Leonie Frieda
Author
Description
A sympathetic portrait of the Renaissance-era queen of France seeks to reveal her skills as a ruler in spite of her violent reputation, describing her suffering at the hands of Henry IV, the power politics that marked her rule, her talents as a strategist and conspirator, and the circumstances that led to the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre.
Author
Pub. Date
c2003
Description
"Orphaned in infancy, imprisoned in childhood, heiress to an ancient name and vast fortune, Catherine was brought up in the Florentine court and married off, by her uncle the Pope, to Henry, Duke of Orleans, son of King Francis I of France. Aged only fourteen, she suffered cruelly as Henry loved only his beautiful mistress, Diane de Poitiers." "In 1559, when Henry, by then King of France, died horrifically in a jousting accident, Catherine was thrust...