Another Non-fiction Book Read: "Catherine de Medici" by Leonie Frieda

The mother-in-law of Mary Queen of Scots, portrayed well by Megan Follows in the TV series Reign, a romantic fantasy of the teenage years of Mary when she lived in France as well as later when she returned to Scotland. I didn't follow the series through to the conclusion.

The presentation of Catherine was superficially accurate, surprisingly.

This biography was thorough, well researched, with a useful index, scholarly---but it read like a thriller novel. Or maybe it was that the times in which this Queen of France lived were very exciting!

She was an orphan, poor little very rich girl, sponsored by a Pope. She was imprisoned in Florence during her childhood (at times in real danger). She owed her existence to King Francis I, who arranged her (soon to be dead) parents' marriage. He assented to her marriage to his son, Henri (a younger son who became King when his brother died.)  Henri was also held captive by the Holy Roman Emperor when he was a little child--a hostage.

She was not a Royal, came from Italy (the connection to Italy I seem to enjoy), was not beautiful in the eyes of the French (though she was very athletic), innovation (she introduced a proper side-saddle to the French Court so ladies could ride horses more safely and skillfully) she was a book collector and a collector of art, she encouraged architecture (though few of her projects survive).

Henri, of course, had a mistress when he married Catherine. Catherine was shunned by all. But she stayed patiently quiet, hung around the offices of her father-in-law, Francis, while the rest of them partied. She learned states craft as best she could.

Eventually Francis died, Henri became King, Catherine had 10 mostly sickly children and Henri's mistress ruled the roost. Then Henri was killed in a jousting accident--a horrible death with a shard of wood in his eye and brain. Young Francis and his wife Mary were young teenagers, just like in the TV show. Catherine had to direct them until very soon Francis died. Mary was sent back to Scotland to run amuck.

It goes on like this for Catherine for decades. She had to keep the country together for the sake of keeping whichever sickly son was next, on the throne.  She actually did have a "flying squadron" of dozens of beauties who would do her bidding as spies, etc. She believed in the occult; knew
Nostradamas. A low point was her rule in the massacre of about 30,000 French citizens (St. Bartholomew Massacre); only meant to kill a few Protestant leaders, but it got out of hand.

Amazing, horrible times. Who could have managed to do as well under her circumstances. Hard to say.  Good book, though.