(2022, June 22). She established herself as the power behind Francis II, but the Guise brothers had their own agenda and quickly isolated Francis II from the crown's most trusted advisors including Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Cond (l. 1530-1569) and the powerful Gaspard II de Coligny, Admiral of France (l. 1519-1572). Catherine de' Medici. Both of her parents, Lorenzo II de' Medici, Duke of Urbino, and Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne, Countess of Boulogne, died within weeks of her birth. It was a triumph of her personal diplomacy., Catherines calculated bid for control was emblematic of her approach to governing throughout her time as a de facto ruler of France. Thankfully, on 19 January 1544 she gave birth to a son named Francis, and soon after 9 more children followed. Mark, published on 22 June 2022. Your Privacy Rights She was one of the most influential women in Europe in the 16th century, dominating the politics of France between 1547 and 1589. Following the wedding celebrations in August 1572, Huguenot leader Admiral Coligny was murdered. This colored her reputation thereafter, though historians differ as to her level of responsibility. Get the latest History stories in your inbox? The Medicis produced two queens. She was an active patroness of the arts, in keeping with the practice of her family in Italy, and lavished large sums on theatrical productions, monuments, and paintings. But her uncle and great-uncle were popes, so Catherine de Medici became an important pawn. Catholics targeted Huguenots (easily distinguished by their black and white clothing) in the streets, indiscriminately killing men, women and children. Catherine succeeded in obtaining the regency for Charles IX, with Antoine de Bourbon, king of Navarre and first prince of the blood, as lieutenant general, to whom the Protestants vainly looked for leadership. Italian-born French queen, regent and mother of three kings of France. This rejection was one basic element in the outbreak of civil war in 1562, in whichas she had predictedCatherine fell, politically, into the clutches of the extremists, because the Catholic crown might protect its Protestant subjects in law but could not defend them in arms. The move was ultimately irrelevant as Antoine was killed in battle in 1562. The nuptials went ahead as scheduled on August 18, with deadly consequences. Two wounds made one, then he dies a cruel death. Her essentially moderate influence was first perceptible during the Conspiracy of Amboise (March 1560), an instance of tumultuous petitioning by the Huguenot gentry, primarily against Guisard persecution in the name of the King. By 1527, the Medici were overthrown, and Catherine became a target in the ensuing violence. Louis de Bourbon and Admiral Coligny had both declared for the Protestant cause, while Catherine and the Guise brothers were devout Catholics. "Biography of Catherine de Medici, Renaissance Queen." On the field of combat in a single battle; Today marks the 500th anniversary of the day Catherine de' Medici (1519-1589) came into this world. Why was Catherine de' Medici called the Serpent Queen? Giulio was electedPope Clement VIIin 1523. A snake is someone that will stab you in the back, that will always be in the shadows trying to get you. Henry III was assassinated in 1589, naming Henry of Navarre as his successor. Branded a scheming Italian by Huguenot writers, many saw the massacre as an attempt to wipe out all her enemies in one blow, a principle revered by Machiavelli. When King Francis died on March 31, 1547, Henry became the king with Catherine crowned as his queen consortthough he allowed her little influence. Catherine was now in line to be Queen of France. The day after Francis death, Catherine called the Privy Council together to recognize her 10-year-old son as Charles IX. At 5 years old, the Scottish princess was sent to live at the French court and would spend the next 13 years there, being raised alongside the French royal children. In 1561, Catherine summoned leaders of both factions to the Colloquy of Poissy in hopes of reconciliation, but it failed. To mark the union, thousands of Huguenots flocked to Paris, chief among them Gaspard de Coligny, whod served as a lieutenant under Louis of Cond. So shes always dealing with that tension, that her role as a female ruler is not being respected by the various noblemen who believe they should be the ones running the country. Unlike her former daughter-in-law Mary, Queen of Scots, and other rulers of the era, Catherine had no royal blood. Our publication has been reviewed for educational use by Common Sense Education, Internet Scout (University of Wisconsin), Merlot (California State University), OER Commons and the School Library Journal. Rumors spread that she had been poisoned by Catherine through a pair of gloves, but there is no evidence for this. Catherine became regent, taking on all responsibilities of state. Henry II of FranceWorkshop ofFranois Clouet (Public Domain). Henrys death left 15-year-old Francis and 16-year-old Mary in charge of Franceat least in theory. Though she was half French, this side of her family was often overlooked in favor of her Medici heritage. Web. She continued to play a central role in government and made further fruitless attempts to reconcile the opposing sides in the ongoing civil war. Revisiting Cleopatra: Screen Portrayals of the Iconic Pharaoh, Fanny Mendelssohn: A Musical Prodigy and Forgotten Legacy, Anne Bront: The Forgotten Sister Who Made a Mark on Victorian Literature, 10 Facts About Cecil B. DeMille: A Pioneer of Hollywoods Golden Age, conflict between the Catholics and Huguenots, Field of the Cloth of Gold: Renaissance Monarchy at Work, Secrets of Shakespeares Stratford Episode 2. Starz's ' The Serpent Queen ' tells the incredible story of the rise of Catherine de Medici from the utter misfortune that followed her since her birth to becoming one of the most powerful women of her time. Shed enjoyed some political influence during Francis reign, but his heir, her younger son Charles, was just 10 years old, meaning a regent would need to be appointed to govern in his stead until he came of age. Tensions between the Protestant Calvinist sect and Catholics had increased since 1534 and became more pronounced after the death of Henry II and the Catholic faction's move to control Francis II through the Guise brothers. She was educated by nuns in Florence and in Rome. When writing The Serpent Queen, Haythe aimed to complicate the long-held characterization of Catherine as a power-hungry, unscrupulous and murderous woman. Three of her sons were kings of France: Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. Pitting her rivals against each other, she had emerged seemingly above the fray, writes historian Sarah Gristwood in Game of Queens: The Women Who Made Sixteenth-Century Europe. We contribute a share of our revenue to remove carbon from the atmosphere and we offset our team's carbon footprint. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. These harsh policiesadopted against Catherines advicesparked a March 1560 conspiracy that aimed to replace the Guise brothers with Louis, Prince of Cond, a leading Protestant of the House of Bourbon. As part of her peacemaking efforts, Catherine negotiated with Jeanne dAlbret, the Protestant queen of Navarre (an independent kingdom bordering France) and widow of Antoine de Bourbon, to arrange a marriage between their children, Margaret of Valois and Henry of Navarre. Estimates of the death toll vary widely, from 2,000 to 70,000; contemporary historians place the number of deaths in Paris alone at about 3,000. Upon the death of Charles IX a year later, she assumed the regency with the support of the Parlement until the return from Poland of Henry III in August. Francis II and Mary, Queen of Scots, featured in Catherine de Medicis Book of Hours, c.1573. Wiki User 2010-03-19 02:51:29 Study now See answer (1) Best. Catherine de Medici was the daughter of Lorenzo di Piero de Medici, duca di Urbino, and Madeleine de La Tour dAuvergne, a Bourbon princess related to many of the French nobility. World History Publishing is a non-profit company registered in the United Kingdom. https://www.worldhistory.org/Catherine_de'_Medici/. Get time period newsletters, special offers and weekly programme release emails. She was placed in a series of convents for protection. The idea that she would organize a massacre of the people shes been trying to negotiate a peace with for decades doesnt make any sense whatsoever, McIlvenna says. Left: a reproduction of a 1570 letter by Catherine de' Medici to Raimond de Beccarie, Monsieur de Fourquevaux, marked up with a visual overlay to show letterlocking manipulations. Who were the De Medici? When her relative Giulio de' Medici was elected pope and became Pope Clement VII in 1523, he had Catherine installed in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi, the palace of the wealthy Medici family who had prospered as bankers. In 1564-1565, in an effort to reaffirm the authority of the crown, Catherine accompanied her son on a grand tour through France to show the people that their king was responsive to their needs. Catherine de' Medici was born to the Medici family of Florence in 1519. She is also known for her involvement in the Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Day (1572)part of the CatholicHuguenot wars (Wars of Religion; 156298)and for being mother to three kings of France. 13 days later she died, with those close to her believing this final trauma sent her to her grave. This claim has been challenged, although there is evidence that Catholic nobles had suggested such a plan as early as 1560, or earlier, and it seems likely that Catherine would have been aware of it, even if she did not conceive of it herself. We want people all over the world to learn about history. Thousands of Huguenots were killed as the violence spread out of Paris and into the surrounding areas, with many believing Catherine to have been behind the plot to remove their leader. In 1560, the young king fell ill and died, and his brother Charles became King Charles IX at just nine years old. Her cultivation of the arts was at once a personal preference and a belief that such displays enhanced the royal image and prestige at home and abroad. Compounding the supposed problems posed by her gender were Catherines Italian origins. She was not primarily responsible for the more far-reaching Treaty of Saint-Germain (August 1570), but she succeeded in disgracing the Guises. Terms of Use 6 What are facts about Catherine de' Medici? When these efforts failed, she had Charles IX contact representatives of the Ottoman Empire with a plan to relocate Protestant French to Ottoman Moldavia, but there was no incentive given, and the Ottomans rejected the proposal. Read more. It was now more important than before that Catherine give Henry a child, and so she took to folk remedies to increase fertility such as placing cow dung on her vagina and drinking animal urine. According to Frieda, the queen mother knew that as the country gradually became engulfed in the crises left after Henrys deathreligious upheaval, debt linked to the kings relentless wars, factionalismthe stringent measures required to deal with them would almost inevitably make the brothers deeply unpopular. Though Catherine took a backseat to the Guises during Francis reign, she wielded more power than she had as queen, with the young king beginning all of his official acts with the words this being the good pleasure of the Queen, my lady-mother, and I..
Auction House Salt Lake City,
Montgomery County Police Reports Today,
Articles W
