Catherine de' Medici

Catherine de'Medici(13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589) was an Italian noblewoman from the powerful Medici family. She became Queen of France as the wife of King Henry II and was the mother of three French kings: Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III sometimes called "the age of Catherine de' Medici."

Catherine de' Medici
Portrait attributed to François Clouet, c. 1555
Queen consort of France
Tenure	31 March 1547 – 10 July 1559
Coronation	10 June 1549
Born	13 April 1519 Florence, Republic of Florence
Died	5 January 1589(1589-01-05) (aged 69) Château de Blois, Kingdom of France
Burial	Saint-Sauveur, Blois. Reburied at Saint-Denis in 1610.
Spouse	Henry II of France ​ ​ (m. 1533; died 1559)​
Issue	Francis II, King of France Elisabeth, Queen of Spain Claude, Duchess of Lorraine Louis, Duke of Orléans Charles IX, King of France Henry III, King of France Margaret, Queen of France Francis, Duke of Anjou Joan Victoria
Full name Caterina Maria Romula de' Medici
House	Medici
Father	Lorenzo de’ Medici, Duke of Urbino
Mother	Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne

Born in Florence, Italy, Catherine married Henry in 1533, arranged by her relative, Pope Clement VII. When Henry became king in 1547, Catherine was pushed aside by his mistress, Diane de Poitiers. But after Henry's death in 1559, Catherine took control as the mother of young King Francis II. After Francis died a year later, she became regent for her second son, Charles IX, and later helped her third son, Henry III, rule as king.

During her time as queen and regent, France was troubled by wars between Catholics and Protestants (Huguenots). At first, Catherine tried to make peace with the Protestants, but later turned to harsher measures. She is often blamed for the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572, when thousands of Protestants were killed, though it is unclear how much she was involved.

Despite many difficulties, Catherine kept the French monarchy from collapsing. She was also a supporter of the arts and tried to improve the image of the monarchy through culture and building projects. Many historians consider her one of the most important women in Europe during the 16th century. Without her, the Valois family might not have stayed in power.

Children

Henry and Catherine family portrait

Catherine de' Medici married Henry, Duke of Orléans, who later became Henry II of France, on 28 October 1533 in Marseille. Together, they had ten children, of which four sons and three daughters survived to marry. Three of her sons became kings of France, while two daughters married kings and one married a duke.

Catherine outlived all her children except Henry III, who died just seven months after her, and Margaret, who inherited her strong health. Among her children, Victoire and Jeanne were twin daughters born in 1556. Unfortunately, Jeanne was stillborn, and Victoire died shortly after birth. The birth nearly killed Catherine, and after this, doctors advised her and Henry to have no more children.

• Francis II, King of France (19 January 1544 – 5 December 1560). Married Mary, Queen of Scots, in 1558.
• Elisabeth (2 April 1545 – 3 October 1568). Married Philip II, King of Spain, in 1559.
• Claude (12 November 1547– 21 February 1575). Married Charles III, Duke of Lorraine, in 1559.
• Louis, Duke of Orléans (3 February 1549 – 24 October 1550). Died in infancy.
• Charles IX, King of France (27 June 1550 – 30 May 1574). Married Elizabeth of Austria in 1570.
• Henry III, King of France (19 September 1551 – 2 August 1589). Married Louise of Lorraine in 1575.
• Margaret (14 May 1553 – 27 March 1615). Married Henry, King of Navarre, the future Henry IV of France, in 1572.
• Hercules, Duke of Anjou (18 March 1555 – 19 June 1584), renamed Francis when he was confirmed.
• Victoire (24 June 1556 – 17 August 1556). Died in infancy.
• Jeanne (24 June 1556). Stillborn

Louis, Victoire and Jeanne, the three children who died in infancy, depicted in Catherine's book of hours