Nostradamus was a French astrologer, physician, and reputed seer whose published works hinting at threats to the royal family caught the attention of Catherine in around 1555. Nostradamus was employed as a seer at Catherine’s court A constant thorn in Catherine’s side, the King’s favouritism of Diane was all-encompassing, and while he was alive there was little she could do about it.įrancis II and Mary, Queen of Scots, featured in Catherine de’ Medici’s Book of Hours, c.1573. He trusted her to write many of his official letters, which were signed jointly ‘HenriDiane’, and at one point even entrusted her with the crown jewels. Instead, Henry’s mistress Diane de Poiters enjoyed the life of a queen, exerting influence over him and the court. Despite her modern-day reputation as a powerful player at the French court, Catherine was given little to no political power during the reign of her husband. On 31 March 1547, King Francis I died and Henry and Catherine became King and Queen of France. She had virtually no power as Queen of France Thankfully, on 19 January 1544 she gave birth to a son named Francis, and soon after 9 more children followed. Traditionally, virtuous women had the power to create life, whereas witches only knew how to destroy it. In desperation, Catherine tried every trick in the book to promote her fertility, including drinking mule’s urine and placing cow dung and ground stags’ antlers on her “source of life”.īecause of her perceived infertility, many began to suspect Catherine of witchcraft. For 10 years the couple produced no children, and soon discussions of divorce were on the table. The marriage was not a happy one however. She was accused of being a witch due to her lack of fertility Henry II of France, Catherine de’ Medici’s husband, by the studio of François Clouet, 1559. She was then cared for by her grandmother and later her aunt in Florence, where the Florentines called her duchessina: ‘the little duchess’. ![]() Within a month of her birth however, Catherine found herself an orphan when her mother died of the plague and her father of syphilis. The Medicis were a powerful banking family who ruled over Florence, transforming it into a glorious Renaissance city in previous centuries. She was born into the powerful Medici family of FlorenceĬatherine was born on 13 April 1519 to Lorenzo de’ Medici and his wife Madeleine de La Tour d’Auvergne, who were said to have been ‘as pleased as if it had been a boy’. Here are 10 facts about the formidable Catherine de’ Medici: 1. So wide-reaching was her influence during this period that it has often been dubbed ‘the age of Catherine de’ Medici’, and she has gone down as one of the most infamous women in history. ![]() Catherine de Medici was one of the most powerful women of the 16th century, ruling over the royal French court for 17 years in varying degrees of influence and strength.ĭevoted to her children and the success of the Valois line, Catherine supported 3 sons as Kings of France through some of the country’s most violent religious turmoil.
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