Catherine de Medici

Catherine de’ Medici follows the Italian-born queen consort and regent who stood at the centre of French politics during the Wars of Religion. It traces her marriage to Henry II, the reigns of her sons and her attempts to preserve the Valois monarchy amid rivalry between Catholic and Protestant factions.

The biography examines court diplomacy, dynastic marriage, the Colloquy of Poissy and the violence culminating in the St Bartholomew’s Day Massacre. It challenges the legend of Catherine as a uniquely sinister poisoner while assessing the compromises, failures and brutality of her political survival.