Catherine De Medici - Women Leaders - Part Two

I got a book called” Young Queens” for my birthday which includes articles about Renaissance women and the price of power. I am reading this book because I want to learn about the women that got power in history and the sacrifices/price they paid for that power. Also, I want to know if they got their power and used it! The book is called Young Queen’s- Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power by Leah Redmond Chang.

              Catherine De Medici was the first powerful women in the Middle Ages. She was the regent over her ten-year-old son at one point – so she then held lots of power. She led France through political crisis with great skill. She was not particularly attractive but did have power over her family and they led her family to great things. She led France though a Civil War, political crisis and was a powerful leader.

Catherine De Medici was one of the most powerful women in the Middle Ages. Catherine - de- Medici was the Regent of her 10-year-old son - the future king of France “[1]- Catherine acted as regent for the young king and as a result decided what was one of the most powerful women in the Middle Ages. She made many attempts to try to solve the Protestant vs Catholic civil war that plagued Europe and especially France.[2] Catherine De Medici leads a powerful campaign against religious intolerance; however, she did slaughter hundreds of Protestants in the Huguenot Massacre.

Catherine De Medici navigated the political crises with great skill. [3] The first crisis she had to deal with was the death of her husband, which lead to a revolt by the papacy and Spain in France which was an extremely tough situation for her family and France, but she dealt with it well. Later on- she created marriage alliances with the King of England and the Leader of Protestantism. [4] Catherine De – Medici created a powerful base for her family and her other leaders- which continued for a long time.

Catherine De Medici was a powerful leader - from a powerful family – who did very well and continued to lead well over time. Catherine De Medici was not particularly attractive- neither were many of the other Medici- however her cousin was attractive and at one time had a crush on him. Catherine De Medici learned what it meant to love a man after her crush on her cousin. Catherine De Medici was not attractive but had lots of money which allowed her to get married.

Catherine De Medici- was a unique and powerful women- in a time that women weren’t happy. She navigated political crisis with great skill- arranged marriages with the King of England and the founder of Protestantism as well as she also learned how to love a man because of her very attractive cousin. She navigated political crisis like the Saint Bartholomew’s days massacre, the papacy and Spain interfering in her affairs/ France’s. She greatly believed in keeping the peace between Protestantism and Catholics but the Catholics made her switch sides and eventually she joined the Protestants.

Citations:

BBC History. "Catherine de Medici (1519–1589)." BBC History, accessed May 28, 2025. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/de_medici_catherine.shtml.

1. Britannica Article on Catherine de’ Medici

Encyclopaedia Britannica. "Catherine de’ Medici." Last modified April 16, 2023. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-de-Medici.

2. Young Queens by Leah Redmond Chang

Chang, Leah Redmond. Young Queens: Three Renaissance Women and the Price of Power. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2023.lafayette.marmot.org+1Macmillan Publishers+1

[1] "Catherine de Medici," BBC History, accessed May 29, 2025, https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/de_medici_catherine.shtml.

[2] Catherine de Medici, BBC History, accessed May 29, 2025, https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/historic_figures/de_medici_catherine.shtml.

[3] N.M. Sutherland, "Catherine de’ Medici," Encyclopaedia Britannica, last modified February 12, 2025, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-de-Medici

[4] Sutherland, "Catherine