Catherine de Medici, wife to the French king, Henri II, was a major (perhaps the major) force behind the French throne during the later half of the sixteenth century. Just as ruthless as any Machiavellian ruler, Catherine used the religious friction between the Catholics and the Huguenots to her advantage. She ruled through her three weak willed sons, and in the end, helped bring Henry of Navarre to the French throne, setting the stage for seventeenth century Absolutism.
Early Life
Catherine de Medici was born Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de' Medicion April13, 1519, in Florence, cradle of the European Renaissance. Catherine was the daughter of Lorenzo Il de Medici, the Duke of Urbino, and Madeleine de la Tour d’Auvergne, a French Bourbon Princess. Catherine was orphaned by both parents before she was a month old. There were no close relatives whom to care for the infant. In the end, her fathers distant relative, Cardinal Guilio de' Medici (the future pope Clement VII), became her guardian, as well the head of the government of Florence.
Catherine’s childhood was spent as a hostage by Florentine rebels, who kept her in convents in both Rome and Florence. During her time in the convents, Catherine received an unparalleled education, making her one of the most intelligent women of the Renaissance. In 1533, at the tender age of fourteen, Catherine was married to the French prince, Henri, son of Francis I.
Married Life
During the first ten years of her marriage, Catherine received little, if any attention. Her husband was enamored with his beautiful, older mistress, the infamous Diane de Poitiers. It was Diane who finally convinced Henri that he needed to consummate his marriage, in order to produce the necessary heirs for the French throne. Henri did not shirk his duty. After ten years of marriage, Catherine finally became pregnant in 1542. During the next decade she gave birth to ten children, beginning with a son, Francis. Three of the children would die in infancy. Three sons would go on to be kings of France.
Catherine became queen of France in 1547, upon the death of her father-in-law, Francis I. She was dismissed by many as the inconsequential and boring wife of Henri I. Her husband continued to favor his mistress, and ignore his homely wife. Catherine was patient, though, and knew her time in power was coming.
Regent of France
Upon the death of Henri I, in a jousting accident, Catherine’s son, Francis, was proclaimed Francis II. Catherine’s attempt at the regency was temporarily frustrated by the meddlesome Guise brothers, uncles to her daughter-in-law, Mary, Queen of Scots. Upon the unexpected, but wholly convenient, death of Francis II, the French throne passed to his ten-year-old brother, Charles. Catherine moved swiftly to oust the Guise family and establish herself as the sole power of the monarchy, until her son could come of age.
Wars of Religion
Catherine’s biggest problem to contend with as regent were the continuing disputes between the Catholics and the French Protestants (called the Huguenots). For thirty years, during her regency, France was plagues by ongoing Wars of Religion. Despite being raised a devout catholic, and having a pope for an uncle, Catherine was willing to try to compromise between the Catholics and Huguenots, if it meant keeping her power as regent. In 1574, Catherine, along with the new Duc de Guise (son of the old one) played an instrumental role in the assassination of Admiral Coligny, the Huguenot leader, and the Huguenot slaughter that followed, known as the Saint Bartholomew’s Day Massacre.
A Clever Politician
Despite her power hungry nature, Catherine’s first concern was keeping the French monarchy intact. She knew that her last son, Henri II, would never produce heirs for the throne. He, with his effeminate manners, loved dressing up like a woman. Catherine arranged for her daughter, Marguerite, to marry Henri of Navarre, a protestant leader. Catherine recognized that Navarre would do the right thing for France (by converting to Catholicism) when he was called to the throne. He would also be a strong ruler, something none of her own sons had been. By securing Henri of Navarre in the French succession, Catherine helped save the French monarchy, and laid the foundation for the age of Absolutism, in the seventeenth century.
Catherine died on January 5, 1589 at the Royal Château de Blois, France. She is buried with her husband in the Saint Denis Basilica.
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Sources
"Catherine de Medici" retrieved from http://departments.kings.edu/womens_history/cathymedici.htm on April 17, 2007
"Catherine de Medici" retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_De_Medici#Portrayals_
in_film_and_television.on April 17, 2007
Jackson, Guida M. Women Who Rule. New York: Barnes & Noble Books 1990.
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