Catherine de Médicis, Queen, consort of Henry II, King of France, 1519-1589

Catherine de Medicis was born in Florence, Italy, as Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de' Medici, the daughter of Lorenzo II de' Medici, Duke of Urbino, and Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne, countess of Boulogne. She was queen consort of France from 1547 to 1559 as the wife of King Henry II of France. After her husbands death in 1559 she was appointed regent for her underage sons. She ruled in that capacity from 1560 to 1574. She is well known for her role in the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre of 1572, in which thousands of Huguenots were butchered in Paris and throughout France. She died on 5 January 1589 at Château de Blois in France.

From the description of Catherine de Medicis letter, 1571. (Unknown). WorldCat record id: 367891036

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