Catherine De Medici Birthday Highlights
Birth Name Catherine De Medici
Place Of Birth Florence, Italy Age 504 years old
Birth Date April 12 1519
Catherine De Medici Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Queen Of France Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $2,000,000
Current Partner Henry II of France Children Francis II, Henry IX, Margaret, Henry III, Claude, Elisabeth, Francis, Louis, Victoria, Joan Parents Lorenzo de’ Medici, Madeleine de La Tour d’Auvergne
About Catherine De MediciCatherine De Medici was an Italian noblewoman born into the Medici dynasty.By marriage to King Henry II, she was Queen of France from 1547 to 1559. Catherine De Medici was also the mother of French monarchs.Her three sons were Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. Catherine de Medici’s reign has been dubbed ’the period of Catherine de Medici.’ This was because she had significant, albeit erratic, political power in France.Catherine De Medici was born into Italian nobility. She became Queen Consort of France after her husband, Henry II, was crowned in 1547. Catherine Medici II commissioned the creation of the Tuileries Palace in Paris. It is a well-known patron of the arts and architecture.Catherine De Medici was a strong woman in the 16th century. She governed the French royal court for 17 years with varying authority and influence.Catherine De Medici sustained three sons as Kings of France through some of the country’s most terrible religious strife. She was devoted to her children and the prosperity of the Valois family. Her influence was so widespread that it was termed ’the era of Catherine de’ Medici.’ She is remembered as one of history’s most notorious ladies.Because the Salic Law limited the succession to males, Catherine De Medici was never allowed to govern France as King. But she governed it as regent for almost 30 years. She did all she could to enhance her three weak sons’ positions in the kingdom.Many of the horrors of the French Wars of Religion in the 1560s and 1570s were presided over by her. Her calculated methods brought short-term wins. However, her family’s long-term prosperity expectations were shattered when she died in 1589. In this article, we will learn about Catherine De Medici.Catherine De Medici Net Worth, Earnings & Spending HabitsWhat was Catherine De Medici’s net worth?Catherine De Medici was the Queen of France from 1547-to 1559. She had an estimated net worth of $2 million.Height, Age & Physical AttributesHow tall was Catherine De Medici?Catherine De Medici was 5 ft 6 in (167.6 cm) tall.How old was Catherine De Medici?Catherine De Medici was 69 years old when she died. She was born on April 13, 1519. She died on January 5, 1589.Childhood And EducationCatherine De Medici was born in Florence in April 1519. She was born to Lorenzo de’ Medici and his wife Madeleine de La Tour d’Auvergne. They were reported to be ‘as happy as if it had been a son.‘The young couple had married at Amboise the year before. They married as a part of King Francis I of France’s alliance with Lorenzo’s uncle, Pope Leo X.The Medici family was a wealthy financial dynasty that controlled Florence in earlier ages. They developed it into a splendid Renaissance metropolis.On the other hand, Catherine became an orphan a month after her birth. Her mother died of the plague. Catherine’s father died of syphilis. Her grandmother and subsequently her aunt looked after her in Florence, where the Florentines dubbed her ‘duchessina’ or ’little duchess.‘King Francis desired that Catherine be reared in the French court. However, Pope Leo opposed it. Leo proclaimed Catherine Duchess of Urbino.Alfonsina Orsini, her paternal grandmother, raised Catherine. After her death, Catherine joined her cousins. She was brought up by her aunt, Clarice de’ Medici.After Pope Leo’s death in 1521, Cardinal Giulio de’ Medici was named Pope Clement VII in 1523. The Medici family regained control. Catherine was kept in the state in the Palazzo Medici Riccardi in Florence.In 1527, a party opposed Clement’s agent, Cardinal Silvio Passerini. They overthrew the Medici family in Florence. Catherine was kidnapped and imprisoned in a succession of convents.In exchange for his assistance in retaking the city, Clement had little alternative. He agreed to declare Charles Holy Roman Emperor. Charles’ army besieged Florence in October 1529. In August 1530, the city was finally surrendered.Catherine was called from her beloved convent to Rome, where Clement embraced her with wide arms and tears in his eyes. After that, he went about finding her a spouse.Family, Romance, And RelationshipsWho was Catherine De Medici’s family?Catherine de’ Medici was born to her parents on April 13, 1519. She ws born in Florence to Lorenzo de’ Medici and Madeleine de la Tour d’Auvergne.Her father was the Duke of Urbino, while her mother was the Countess of Boulogne.Catherine’s parents died within a month of her birth: Madeleine died of puerperal fever on April 28. Lorenzo died on May 4.Who was Catherine De Medici’s partner?Suitors queued up for Catherine De Medici’s hand, including James V of Scotland, who dispatched the Duke of Albany to Clement to complete a marriage.Clement leaped at the chance to get Catherine to marry Francis I of France’s second son, Henry. He wasDuke of Orléans, in early 1533. Catherine, despite her money, was of ordinary birth. Therefore, Henry was a prize for her.The wedding was distinguished by lavish displays and gift-giving. It took place in October 1533.In their first year of marriage, Catherine saw little of her husband. However, the women of the court, charmed by her knowledge and eagerness to please, treated her well. Catherine’s status at the French court was harmed by the death of her uncle, Medici Pope Clement VII.Alessandro Farnese, the next pope, was chosen and named Paul III. He felt no need to follow Clement’s pledges. Therefore he terminated the union with Francis and refused to pay her hefty dowry.Prince Henry II had little interest in marrying Catherine. The royal pair failed to have any children together during the first 10 years of their marriage.Career And Professional HighlightsBest Known For…The Dauphin Francis died in 1536, meaning Henry of Orleans was the successor to the French throne.The news made quite a stir throughout France. Catherine De Medici was disliked by the French people. The French did not want an Italian lady to rule them. Many French hoped Catherine De Medici would make a mistake that would prevent her from ever ascending to the throne. Many believed she would never have children.However, Catherine De Medici had 10 children between 1543-1555. Three of them died in infancy. Three of the survivors, Francis, Charles, and Henry, would go on to become Kings of France.King Francis, I died on March 31, 1547. Henry and Catherine became King and Queen of France.Catherine was granted little to no political authority throughout her husband’s reign. This happened despite her modern-day image as a prominent figure at the French court.King Henry II had a lover, Diane de Poiters. During his reign, she ruled over the French court as queen, while the true queen, Catherine de Médicis, was forced to live in relative obscurity. King Henry entrusted her with many of his formal letters, which were signed jointly ‘HenriDiane.’ They were even signed with the royal jewels at one time.The King’s all-encompassing favoritism of Diane was a continuous thorn in Catherine’s side. There was nothing Catherine could do about it while he was still alive.King Henry II died in 1559 as a result of injuries incurred during a jousting contest. This led to Catherine’s position in court being altered dramatically. Catherine De Medici began by advising her oldest son, Francis II, on political matters.King Henry had given her little power as queen consort. However, she had previously been appointed regent by her husband when he was away at the siege of Metz. Catherine De Medici took advantage of her short political experience under Francis II.Catherine’s oldest son Francis II was engaged to Mary, Queen of Scots. This happened a year after Catherine de Medici became Queen of France. The Scottish princess was brought to reside at the French court when she was five years old. Catherine would spend the next 13 years there, being nurtured alongside the French royal children.Except for Catherine De Medici, Mary was a favorite at court. Because Mary was the niece of the powerful Guise brothers, Catherine saw her as a danger to the Valois family. When Francis II was sick and dying, Catherine De Medici ensured Mary was on the first boat back to Scotland.In early 1555, Catherine De Medici became interested in Nostradamus. He was a French astrologer, physician, and supposed seer whose published writings hinted at dangers to the royal family. She called him quickly to explain himself and read her children’s horoscopes. Catherine De Medici subsequently appointed him Counsellor and Physician-in-Ordinary to her son, King Charles IX.After the death of King Henry II, Catherine’s sons were responsible for the French Crown. Prince Francis II was the first to rule. During his brief reign, the Guise brothers rose to prominence. They spread their strong Catholicism across the French administration.Francis was only King for a year before dying young. His brother, Charles IX, succeeded him as King at age 10. Catherine De Medici was so concerned for his safety that she slept in his apartments during his early reign.Catherine De Medici was involved in governance throughout each of her sons’ reigns. She served as Queen Regent for Francis and Charles IX. She also served as a roaming diplomat for Henry. Each reign, however, had one thing in common. She was dedicated to bringing France’s warring religious groups together.The religious landscape of France was plagued with warfare. There was tension between Catholics and Huguenots during her sons’ reigns. Between 1560-1570, Catherine De Medici fought three civil battles in the struggle now known as the French Wars of Religion. In the battles, she frantically strove to negotiate peace.In an effort to reconcile France with its Protestant neighbors, she married off two of her sons to Elizabeth I of England. She married off her daughter Margaret to Protestant leader Henry of Navarre.However, what transpired after their wedding exacerbated religious tensions. On the night of August 1572, chaos erupted in Paris. Hundreds of renowned Huguenots arrived for Margaret and Henry’s wedding. As the unrest extended out of Paris and into the surrounding countryside, tens of thousands of Huguenots were slain. Many thought Catherine was behind the conspiracy to depose their lord.Huguenot authors branded her a plotting. Many regarded the slaughter as an effort to eliminate all of her opponents in one stroke, a principle beloved by Machiavelli.The theological situation worsened. Henry III had the Duke of Guise ruthlessly killed in December 1588. He rushed straight to his mother to break the news.Catherine mourned on Christmas Day, distraught at the news. She died 13 days later. People close to her feel that the previous trauma was the cause of her death.Henry III was slain eight months later, ending almost three centuries of Valois’s reign.Other Interesting Catherine De Medici Facts And TriviaCatherine De Medici in Italian is pronounced Caterina De Medici. In French, it is pronounced Catherine de Médicis.We would love your help! If you have a photo of Catherine De Medici, either of them alone or a selfie that you would be happy to share, please send it to [email protected].If you have knowledge or information that you think would help us improve this article, please contact us.
Catherine De Medici Birthday Highlights
Birth Name Catherine De Medici
Place Of Birth Florence, Italy Age 504 years old
Birth Date April 12 1519
Catherine De Medici Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Queen Of France Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $2,000,000
Current Partner Henry II of France Children Francis II, Henry IX, Margaret, Henry III, Claude, Elisabeth, Francis, Louis, Victoria, Joan Parents Lorenzo de’ Medici, Madeleine de La Tour d’Auvergne
Catherine De Medici was an Italian noblewoman born into the Medici dynasty.
Catherine De Medici Birthday Highlights
Birth Name Catherine De Medici
Place Of Birth Florence, Italy Age 504 years old
Birth Date April 12 1519
Catherine De Medici Birthday Highlights
Birth Name Catherine De Medici
Place Of Birth Florence, Italy Age 504 years old
Birth Date April 12 1519
Birth Name Catherine De Medici
Place Of Birth Florence, Italy Age 504 years old
Birth Date April 12 1519
Birth Name Catherine De Medici
Place Of Birth Florence, Italy Age 504 years old
Birth Date April 12 1519
Catherine De Medici Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Queen Of France Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $2,000,000
Current Partner Henry II of France Children Francis II, Henry IX, Margaret, Henry III, Claude, Elisabeth, Francis, Louis, Victoria, Joan Parents Lorenzo de’ Medici, Madeleine de La Tour d’Auvergne
Catherine De Medici Facts
Child Star? no Occupation Queen Of France Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $2,000,000
Current Partner Henry II of France Children Francis II, Henry IX, Margaret, Henry III, Claude, Elisabeth, Francis, Louis, Victoria, Joan Parents Lorenzo de’ Medici, Madeleine de La Tour d’Auvergne
Child Star? no Occupation Queen Of France Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $2,000,000
Current Partner Henry II of France Children Francis II, Henry IX, Margaret, Henry III, Claude, Elisabeth, Francis, Louis, Victoria, Joan Parents Lorenzo de’ Medici, Madeleine de La Tour d’Auvergne
Child Star? no Occupation Queen Of France Education & Qualifications
Net Worth $2,000,000
Current Partner Henry II of France Children Francis II, Henry IX, Margaret, Henry III, Claude, Elisabeth, Francis, Louis, Victoria, Joan Parents Lorenzo de’ Medici, Madeleine de La Tour d’Auvergne
