Catherine De Medici - Queen Consort of France 1547 - 1559
Catherine de' Medici (Italian: Caterina de' Medici, pronounced [kateˈriːna de ˈmɛːditʃi]; French: Catherine de Médicis, pronounced [katʁin də medisis]; 13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian noblewoman. She also was queen consort of France from 1547 until 1559, by marriage to King Henry II, and mother of kings Francis II, Charles IX and Henry III. The years during which her sons reigned have been called "the age of Catherine de' Medici" as she had extensive, if at times varying, influence in the political life of France.
Catherine was born in Florence to Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino, and Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne. In 1533 at the age of fourteen, Catherine married Henry, second son of King Francis I and Queen Claude of France. Catherine's marriage was arranged by her uncle Pope Clement VII. Henry excluded Catherine from participating in state affairs and instead showered favors on his chief mistress, Diane de Poitiers, who wielded much influence over him. Henry's death thrust Catherine into the political arena as mother of the frail 15-year-old King Francis II. When Francis II died in 1560, she became regent on behalf of her 10-year-old son King Charles IX and was thus granted sweeping powers. From 1560 to 1563, she ruled France as regent for her son Charles IX. After Charles died in 1574, Catherine played a key role in the reign of her third son, Henry III. He dispensed with her advice only in the last months of her life and outlived her by seven months.
Catherine's three sons reigned in an age of almost constant civil and religious war in France. The problems facing the monarchy were complex and daunting. However, Catherine was able to maintain the monarchy and the state institutions functioning- even at a minimum level. At first, Catherine compromised and made concessions to the rebelling Calvinist Protestants, or Huguenots, as they became known. However, she failed to fully grasp the theological issues that drove their movement. Later she resorted (in frustration and anger) to hard-line policies against them. In return, she came to be blamed for the excessive persecutions carried out under her sons' rule, and in particular, for the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre of 1572, during which time thousands of Huguenots were killed both in Paris and throughout France.
Some historians have excused Catherine from blame for the worst decisions of the crown, though evidence for her ruthlessness can be found in her letters. In practice, her authority was always limited by the effects of the civil wars. Therefore, her policies may be seen as desperate measures to keep the Valois monarchy on the throne at all costs and her patronage of the arts as an attempt to glorify a monarchy (whose prestige was in steep decline). Without Catherine, it is unlikely that her sons would have remained in power. According to Mark Strage, one of her biographers, Catherine was the most powerful woman in 16th-century Europe.
#WomenofHistory #HistoricalWomen #FamousFemales
-
11:06
Parry This
1 year agoCatherine The Great - Empress of All Russia 1762 - 1796
92 -
6:12
AI Historic Expeditions
1 year agoEPISODE 4: ELEANOR OF AQUITAINE: Influential Women of French History
4 -
6:51
AI Historic Expeditions
1 year agoEPISODE 2: MARIE ANTOINETTE: Influential Women of French History
7 -
6:58
The Audible Wiki Factory
1 year agoDuring and after the reign of the flamboyant and powerful Empress Catherine II of Russia, whose
106 -
11:41
CatholicReboot
4 months agoEpisode 1864: St Catherine de Ricci
105 -
7:17
CatholicReboot
1 year agoEpisode 1051: Sts. Louise de Marillac and Clement Mary Hofbauer
77 -
18:37
RadioWhoPoo
4 months agoEmpress Josephine's Tiaras
50 -
47:42
The Audible Wiki Factory
1 year agoLouis XVI was the last King of France before the fall of the monarchy during the French
440 -
2:46
100 Historical Figures
3 months agoLouis XVI - The Last King of France (1754 - 1793)
5 -
1:31:18
The Audible Wiki Factory
1 year agoLouis XIV, also known as Louis the Great or the Sun King, was King of France from 1643 until
246