One of the most cunning and devious queens of France was Catherine de Medici. She was said to have been involved in poisonings and murders, expressing little remorse over the deaths she caused. She became known as the “Serpent Queen” for her cold cruelty.
Catherine de Medici was born on April 13, 1519, in Florence, Italy. Her father was Lorenzo de Medici, the grandson of Lorenzo the Magnificent.
They were part of the very same Medici family that ruled over politics in Florence on and off from the 1200s to 1743. Her mother was from a noble French family and died several days after her birth.
Her father had died a month before she was born, so her grandmother and aunts took her in. After living with multiple relatives, she ended up in a convent where she stayed until her teen years.
Her uncle, Pope Clement VII, who was also a Medici, arranged her marriage to the future king of France in order to reestablish Medici power.
The ruling Medicis had been overthrown in 1527. So, on October 28, 1533, a 14-year-old Catherine married a 15-year-old Henry II.
However, Henry spent little time with her, as he was in love with Diane de Poitiers, who was 19 years older than him. After almost a decade without any pregnancy from the queen, Diane encouraged the royal couple to come together and produce an heir. She was worried that she might lose her position and influence in court if Henry remarried someone younger.
Catherine and Henry ended up having 10 kids together. In July 1559, he died from a massive brain infection following an injury during a jousting tournament.
Their oldest son took the throne at the age of 15, becoming King Francis II. He only lasted 14 months as king because he died of illness. Catherine’s 10-year-old son, Charles IX, was next in line to be king.
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At that time, Catherine also became the queen regent. She gained power through her sons and attended all government meetings. She was able to keep a tight leash on Charles, who generally went along with whatever she decided. She continued this strategy with her next-youngest son, Henry III. He became king when Charles died in 1574.
During Catherine’s regency, the French Wars of Religion occurred. The fight was between Catholics and Huguenots (Protestants). She tried to bring about a peaceful resolution to the war by negotiating a marriage between her daughter, Margarite of Valois, and Henry of Navarre, a Protestant. The wedding was arranged to take place on August 18, 1572.
A few days after the marriage, an assassination attempt was made on Admiral Gaspard de Coligny, the leader of the Protestants. More than 3,000 Protestants were killed in the days that followed. The event became known as the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre.
Catherine sent the royal doctor to Coligny to treat his wounds. She also offered shelter to any Protestants in need. It is believed that she was the one who had orchestrated the assassination, but that she hadn’t intended for so much blood to be shed.
Catherine was called the Serpent Queen partly due to her Italian origins. She also believed in astronomers and often asked them for predictions of the future, which many people viewed as an interest in the occult.
Fragrance was trendy in 16th-century Italy. She popularized perfumed gloves in the French court, where they were worn as a symbol of wealth. Many ingredients had to be used to scent the gloves, so it was a time-consuming process.
The French considered Italians to be masters of poison and witchcraft. Rumors swirled that the perfumed gloves she sent to a Protestant queen were laced with poison, especially because she died shortly after.
Since Catherine supported science and brought the perfumed glove trend with her from Italy, that was taken as evidence of her black magic practices. In September 1588, Catherine fell ill with a lung infection. She finally died on January 5, 1589.
By Emily Chan
Emily Chan is a writer who covers lifestyle and news content. She graduated from Michigan State University with a degree in... More about Emily Chan
