Without exaggeration, Catherine de Medici is one of the most famous and most hated women in history. Orphaned as an infant, the Medici heiress spent her childhood in captivity, and a series of rulers and world powers vied for her hand. She eventually became Queen of France, but she did not find happiness in her marriage: her husband, II. Henrik had to live in the shadow of his lover. He protected his family mercilessly, using all means, during the religious wars, and three of his children became kings of France. One of the bloodiest mass murders in history, the St. Bartholomew's Night Massacre, is associated with it - and the flourishing of French culture.
Leonie Frieda's biography, based on an enormous amount of research, presents this amazingly exciting and complex personality. The orphaned daughter, the revenge-hungry wife, the caring mother, the ruler who protects her power at all costs. And a woman with a tragic fate who survived a series of incredible losses. Catherine the Medici, Queen of the Renaissance, was made into a successful TV series by STARZ.