the eye, the second one digs into the throat.

After suffering for ten days, Henry died. And many people remembered the prophecy of Nostradamus. The cardinals wanted to send him to the stake. Peasants who believed that the prediction was actually a curse burned images of the seer. Only Catherine's intercession saved him from reprisals.

Having become regent under her minor son Francis II, she gained the coveted power. Nostradamus remained at court, receiving the position of physician. There is a story that, at Catherine’s request, he had to make another prediction for the royal house, which turned out to be no less sad.

Summoning an angel named Anael, Nostradamus asked him to reveal the fate of the queen's children in a magic mirror. The mirror showed the reign of her three sons, and then the entire 23 years in power of her despised son-in-law, Henry of Navarre. Depressed by this news, Catherine stopped the magical action. She was filled with the readiness to fight fate using any means.

Black mass

At least two episodes are reliably known when Catherine de Medici resorted to the most terrible form of black magic - the “prophecy of the Bleeding Head.”

The first episode happened on a cold May night in 1574. Francis, the eldest of the Queen Mother's sons, had long since been buried in the grave. And now the second son was dying - King Charles IX, stricken by an inexplicable illness. His situation worsened every day. Catherine had only one option left - a black mass.

The sacrifice required an innocent child, which, however, was not difficult to find. The courtier in charge of distributing alms prepared the child for his first communion. On the night of the sacrifice, the apostate monk, who had defected to the priests of black magic, celebrated a black mass in Karl’s chambers. In a room where only trusted persons were allowed, in front of the image of a demon, at whose feet an inverted crucifix was placed, he blessed two wafers - black and white. The white one was given to the child, the black one was placed at the bottom of the paten. The boy was killed with one blow immediately after his first communion. His severed head was placed on a black wafer and transferred to a table where candles were burning.

Dealing with evil demons is difficult. But that night things turned out especially bad. The king asked the demon to give a prophecy. And when he heard the answer that came from the little martyr’s head, he shouted: “Take that head away!”

“I suffer from violence,” the head said in Latin in a frighteningly inhuman voice.

Karl shook in convulsions, foam flew out of his mouth in clumps. The king is dead. And Catherine, who had never previously questioned her abilities for magic, was horrified: had even the devil turned away from her offspring?

However, the failure of the terrible ritual did not change her attitude towards witchcraft. Catherine still counted on the help of magicians. When a few years later her next son, King Henry III, fell ill, she, without hesitation for a long time, again turned to the same people who had not so long ago served a black mass to save Charles.

Catherine was sure: you can fight against magic only with the help of magic. It was her political opponents, the Guise family approaching the throne, who condemned the young king to death. The cards told her about the damage caused by them. Her court astrologer warned her about her. And later, a servant-witness trembling with fear told Catherine about how all this happened.

A wax figure of the king was placed on the altar, at which the priest Guizov celebrated mass. They pierced her with a needle during a prayer full of threats and anathemas. They asked for Henry's death. “Because His Majesty did not die quickly enough, they decided that our king was also a sorcerer,” the narrator whispered, drawing his head into his shoulders.

Catherine just shrugged her shoulders contemptuously. Is Heinrich a sorcerer? Only fools can believe this. He is weak and weak-willed, his spirit is not ready for such tests. And communication with dark forces is, as she knows very well, a cruel, strength-consuming test. It was obvious to her: she would have to take on the monstrous sin again.

And again the child was brought into the sick room. The candle flames went out again for a moment. But this time Catherine turned out to be stronger. Death touched the king's face and retreated, Henry survived.

No matter how hard Catherine tried, she could not deceive her fate.

One of her many astrologers warned the queen "against some Saint Germain." Since then, Catherine stopped visiting her castle in Saint-Germain-en-Laye and the Louvre - after all, the Church of Saint-Germain is located next to the Louvre. When making travel plans, she vigilantly ensured that her path ran as far as possible from the churches and settlements of the same name. The queen settled in the castle of Blois, which she had not previously loved, just to protect herself from any surprises.

Once, having fallen ill, she reassured her ladies-in-waiting: “Nothing threatens me in Blois, don’t worry. You heard, I will die next to Saint-Germain. And here I will certainly recover.”

But the disease progressed. And Catherine ordered to call a doctor. A doctor unfamiliar to her came, examined her and decided to watch at her bedside until the morning while she slept.

You are too tired, Your Majesty. You just need to have a good rest,” he said.
“Yes,” the queen nodded. - But who are you? What is your name?
“My name is Saint-Germain, madam,” the aesculapian bowed deeply.
Three hours later, Catherine de Medici passed away.

“I was crushed by the rubble of the house,” these dying words of the “black queen” turned out to be prophetic. A few months later, the last of her sons, Henry, followed his mother into the grave. Instead of the House of Valois, the Bourbon dynasty reigned in France.

Biography

Catherine de' Medici - Queen of France from 1547 to 1559; wife of Henry II, King of France from the Valois dynasty. As the mother of three sons who occupied the French throne during her lifetime, she had great influence on the politics of the Kingdom of France. For some time she ruled the country as a regent.

In 1533, at the age of fourteen, she married Prince Henry de Valois, second son of King Francis I and Queen Claude. Throughout his reign, Henry removed Catherine from participation in state affairs, replacing her with his mistress Diane de Poitiers, who had great influence over him. Henry's death in 1559 brought Catherine into the political arena as the mother of fifteen-year-old King Francis II. When he died in 1560, Catherine became regent for her ten-year-old son Charles IX. After Charles died in 1574, Catherine retained her influence during the reign of her third son, Henry III. He began to do without her advice only in the last months of her life.

Catherine's sons reigned during an era of almost constant civil and religious wars in France. The monarchy faced difficult challenges. At first, Catherine made concessions to the rebel Protestant Huguenots, but then began to pursue a very tough policy towards them. She was later accused of excessive persecution carried out under the reign of her sons, in particular it is generally accepted that the Night of St. Bartholomew on August 24, 1572, during which thousands of Huguenots were killed, was provoked by Catherine de' Medici.

Some historians view Catherine's policies as desperate measures to keep the Valois dynasty on the throne at all costs, and her patronage of the arts as an attempt to glorify a monarchy whose prestige was in deep decline. Without Catherine, it is unlikely that her sons would have remained in power. The years of their reign were called the “era of Catherine de Medici.” According to one of her biographers, Mark Strange, Catherine was the most powerful woman in 16th-century Europe.

Childhood

Catherine was born on April 13, 1519 in Florence, the center of the Florentine Republic. Full name at birth: Catherine Maria Romula di Lorenzo de' Medici. The Medici family actually ruled Florence at the time: originally bankers, they came to great wealth and power by financing European monarchs. Catherine's father - Lorenzo II Medici, Duke of Urbino (1492-1519) - was not originally the Duke of Urbino and became one thanks to his uncle - Giovanni Medici, Pope Leo X. The title returned to Francesco Rovere after Lorenzo's death. Thus, despite the ducal title, Catherine was of relatively low birth. However, her mother - Madeleine de la Tour, Countess of Auvergne (c. 1500-1519) - belonged to one of the most famous and ancient French aristocratic families, which greatly contributed to Catherine's future marriage.

According to the chronicler, the parents were very happy about the birth of their daughter, they “were as pleased as if it were a son.” However, both soon die: Countess Madeleine - on April 28 from childbed fever, Lorenzo II - on May 4, having outlived his wife by only six days. The young couple had married the year before in Amboise as a sign of the alliance between King Francis I of France and Pope Leo X against the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I. Francis wanted to take Catherine to be raised at the French court, but Leo X had other plans. He intended to marry her to his brother Giuliano's illegitimate son, Ippolito de' Medici, and make them rulers of Florence.

After this, the newborn was cared for by her grandmother Alfonsina Orsini until her death in 1520. Catherine was raised by her aunt, Clarissa Strozzi, along with her children, whom Catherine loved like siblings all her life. One of them, Pietro Strozzi, rose to the rank of marshal's baton in the French service.

The death of Pope Leo X in 1521 brought a break in the Medici family's power over the Holy See until Cardinal Giulio de' Medici became Pope Clement VII in 1523. In 1527, the Medici in Florence were overthrown and Catherine became a hostage. Pope Clement was forced to recognize and crown Charles V of Habsburg as Holy Roman Emperor in return for his help in recapturing Florence and freeing the young duchess.

In October 1529, the troops of Charles V besieged Florence. During the siege, there were calls and threats to kill Catherine and hang her on the city gates or send her to a brothel to dishonor her. Although the city resisted the siege, on August 12, 1530, famine and plague forced Florence to surrender.

Clement met Catherine in Rome with tears in his eyes. It was then that he began to search for a groom for her, considering many options, but when in 1531 the French king Francis I proposed the candidacy of his second son Henry, Clement immediately jumped at the chance: the young Duke of Orleans was the most profitable match for his niece Catherine .

Wedding

At the age of fourteen, Catherine became the bride of the French prince Henry de Valois, the future king of France, Henry II. Her dowry amounted to 130,000 ducats and extensive possessions that included Pisa, Livorno and Parma.

Catherine could not be called beautiful. At the time of her arrival in Rome, one Venetian ambassador described her as "red-haired, short and thin, but with expressive eyes" - a typical appearance of the Medici family. But Catherine managed to impress the sophisticated French court, spoiled by luxury, by turning to the help of one of the most famous Florentine craftsmen, who made high-heeled shoes for the young bride. Her appearance at the French court caused a sensation. The wedding, which took place in Marseilles on October 28, 1533, was a major event marked by extravagance and the distribution of gifts. Europe has not seen such a gathering of the highest clergy for a long time. Pope Clement VII himself attended the ceremony, accompanied by many cardinals. The fourteen-year-old newlyweds left the celebration at midnight to attend to their wedding duties. After the wedding, 34 days of continuous feasts and balls followed. At the wedding feast, Italian chefs introduced the French court to a new dessert made from fruit and ice - this was the first ice cream.

At the French court

On September 25, 1534, Pope Clement VII died unexpectedly. Paul III, who replaced him, dissolved the alliance with France and refused to pay Catherine's dowry. Catherine's political value suddenly disappeared, thereby worsening her position in an unfamiliar country. King Francis complained that “the girl came to me completely naked.”

Catherine, born in merchant Florence, where her parents were not concerned with giving their offspring a comprehensive education, had a very difficult time at the sophisticated French court. She felt like an ignorant person who did not know how to elegantly construct phrases and made many mistakes in her letters. We must not forget that French was not her native language, she spoke with an accent, and although she spoke quite clearly, the ladies of the court contemptuously pretended that they did not understand her well. Catherine was isolated from society and suffered from loneliness and hostility from the French, who arrogantly called her “Italian” and “merchant’s wife.”

In 1536, the eighteen-year-old Dauphin Francis unexpectedly died, and Catherine's husband became heir to the French throne. Now Catherine had to worry about the future of the throne. The death of his brother-in-law marked the beginning of speculation about the involvement of the Florentine woman in his poisoning for the quick accession of “Catherine the Poisoner” to the French throne. According to the official version, the Dauphin died of a cold, however, the courtier, the Italian Count of Montecuccoli, who gave him a cup of cold water, inflamed by gambling, was executed.

Birth of children

The birth of an illegitimate child to her husband in 1537 confirmed rumors about Catherine’s infertility. Many advised the king to annul the marriage. Under pressure from her husband, who wanted to consolidate her position with the birth of an heir, Catherine was treated for a long time and in vain by various magicians and healers with one single goal - to get pregnant. Every possible means was used to ensure successful conception, including drinking mule urine and wearing cow dung and deer antlers on the lower abdomen.

Finally, on January 20, 1544, Catherine gave birth to a son. The boy was named Francis in honor of his grandfather, the reigning king (he even shed tears of happiness when he learned about this). After her first pregnancy, Catherine seemed to no longer have problems conceiving. With the birth of several more heirs, Catherine strengthened her position at the French court. The long-term future of the Valois dynasty seemed assured.

The sudden miraculous cure for infertility is associated with the famous doctor, alchemist, astrologer and fortuneteller Michel Nostradamus, one of the few who were part of Catherine’s close circle of confidants.

Henry often played with children and was even present at their birth. In 1556, during her next birth, surgeons saved Catherine from death by breaking off the legs of one of the twins, Jeanne, who lay dead in her mother’s womb for six hours. However, the second girl, Victoria, was destined to live only six weeks. In connection with this birth, which was very difficult and almost caused the death of Catherine, doctors advised the royal couple not to think about having new children anymore; After this advice, Henry stopped visiting his wife's bedroom, spending all his free time with his favorite Diane de Poitiers.

Diane de Poitiers

Back in 1538, the thirty-nine-year-old beautiful widow Diana captivated the heart of the nineteen-year-old heir to the throne, Henry of Orleans, which over time allowed her to become an extremely influential person, as well as (in the opinion of many) the true ruler of the state. In 1547, Henry spent a third of every day with Diana. Having become king, he gave his beloved the castle of Chenonceau. This made it clear to everyone that Diana had completely taken the place of Catherine, who, in turn, was forced to endure her husband’s beloved. She, like a real Medici, even managed to overcome herself, humble her pride, and win over her husband’s influential favorite. Diana was very pleased that Henry was married to a woman who preferred not to interfere and turned a blind eye to everything.

Queen of France

On March 31, 1547, Francis I died and Henry II ascended the throne. Catherine became Queen of France. The coronation took place in the Basilica of Saint-Denis in June 1549.

During the reign of her husband, Catherine had only minimal influence on the administration of the kingdom. Even in Henry's absence, her power was very limited. In early April 1559, Henry II signed the peace treaty of Cateau-Cambresis, ending the long wars between France, Italy and England. The agreement was strengthened by the engagement of Catherine and Henry's fourteen-year-old daughter, Princess Elizabeth, to thirty-two-year-old Philip II of Spain.

Death of Henry II

Challenging the prediction of the astrologer Luca Gorico, who advised him to refrain from tournaments, paying attention specifically to the king’s forty-year-old age, Henry decided to participate in the competition. On June 30 or July 1, 1559, he took part in a duel with the lieutenant of his Scots guard, Earl Gabriel de Montgomery. Montgomery's split spear passed through the slot of the king's helmet. Through Henry's eye, the tree entered the brain, mortally wounding the monarch. The king was taken to the castle de Tournel, where the remaining fragments of the ill-fated spear were removed from his face. The best doctors in the kingdom fought for Henry's life. Catherine was at her husband’s bedside all the time, and Diana did not appear, probably for fear of being sent away by the queen. From time to time, Henry even felt well enough to dictate letters and listen to music, but soon he became blind and lost his speech.

Black queen

Henry II died on July 10, 1559. From that day on, Catherine chose as her emblem a broken spear with the inscription “Lacrymae hinc, hinc dolor” (“From this all my tears and my pain”) and until the end of her days she wore black clothes as a sign of mourning. She was the first to wear black mourning. Before this, in medieval France, mourning was white.

Despite everything, Catherine adored her husband. “I loved him so much...” she wrote to her daughter Elizabeth after Henry’s death. Catherine mourned her husband for thirty years and went down in French history under the name “The Black Queen.”

Regency

Her eldest son, fifteen-year-old Francis II, became the King of France. Catherine took up state affairs, made political decisions, and exercised control over the Royal Council. However, she never ruled the entire country, which was in chaos and on the verge of civil war. Many parts of France were virtually dominated by local nobles. The complex tasks that Catherine faced were confusing and to some extent difficult for her to understand. She called on religious leaders on both sides to engage in dialogue to resolve their doctrinal differences. Despite her optimism, the "Conference of Poissy" ended in failure on October 13, 1561, dissolving itself without the queen's permission. Catherine's point of view on religious issues was naive because she saw the religious schism from a political perspective. “She underestimated the power of religious conviction, imagining that all would be well if only she could persuade both parties to agree.”

Francis II died in Orleans shortly before his 17th birthday from a brain abscess caused by an ear infection. He had no children and his 10-year-old brother Charles ascended the throne.

Charles IX

On August 17, 1563, Catherine de Medici's second son, Charles IX, was declared an adult. He was never able to govern the kingdom on his own and showed minimal interest in state affairs. Karl was also prone to hysterics, which over time turned into outbursts of rage. He suffered from shortness of breath - a sign of tuberculosis, which ultimately brought him to the grave.

Dynastic marriages

Through dynastic marriages, Catherine sought to expand and strengthen the interests of the House of Valois. In 1570, Charles was married to the daughter of Emperor Maximilian II, Elizabeth. Catherine tried to marry one of her younger sons to Elizabeth of England.

She did not forget about her youngest daughter Margarita, whom she saw as the bride of the again widowed Philip II of Spain. However, soon Catherine had plans to unite the Bourbons and Valois through the marriage of Margaret and Henry of Navarre. However, Margaret encouraged the attention of Henry of Guise, son of the late Duke François of Guise. The escaped Henry of Guise hastily married Catherine of Cleves, which restored the favor of the French court towards him. Perhaps it was this incident that caused the split between Catherine and Giza.

Between 1571 and 1573, Catherine persistently tried to win over the mother of Henry of Navarre, Queen Jeanne. When in another letter Catherine expressed a desire to see her children, promising not to harm them, Jeanne d'Albret jokingly replied: “Forgive me if, reading this, I want to laugh, because you want to free me from fears that I never Did not have. I never thought that, as they say, you eat small children.” Ultimately, Joan agreed to a marriage between her son Henry and Margaret, with the condition that Henry would continue to adhere to the Huguenot faith. Shortly after arriving in Paris to prepare for the wedding, forty-four-year-old Jeanne fell ill and died.

The Huguenots were quick to accuse Catherine of killing Jeanne with poisoned gloves. The wedding of Henry of Navarre and Margaret of Valois took place on August 18, 1572 at Notre Dame Cathedral.

Three days later, one of the Huguenot leaders, Admiral Gaspard Coligny, on his way from the Louvre, was wounded in the arm by a shot from the window of a nearby building. A smoking arquebus was left in the window, but the shooter managed to escape. Coligny was carried to his apartment, where surgeon Ambroise Paré removed the bullet from his elbow and amputated one of his fingers. Catherine was said to have reacted to this incident without emotion. She visited Coligny and tearfully promised to find and punish her attacker. Many historians blamed her for the attack on Coligny. Others point to the Guise family or a Spanish-papal conspiracy that tried to end Coligny's influence over the king.

St. Bartholomew's Night

The name of Catherine de Medici is associated with one of the bloodiest events in the history of France - St. Bartholomew's Night. The massacre, which began two days later, tarnished Catherine's reputation. There is no doubt that she was behind the decision on August 23, when Charles IX ordered: “Then kill them all, kill them all!”

The train of thought was clear, Catherine and her Italian advisers (Albert de Gondi, Lodovico Gonzaga, Marquis de Villars) expected a Huguenot uprising after the assassination attempt on Coligny, so they decided to strike first and destroy the Huguenot leaders who came to Paris for the wedding of Margaret of Valois and Henry Navarre. Most likely it was an adventure of the Guise family, only it was important for them that religious peace did not come to France. The St. Bartholomew massacre began in the first hours of August 24, 1572.

The king's guards burst into Coligny's bedroom, killed him and threw his body out of the window. At the same time, the sound of the church bell was a conventional sign for the beginning of the murders of the Huguenot leaders, most of whom died in their own beds. The king's newly minted son-in-law, Henry of Navarre, was faced with a choice between death, life imprisonment and conversion to Catholicism. He decided to become a Catholic, after which he was asked to stay in the room for his own safety. All the Huguenots inside and outside the Louvre were killed, and those who managed to escape into the street were shot by the royal riflemen who were waiting for them. The Parisian massacre continued for almost a week, spreading across many provinces of France, where indiscriminate killings continued. According to historian Jules Michelet, "Bartholomew's Night was not a night, but a whole season." This massacre delighted Catholic Europe, Catherine outwardly enjoyed the praise because she preferred that foreign rulers think of the strong power of the Valois family. From this time on, the “black legend” of Catherine, the evil Italian queen, began.

Huguenot writers branded Catherine as a treacherous Italian who followed Machiavelli's advice to "kill all enemies with one blow." Despite accusations from contemporaries of planning a massacre, some historians do not entirely agree with this. There is no hard evidence that the killings were pre-planned. Many view the massacre as a "surgical strike" that got out of control. Whatever the reasons for the bloodshed, historian Nicholas Sutherland has called St. Bartholomew's Night in Paris and its subsequent development "one of the most controversial events in modern history."

Henry III

Two years later, with the death of twenty-three-year-old Charles IX, Catherine faced a new crisis. The dying words of Catherine’s dying son were: “Oh, my mother...”. The day before his death, he appointed his mother as regent, since his brother, the heir to the French throne, the Duke of Anjou, was in Poland, becoming its king. In her letter to Henry, Catherine wrote: “I am heartbroken... My only consolation is to see you here soon, as your kingdom requires and in good health, because if I lose you too, I will bury myself alive with you.”

Favorite son

Henry was Catherine's favorite son. Unlike his brothers, he took the throne as an adult. He was the healthiest of all, although he also had weak lungs and suffered from constant fatigue. Catherine could not control Henry the way she did with Charles. Her role during Henry's reign was that of a state executive and traveling diplomat. She traveled the length and breadth of the kingdom, strengthening the king's power and preventing war. In 1578, Catherine again took upon herself the restoration of peace in the south of the country. At the age of fifty-nine, she undertook an eighteen-month tour of the south of France, meeting with Huguenot leaders there. She suffered from catarrh and rheumatism, but her main concern was Heinrich. When he suffered an ear abscess similar to the one that killed Francis II, Catherine was beside herself with worry. After she heard the news of his successful recovery, she wrote in one letter: “I believe God has taken pity on me. Seeing my suffering from the loss of my husband and children, he did not want to completely crush me by taking that away from me... This terrible pain is disgusting, believe me, to be far from the one you love the way I love him, and knowing that that he is sick; it’s like dying over a slow fire.”

Francois, Duke of Alençon

During the reign of Henry III, civil wars in France often descended into anarchy, fueled by a power struggle between the high nobility on one side and the clergy on the other. A new destabilizing component in the kingdom was the youngest son of Catherine de Medici - Francois, Duke of Alençon, who at that time bore the title “Monsignor” (French “Monsieur”). François plotted to seize the throne while Henry was in Poland and later continued to disrupt the peace of the kingdom at every opportunity. The brothers hated each other. Since Henry had no children, Francois was the legal heir to the throne. One day, Catherine had to lecture him for six hours about his, Francois, behavior. But the ambitions of the Duke of Alençon (later of Anjou) brought him closer to misfortune. His ill-equipped campaign into the Netherlands and the king's promised but unfulfilled aid ended in the destruction of his army in Antwerp in January 1583. Antwerp marked the end of François's military career.

Another blow befell him when Queen Elizabeth I of England, after the Antwerp massacre, officially broke off her engagement to him. On June 10, 1584, François died of exhaustion after failures in the Netherlands. The day after her son’s death, Catherine wrote: “I am so unhappy living long enough to see so many people die before me, although I understand that God’s will must be obeyed, that He owns everything and what He lends to us is only as long as He loves the children He gives us.” The death of Catherine's youngest son was a real disaster for her dynastic plans. Henry III had no children and it seemed unlikely that he would ever have any, due to Louise de Vaudemont's inability to conceive a child. According to the Salic Law, the former Huguenot Henry of Bourbon, King of Navarre, became the heir to the French crown.

Marguerite de Valois

The behavior of Catherine's youngest daughter, Marguerite de Valois, annoyed her mother just as much as Francois's behavior. One day, in 1575, Catherine yelled at Margarita because of rumors that she had a lover. Another time, King Henry III even sent people to kill Margarita’s lover, Count de La Mole (nobleman Francois of Alençon), but he managed to escape, and was then executed on charges of treason. La Mole himself revealed the plot to Catherine. In 1576, Henry accused Margaret of having an inappropriate relationship with a lady of the court. Later in her memoirs, Margarita claimed that if it were not for Catherine’s help, Henry would have killed her. In 1582, Margarita returned to the French court without her husband and soon began to behave very scandalously, changing lovers. Catherine had to resort to the help of the ambassador to pacify Henry of Bourbon and return Margaret to Navarre. She reminded her daughter that her own behavior as a wife was impeccable, despite all the provocations. But Margarita was unable to follow her mother's advice. In 1585, after Margaret was rumored to have tried to poison her husband and shot him, she fled Navarre again. This time she headed to her own Agen, from where she soon asked her mother for money, which she received in an amount sufficient for food. However, soon she and her next lover, persecuted by the inhabitants of Agen, had to move to the Karlat fortress. Catherine asked Henry to take immediate action before Margaret disgraced them again. In October 1586, Margarita was locked in the castle d'Usson. Margarita's lover was executed before her eyes. Catherine excluded her daughter from her will and never saw her again.

Death

Catherine de' Medici died in Blois on January 5, 1589, at the age of sixty-nine. An autopsy revealed a terrible general condition of the lungs with a purulent abscess on the left side. According to modern researchers, the possible cause of death of Catherine de Medici was pleurisy. “Those who were close to her believed that her life was shortened by annoyance due to the actions of her son,” believed one of the chroniclers. Since Paris was held by enemies of the crown at that time, they decided to bury Catherine in Blois. She was later reburied in the Parisian Abbey of Saint-Denis. In 1793, during the French Revolution, a crowd threw her remains, as well as the remains of all French kings and queens, into a common grave.

Eight months after Catherine's death, everything she had strived for and dreamed of during her life came to naught when the religious fanatic monk Jacques Clement stabbed to death her beloved son and last Valois, Henry III.

It is interesting to note that of all 10 children of Catherine, only Margarita lived a fairly long life - 62 years. Heinrich did not live to see 40, and the rest of the children did not even live to see 30.

Influence of Catherine de' Medici

Some modern historians forgive Catherine de Medici for not always humane solutions to problems during her reign. Professor R. D. Knecht points out that the justification for her ruthless policies can be found in her own letters. Catherine's policies can be seen as a series of desperate attempts to keep the monarchy and the Valois dynasty on the throne at any cost. It can be argued that without Catherine, her sons would never have retained power, which is why the period of their reign is often called “the years of Catherine de Medici.”

During her lifetime, Catherine inadvertently had enormous influence in fashion, outlawing the use of thick bodices in 1550. The ban applied to all visitors to the royal court. For nearly 350 years after this, women wore laced corsets made from whalebone or metal to narrow their waists as much as possible.

With her passions, manners and taste, love for art, splendor and luxury, Catherine was a true Medici. Her collection consisted of 476 paintings, mainly portraits, and is currently part of the Louvre collection. She was also one of the "influential people in culinary history." Her banquets at the Palace of Fontainebleau in 1564 were renowned for their splendor. Catherine was also well versed in architecture: the Valois chapel in Saint-Denis, the addition to the Chenonceau castle near Blois, etc. She discussed the plan and decoration of her Tuileries Palace. The popularity of ballet in France is also associated with Catherine de Medici, who brought this type of performing art with her from Italy.

Heroine Dumas

Catherine de Medici is familiar to millions of readers from the novels by Alexandre Dumas “Ascanio”, “The Two Dianas”, “Queen Margot”, “The Countess de Monsoreau” and “Forty-Five”.

Film incarnations

Françoise Rose in the film “Queen Margot”, France - Italy, 1954.
Lea Padovani in the film The Princess of Cleves (film based on the novel by Madame de Lafayette, directed by J. Dellanois, France-Italy, 1961)
Catherine Cut in the film "Mary Queen of Scots", Great Britain, 1971.
Maria Merico in the mini-series “The Countess de Monsoreau”, France, 1971.
Virna Lisi in the film “Queen Margot”, France - Germany - Italy, 1994.
Ekaterina Vasilyeva in the series “Queen Margot” 1996 and “Countess de Monsoreau”, Russia, 1997.
Rosa Novel in the mini-series “The Countess de Monsoreau”, France, 2008.
Hannelore Hoger in the German film "Henry of Navarre", 2010.
Evelina Meghangi in the film “Princess de Montpensier”, France - Germany, 2010.
Megan Follows in the television series “Reign”, USA, 2013-2016.

Catherine de Medici can be called the most “hated” woman in history. “The Black Queen”, poisoner, child killer, instigator of St. Bartholomew's Night - contemporaries did not spare epithets for her, although some of them were unfair.

Child of death

The sinister image of Catherine de Medici was not the invention of Dumas. She was born under a terrible star. It’s no joke, immediately after birth in 1519 the child was dubbed “the child of death.” This nickname, like a trail, will accompany her throughout her future life. Her mother, 19-year-old Duchess Madeleine de la Tour, died six days after giving birth, and her father, Lorenzo de' Medici II, died two weeks later.

Catherine de' Medici is credited with poisoning her husband's elder brother, Francis, the Queen of Navarre, Jeanne Dalbret, and even her son, Charles IX. Her most terrible prank was St. Bartholomew's Night.

However, she did not become the “Black Queen” because of her reputation. Catherine wore black mourning for the first time. Before this, in France, white was considered a symbol of grief. In some ways, and in fashion, she was the first at court. Catherine mourned for her deceased husband Henry II for 30 years, she made broken spears as her emblem, and her motto was “This is the reason for my tears and my pain,” but more on that a little later.

According to the marriage lottery, Catherine was chosen as the wife of the second son of the French king, Henry of Valois. But the marriage became virtually fictitious. The king already had the love of his life - his children's teacher Diane de Poitiers. He had been in love with her since he was 11 years old. She already had an illegitimate son from the king, and Catherine, on the contrary, could not get pregnant. The situation was complicated by the fact that the Medici loved her husband. Subsequently, in one of her letters to her daughter, she wrote: “I loved him and will be faithful to him all my life.”

The French court rejected her, as did Henry. They kept saying behind my back: “Merchant’s wife! Where does she care about the noble Valois! Poorly educated, ugly, barren. When, after the death of the first contender for the throne, Francis, she became the wife of the Dauphin, the situation did not improve.

There were rumors that Francis I, Henry's father, had practically agreed to annul his son's marriage to Catherine.

Meanwhile, the cult of Diana flourished at court. Henry II adored his favorite until his death, when she was already 60. He even performed at tournaments under her flowers. The queen next to her is just a shadow. In order to somehow gain her husband’s favor after the birth of such long-awaited children, she gave them to Diana to raise. At court, Catherine completely dissolved in the politics that the king and his Diana were engaged in. Perhaps, if this had happened in Russia, she would have ended her days in a monastery.

Trendsetter

But during the life of Henry II, Catherine remained with her own path, in which she had no equal: she was the main trendsetter in all of Europe. The entire aristocracy of France listened to her taste.

It was to her that the fair sex of Europe owed subsequent fainting spells - she set a limit for the waist - 33 cm, which was achieved with the help of a corset.

She also brought with her from Italy heels that concealed the shortcomings of her short stature.

Ice cream came with it to France. It first appeared at her wedding, which lasted 34 days. Italian chefs served a new dish every day, a new variety of these “ice pieces”. And after that, their French colleagues mastered this dish. Thus, the first thing that Catherine de Medici brought to France became the only thing that took hold there. The dowry was quickly squandered, all her political contributions led only to the fall of Valois, but the ice cream remained.

Nostradamus is a favorite

The position of shadow with the king's favorite did not suit Catherine. She did not give free rein to her emotions and patiently endured all the insults of the court, but universal contempt only fueled her vanity. She wanted her husband's love and power. To do this, Catherine needed to solve the most important problem - to give birth to an heir for the king. And she resorted to an unconventional path.

Even as a child, when she studied at a monastery in Siena, Catherine became interested in astrology and magic.

One of the main confidants of the French queen was the predictor Nostradamus.

Contemporaries said that it was he who cured her of infertility. It must be said that the traditional folk methods that she used were very extravagant - she had to drink a tincture of mule urine, wear cow pus and fragments of deer antlers on her stomach. Some of it worked.

From 1544 to 1556 she continuously gave birth to children. In 12 years she gave birth to ten children. Just a fantastic result.

Francis, Elizabeth, Claude, Louis, Charles Maximilian, Edward Alexander, who would later be Henry III, Margaret, Hercule, the last adored son, and in 1556 the twins Victoria and Jeanne, but the latter died right in the womb.

The name of Nostradamus is also associated with the most important prediction in Catherine’s life. Historian Natalya Basovskaya says that once the queen came to him with the question “How long will her sons rule?” He sat her down by the mirror and began to spin a wheel. According to Francis the Young, the wheel turned once, he really ruled for less than a year; according to Charles the Ninth, the wheel turned 14 times, he ruled for 14 years; according to Henry the Third, 15, and he ruled for 15.

In the family

On July 10, 1559, Henry II died due to wounds received at the tournament. The enemy's spear slid across his helmet and pierced his eye, leaving a splinter in his brain. Catherine de Medici put on her famous black mourning, made herself a symbolic emblem of a broken spear and prepared to fight her way through her children to power. She succeeded - she achieved the status of “governess of France” under her sons. Her second heir, Charles IX, solemnly declared right at the coronation that he would rule together with his mother. By the way, his last words were also: “Oh, mom.”

The courtiers were not mistaken when they called Catherine “uneducated.” Her contemporary Jean Bodin subtly noted: “the most terrible danger is the intellectual unsuitability of the sovereign.”

Catherine de Medici could be anyone - a cunning intriguer, an insidious poisoner, but she was far from understanding all the intricacies of domestic and international relations.

For example, her famous confederation in Poissy, when she organized a meeting of Catholics and Calvinists in order to reconcile the two faiths. She sincerely believed that all the problems of the world could be resolved through emotional negotiations, so to speak, “within the family circle.” According to historians, she could not even understand the true meaning of the speech of Calvin’s close associate, who stated that eating bread and wine during communion is only a remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ. A terrible blow to Catholic worship. And Catherine, who had never been particularly fanatical, only watched in amazement as the conflict flared up. All that was clear to her was that for some reason her plan was not working out.

Her entire policy, despite Catherine’s terrible reputation, was painfully naive. As historians say, she was not a ruler, but a woman on the throne. Its main weapon was dynastic marriages, none of which were successful. She married Charles IX to the daughter of Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg, and sent her daughter Elizabeth to Philip II, a Catholic fanatic who ruined the latter’s life, but did not bring any benefit to France and Valois. She wooed her youngest son to Elizabeth I of England, the main enemy of the same Philip. Catherine de Medici believed that dynastic marriages were the solution to all problems. She wrote to Philip: “Start arranging marriages for children, and this will make it easier to resolve the religious issue.” Catherine intended to reconcile the two conflicting faiths with one wedding of her Catholic daughter Margaret with the Huguenot Henry of Navarre. And then, immediately after the wedding, she carried out a massacre of the Huguenots invited to the celebration, declaring them in a conspiracy against the king. It is not surprising that after such steps the Valois dynasty sank into oblivion along with its only surviving son, Henry III, and France fell into the nightmare of the Civil War.

Crown of thorns?

So, how should you treat Catherine de Medici? Was she unhappy? Undoubtedly. An orphan, an abandoned wife, a humiliated “merchant’s wife” at court, a mother who outlived almost all her children. An energetic, always-busy queen mother whose political activities were, for the most part, meaningless. At her combat post, she traveled and traveled around France until ill health overtook her in Blois, where she died during her next visit.

Her “loyal subjects” did not leave her alone even after her death. When her remains were taken to Paris to be buried in Saint-Denis, the city's citizens promised to throw her body into the Seine if the coffin appeared at the city gates.

After a long time, the urn with the ashes was moved to Saint-Denis, but there was no place next to the husband, just as during his lifetime. The urn was buried aside.

Recently, historian Gulchuk Nelya published a book called “The Crown of Thorns of Catherine de Medici.” She, of course, had a crown, but can it be compared to a crown of thorns? An unhappy life does not justify her methods - “everything for the sake of power.” It was not fate, but her terrible but naive policy that destroyed in one generation the prosperous Valois dynasty, as it was under her father-in-law Francis I.

Catherine de Medici can be called the most “hated” woman in history. “The Black Queen”, poisoner, child killer, instigator of St. Bartholomew's Night - contemporaries did not spare epithets for her, although some of them were unfair.

Child of death

The sinister image of Catherine de Medici was not the invention of Dumas. She was born under a terrible star. It’s no joke, immediately after birth in 1519 the child was dubbed “the child of death.” This nickname, like a trail, will accompany her throughout her future life. Her mother, 19-year-old Duchess Madeleine de la Tour, died six days after giving birth, and her father, Lorenzo de' Medici II, died two weeks later.

Catherine de' Medici is credited with poisoning her husband's elder brother, Francis, the Queen of Navarre, Jeanne Dalbret, and even her son, Charles IX. Her most terrible prank was St. Bartholomew's Night.

However, she did not become the “Black Queen” because of her reputation. Catherine wore black mourning for the first time. Before this, in France, white was considered a symbol of grief. In some ways, and in fashion, she was the first at court. Catherine mourned for her deceased husband Henry II for 30 years, she made broken spears as her emblem, and her motto was “This is the reason for my tears and my pain,” but more on that a little later.

According to the marriage lottery, Catherine was chosen as the wife of the second son of the French king, Henry of Valois. But the marriage became virtually fictitious. The king already had the love of his life - his children's teacher Diane de Poitiers. He had been in love with her since he was 11 years old. She already had an illegitimate son from the king, and Catherine, on the contrary, could not get pregnant. The situation was complicated by the fact that the Medici loved her husband. Subsequently, in one of her letters to her daughter, she wrote: “I loved him and will be faithful to him all my life.”

The French court rejected her, as did Henry. They kept saying behind my back: “Merchant’s wife! Where does she care about the noble Valois! Poorly educated, ugly, barren. When, after the death of the first contender for the throne, Francis, she became the wife of the Dauphin, the situation did not improve.

There were rumors that Francis I, Henry's father, had practically agreed to annul his son's marriage to Catherine.

Meanwhile, the cult of Diana flourished at court. Henry II adored his favorite until his death, when she was already 60. He even performed at tournaments under her flowers. The queen next to her is just a shadow. In order to somehow gain her husband’s favor after the birth of such long-awaited children, she gave them to Diana to raise. At court, Catherine completely dissolved in the politics that the king and his Diana were engaged in. Perhaps, if this had happened in Russia, she would have ended her days in a monastery.

Trendsetter

But during the life of Henry II, Catherine remained with her own path, in which she had no equal: she was the main trendsetter in all of Europe. The entire aristocracy of France listened to her taste.

It was to her that the fair sex of Europe owed subsequent fainting spells - she set a limit for the waist - 33 cm, which was achieved with the help of a corset.

She also brought with her from Italy heels that concealed the shortcomings of her short stature.

Ice cream came with it to France. It first appeared at her wedding, which lasted 34 days. Italian chefs served a new dish every day, a new variety of these “ice pieces”. And after that, their French colleagues mastered this dish. Thus, the first thing that Catherine de Medici brought to France became the only thing that took hold there. The dowry was quickly squandered, all her political contributions led only to the fall of Valois, but the ice cream remained.

Nostradamus is a favorite

The position of shadow with the king's favorite did not suit Catherine. She did not give free rein to her emotions and patiently endured all the insults of the court, but universal contempt only fueled her vanity. She wanted her husband's love and power. To do this, Catherine needed to solve the most important problem - to give birth to an heir for the king. And she resorted to an unconventional path.

Even as a child, when she studied at a monastery in Siena, Catherine became interested in astrology and magic.

One of the main confidants of the French queen was the predictor Nostradamus.

Contemporaries said that it was he who cured her of infertility. It must be said that the traditional folk methods that she used were very extravagant - she had to drink a tincture of mule urine, wear cow pus and fragments of deer antlers on her stomach. Some of it worked.

From 1544 to 1556 she continuously gave birth to children. In 12 years she gave birth to ten children. Just a fantastic result.

Francis, Elizabeth, Claude, Louis, Charles Maximilian, Edward Alexander, who would later be Henry III, Margaret, Hercule, the last adored son, and in 1556 the twins Victoria and Jeanne, but the latter died right in the womb.

The name of Nostradamus is also associated with the most important prediction in Catherine’s life. Historian Natalya Basovskaya says that once the queen came to him with the question “How long will her sons rule?” He sat her down by the mirror and began to spin a wheel. According to Francis the Young, the wheel turned once, he really ruled for less than a year; according to Charles the Ninth, the wheel turned 14 times, he ruled for 14 years; according to Henry the Third, 15, and he ruled for 15.

In the family

On July 10, 1559, Henry II died due to wounds received at the tournament. The enemy's spear slid across his helmet and pierced his eye, leaving a splinter in his brain. Catherine de Medici put on her famous black mourning, made herself a symbolic emblem of a broken spear and prepared to fight her way through her children to power. She succeeded - she achieved the status of “governess of France” under her sons. Her second heir, Charles IX, solemnly declared right at the coronation that he would rule together with his mother. By the way, his last words were also: “Oh, mom.”

The courtiers were not mistaken when they called Catherine “uneducated.” Her contemporary Jean Bodin subtly noted: “the most terrible danger is the intellectual unsuitability of the sovereign.”

Catherine de Medici could be anyone - a cunning intriguer, an insidious poisoner, but she was far from understanding all the intricacies of domestic and international relations.

For example, her famous confederation in Poissy, when she organized a meeting of Catholics and Calvinists in order to reconcile the two faiths. She sincerely believed that all the problems of the world could be resolved through emotional negotiations, so to speak, “within the family circle.” According to historians, she could not even understand the true meaning of the speech of Calvin’s close associate, who stated that eating bread and wine during communion is only a remembrance of the sacrifice of Christ. A terrible blow to Catholic worship. And Catherine, who had never been particularly fanatical, only watched in amazement as the conflict flared up. All that was clear to her was that for some reason her plan was not working out.

Her entire policy, despite Catherine’s terrible reputation, was painfully naive. As historians say, she was not a ruler, but a woman on the throne. Its main weapon was dynastic marriages, none of which were successful. She married Charles IX to the daughter of Emperor Maximilian of Habsburg, and sent her daughter Elizabeth to Philip II, a Catholic fanatic who ruined the latter’s life, but did not bring any benefit to France and Valois. She wooed her youngest son to Elizabeth I of England, the main enemy of the same Philip. Catherine de Medici believed that dynastic marriages were the solution to all problems. She wrote to Philip: “Start arranging marriages for children, and this will make it easier to resolve the religious issue.” Catherine intended to reconcile the two conflicting faiths with one wedding of her Catholic daughter Margaret with the Huguenot Henry of Navarre. And then, immediately after the wedding, she carried out a massacre of the Huguenots invited to the celebration, declaring them in a conspiracy against the king. It is not surprising that after such steps the Valois dynasty sank into oblivion along with its only surviving son, Henry III, and France fell into the nightmare of the Civil War.

Crown of thorns?

So, how should you treat Catherine de Medici? Was she unhappy? Undoubtedly. An orphan, an abandoned wife, a humiliated “merchant’s wife” at court, a mother who outlived almost all her children. An energetic, always-busy queen mother whose political activities were, for the most part, meaningless. At her combat post, she traveled and traveled around France until ill health overtook her in Blois, where she died during her next visit.

Her “loyal subjects” did not leave her alone even after her death. When her remains were taken to Paris to be buried in Saint-Denis, the city's citizens promised to throw her body into the Seine if the coffin appeared at the city gates.

After a long time, the urn with the ashes was moved to Saint-Denis, but there was no place next to the husband, just as during his lifetime. The urn was buried aside.

Recently, historian Gulchuk Nelya published a book called “The Crown of Thorns of Catherine de Medici.” She, of course, had a crown, but can it be compared to a crown of thorns? An unhappy life does not justify her methods - “everything for the sake of power.” It was not fate, but her terrible but naive policy that destroyed in one generation the prosperous Valois dynasty, as it was under her father-in-law Francis I.

Name: Catherine Maria Romola di Lorenzo de' Medici

State: Italy, France

Field of activity: Queen of France

Greatest Achievement: The wife of Henry II, after his death and during the reign of her sons, had enormous influence on the politics of France.

Among the queens of France there are many beautiful women worthy of their title, who decided the destinies of people and helped their husbands in royal affairs. The names of some have not been preserved in the annals of French history (or there is only a mention). Others, on the contrary, are constantly on the lips - books are written about them, films are made.

And some are so “lucky” that their name is firmly associated with some event (and not always a good one). The Queen of France, Catherine de' Medici, ranks first among disreputable rulers. And if you remember the details of her reign, it becomes clear why. Although we won’t judge strictly - there were reasons for everything. So, who is she - an unhappy woman or a calculating queen trying to go over her head to achieve her goal?

early years

The future ruler of France was born in Italy, in the beautiful city of Florence, on April 13, 1519. Unfortunately, a few days after giving birth, her mother, the French Countess Madeleine de la Tour, died. And the father, Lorenzo Medici, soon followed his wife. He had been ill for a long time, so his death was only a matter of time. The baby was immediately given the nickname “child of death” (at that time society was full of prejudices). Left an orphan, the girl was raised by her aunt, Clarice Medici. She tried to give her niece a good education and instill good manners. After all, this was the only way to count on a profitable match. But Catherine could not boast of an ideal pedigree - her father’s family came from the “people”, only to become rich and own half of Florence. Only his mother, the Countess, had blue blood (and even then a rather modest one).

Her childhood was during the rebellious and turbulent years in Florence - the Medici were constantly fighting for power and influence in the city. The people were ready to destroy representatives of the hated family. Members of her family even became Popes. Therefore, it is not surprising that representatives of the Medici family tried to woo many rulers of Europe. And Catherine did not escape this fate. In 1533, Pope Clement VII began searching for a suitable groom for a young, 14-year-old relative. The choice fell on the equally young Duke of Orleans, Henry, the second son of the King of France, Francis I. The future spouses were the same age. For France, this marriage was both politically and financially beneficial - the bride was given a good dowry - 103 thousand ducats (a large sum at that time), as well as the Italian cities of Parma, Pisa and Livorno.

The wedding celebrations took place in Marseille on October 28 of the same year and lasted almost a month. Catherine, who did not have a beautiful appearance, captivated the French women with her unique style. She was one of the first to introduce the fashion for high-heeled shoes in the kingdom, appearing in them at her own wedding. Italian dresses became the main clothing of French aristocrats for many years. However, despite the fact that Catherine was able to win the trust of her subjects, she did not receive the most important thing - the heart of her husband. From the age of 11, the young Duke was in love with Countess Diana De Poitiers (the age difference between the lovers was twenty years). Catherine fought her rival as best she could, but ended up losing.

Queen of France

A year later, Pope Clement VII dies. The new ruler of the Vatican terminates the treaty with France and refuses to pay Catherine's dowry. The courtiers' trust in the young princess is completely undermined - now they begin to shun her and ridicule her Italian accent. The husband couldn’t do anything (and didn’t really want to). The beautiful Diana had all his attention. Catherine decided to wait - after all, the famous Italian philosopher Nicolo Machiavelli’s phrase correctly says that friends must be kept close, and enemies even closer. Medici did everything to remain on good terms with her rival. However, in 1536, thunder struck - the heir to the throne, Henry’s older brother, Francis, died. Now Henry is next in line to the throne.

For Catherine, this event meant another headache - the birth of heirs. In the first years of marriage, the couple did not have any children, which gave rise to all sorts of rumors about the princess’s infertility (Henry soon had a baby on his side). Long and persistent years of treatment began with the magicians and alchemists of that time, taking all sorts of potions that would make a modern person feel sick at the mere mention of them. Finally, in 1544, the long-awaited heir was born - the son Francis, named after his grandfather. It’s a strange thing - after the birth of her first child, Catherine quickly provided the royal family with other children - she and Henry had 10 children.

In 1547 the old king died, and Henry ascended the throne under the name of Henry II. Catherine becomes the Queen of France, but only nominally - Henry, as soon as he could, removed her from the conduct of state affairs. It would seem that life has become simpler - there are children, no worries. But, unfortunately, family happiness (in the royal chambers) did not last long - in 1559, during a knightly tournament, the king was seriously wounded - the spear of his rival, Earl of Montgomery, split, and the shaft passed through the helmet into Henry’s eye, hitting the brain. Catherine was warned about this by her personal astrologer, Michel Nostradamus. And she is the wife. But he didn't listen to her. Doctors fought for the king's life for several days, but to no avail - on July 10, 1559, the monarch died. Catherine was crushed by grief - despite all the differences, she loved her husband in her own way. Until her death, she wore only a black mourning outfit - in memory of her late husband. For this she was given the nickname "Black Queen".

Queen Mother

The father was succeeded by his eldest son, Francis. He was only 15 years old. Despite the fact that he was already married to the young Queen of Scotland, Mary Stuart, his mother completely took power into her own hands, although she understood little about state affairs. Shortly before his 17th birthday, Francis died in Orleans.

Charles became the next king. He was only 10 years old, but he was declared an adult. Again, history repeated itself - he had no desire to engage in the affairs of the kingdom, so his mother actually ruled the country. Catherine also sought to strengthen the position of her daughters - she found profitable matches. The most famous of which was the wedding of Margaret and Prince Henry of Navarre, which took place on August 18, 1572.

Such a joyful event was overshadowed by a terrible massacre, which went down in history as St. Bartholomew's Night. Henry was a Protestant, and France at that time was a predominantly Catholic country. And Gentiles (or Huguenots) were not welcomed there. In honor of the wedding of the Prince of Navarre, thousands of Huguenots gathered in Paris, which terribly irritated the Parisians and the royal family - after all, Protestants were richer and more educated. It was Catherine (judging by some historical chronicles) who gave the order for the murder. This event forever left its mark on the reputation of the Queen Mother.

Until the end of her days, Catherine remained an active politician, promoting her favorites to suitable positions. To be fair, we note that she patronized art at the French court - talented poets, artists, and actors gathered around her. The Queen collected valuable art objects and also introduced a lot of new things into French cuisine - thanks to her Motherland.

Her once large family began to melt before our eyes - her children died one after another. At the age of 24, King Charles IX died (according to legend, Catherine prepared a poisoned book for her enemy Henry of Navarre, but her son accidentally leafed through the book first). The third son, his mother's favorite, Henry III, becomes the new king. Not receiving the Polish throne, he returned to France and accepted the French one. There were rumors at court about his unconventional orientation - he dressed effeminately, surrounded himself with minions - that’s what they called him the favorite. Catherine had already given up hope of seeing grandchildren from her sons. Only the daughters did not disappoint - Princess Elizabeth became the wife of the Spanish King Philip II, from whom she gave birth to two daughters and died during subsequent births, as well as Princess Claude, who became the wife of the Duke of Lorraine. This marriage produced 9 children.

last years of life

Gradually the Queen Mother's health began to weaken. While attending her granddaughter's wedding, she fell ill. After lying in bed for some time, Catherine died at the Château de Blois on January 5, 1589. Without knowing that her beloved son Henry would be killed in a few months by the Dominican monk Jacques Clément. It will end the Valois dynasty (which was numerous just a few years ago). A new one will reign on the throne of France -. Queen Margot's ex-husband, Huguenot Henry of Navarre, will once again change his faith in order to save his life. And he will say the legendary phrase - “Paris is worth a mass.”