Anyone who tells you differently is a liar. He depended on Catherine and her team of secretaries until the last few weeks of her life. He defeated the dukes of Guise and Nemours, but the young Gabriel, comte de Montgomery, knocked him half out of the saddle. The treaty was sealed by the betrothal of Catherine's thirteen-year-old daughter Elisabeth to Philip II of Spain. Catherine pressed Jeanne d'Albret to attend court. Orphaned within days, Catherine was highly educated, trained, and disciplined by nuns in Florence and Rome and married in 1533 by her uncle, Pope Clement VII, to Henry, duc dOrlans, who inherited the French crown from his father, Francis I, in April 1547. She also met her daughter Elisabeth at Bayonne near the Spanish border, amidst lavish court festivities. Three days later, Admiral Coligny was walking back to his rooms from the Louvre when a shot rang out from a house and wounded him in the hand and arm. By 1610, the school patronised by the late Valois court and brought to its pinnacle by Franois Clouet had all but died out. Eight months later, Jacques Clment stabbed Henry III to death. From this time dates the legend of the wicked Italian queen. The Venetian ambassador, Gerolamo Lipomanno, wrote: "She is an indefatigable princess, born to tame and govern a people as unruly as the French: they now recognize her merits, her concern for unity and are sorry not to have appreciated her sooner. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Henry was carried to the Chteau de Tournelles, where five splinters of wood were extracted from his head, one of which had pierced his eye and brain. This she envisaged in terms of the marriage of her daughter Marguerite to the young Protestant leader, Henry of Navarre (later Henry IV of France), and alliance with England through the marriage of her son Henry, duc dAnjou, or, failing him, his younger brother Franois, duc dAlenon, to Queen Elizabeth. Under Salic law, by which only males could ascend the throne, the Huguenot Henry of Navarre now became heir presumptive to the French crown.[35]. [60], In 1566, through the ambassador to the Ottoman Empire, Guillaume de Grandchamp de Grantrie, and because of a long-standing Franco-Ottoman alliance, Charles and Catherine proposed to the Ottoman Court a plan to resettle French Huguenots and French and German Lutherans in Ottoman-controlled Moldavia, in order to create a military colony and a buffer against the Habsburg. Catherine believing her daughter had died in the forest, while Clarissa never knew who her birth parents were. Some even suggested that she be handed over to the troops to be used for their sexual gratification. She was not strictly entitled to a role in Francis's government, because he was deemed old enough to rule for himself. On 8 September 1588 at Blois, where the court had assembled for a meeting of the Estates, Henry dismissed all his ministers without warning. The birth nearly cost Catherine her life. He planned to block Henry of Navarre's succession and place Henry's Catholic uncle Cardinal Charles de Bourbon on the throne instead. 15 Feb 1471, d. 28 Dec 1503. WebClarissa Delacroix was born in 1539, the illegitimate daughter of Queen Catherine de Medici of France and King Henry II of France's boyhood friend Richard Delacroix. [8] King Francis wanted Catherine to be raised at the French court, but Pope Leo refused, claiming he wanted her to marry Ippolito de' Medici. Nevertheless, the Peace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, signed on 8 August 1570 because the royal army ran out of cash, conceded wider toleration to the Huguenots than ever before. "[112] She left in tears. As a baby, she was given to Nostradamus' father who tried to remove the mark but only ended up making it worse. WebIn Inquisition, it is revealed that Clarissa is the illegitimate daughter of Catherine de Medici and was born with a birthmark on her face. Jeanne replied: "Pardon me if, reading that, I want to laugh, because you want to relieve me of a fear that I've never had. She was born less than 20 years ago to the couple while the Queen's husband was away. WebElisabeth is Catherine's "plain Jane" daughter. In 1556, Catherine nearly died giving birth to twin daughters, Jeanne and Victoire. To some extent she was eclipsed by Louis of Nassau and a group of Flemish exiles and youthful Protestants who surrounded the King and urged him to make war upon Spain in the Netherlands, which Catherine inevitably resisted. The papal nuncio Salviati observed, "it is only with difficulty that we can imagine there will be offspring physicians and those who know him well say that he has an extremely weak constitution and will not live long." On 16 October 1568, Catherine wrote to Elisabeths husband to offer advice during Elisabeths pregnancy. For the next two years Catherines policy was one of peace and general reconciliation. Nevertheless, the wedding did take place, at Nice in 1533. [99] "Take care", she wrote to the king, "especially about your person. His designs for the Valois Tapestries celebrate the ftes, picnics, and mock battles of the "magnificent" entertainments hosted by Catherine. WebDuring this time, Catherine had an affair with Richard, and had a baby girl with him, who became the castle 'ghost', Clarissa. Clement summoned Catherine from her beloved convent to join him in Rome where he greeted her with open arms and tears in his eyes. [63] The war was ended by the Peace of Longjumeau of 2223 March 1568, but civil unrest and bloodshed continued. Slowly, however, he lost his sight, speech, and reason, and on 10 July 1559 he died, aged 40. It was designed by Francesco Primaticcio (15041570), with sculpture by Germain Pilon (15281590). It spread to many parts of France, where it persisted into the autumn. Get a Britannica Premium subscription and gain access to exclusive content. [59] Catherine held talks with Jeanne d'Albret, the Protestant queen regnant of Navarre (and the wife of Antoine de Bourbon) at Mcon and Nrac. [40] Nevertheless, all his official acts began with the words: "This being the good pleasure of the Queen, my lady-mother, and I also approving of every opinion that she holdeth, am content and command that". Hoogvliet, 111. Catherine adopted a moderate stance and spoke against the Guise persecutions, though she had no particular sympathy for the Huguenots, whose beliefs she never shared. The last two daughters were twins; one of the twins, Joan, died during the delivery and the other, Victoire, died a few weeks later. Rumours immediately spread that Catherine had ordered Joans death, but she had nothing to gain the wedding contract had already been signed. Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and stay up to date on History of Royal Women's articles! During this time, she presided over a distinctive late French Renaissance culture in all branches of the arts. Where was Catherine de Medici born and raised? I have had him killed. Catherine's marriage was arranged by her uncle Pope Clement VII. They chose therefore to strike first and wipe out the Huguenot leaders while they were still in Paris after the wedding. Even so, he respected Catherine's status as his consort. [69], Catherine looked to further Valois interests by grand dynastic marriages. [38] The English ambassador reported a few days later that "the house of Guise ruleth and doth all about the French king". Viscount Catherine's former lover and Clarissa's father was Richard DelaCroix. She was one of the most influential personalities of the CatholicHuguenot wars (Wars of Religion; 156298). [92] Her role in his government became that of chief executive and roving diplomat. Catherine herself had been educated by Cosimo Ruggeri in astrology and astronomy, which were closely linked in her day[143] and were an academic rather than a Satanic activity,[144] although his general background and favourite status suggests there was more to it than that. Catherine delayed her daughters departure as much as she could, but they finally set out of for Spain on 18 November 1559. It is essential to understand this in order to discern the coherence of her career. Blunt calls Caron's style "perhaps the purest known type of Mannerism in its elegant form, appropriate to an exquisite but neurotic society." Hoogvliet, Margriet. WebMaybe it goes without saying (because The CW did make a whole TV show about it called Reign), but Catherines daughter-in-law was the equally infamous Mary, Queen of Scots. Born: April 13, 1519, in Florence, Italy. WebFrance Catherine de Medici was born in Florence (Firenze), Italy on April 13th and is known to be one of the most important women during the Renaissance period. "[68] Catherine called Jeanne, whose decision to rebel posed a dynastic threat to the Valois, "the most shameless woman in the world". Catherine outlived all her children except Henry III, who died seven months after her, and Margaret, who inherited her robust health. 500: Catherine de Medici The Mother of three Kings, 500: Catherine de Medici Patron of the arts and follower of the occult. "As the daughter of the Medici," suggests French art historian Jean-Pierre Babelon, "she was driven by a passion to build and a desire to leave great achievements behind her when she died. Catherine was born in Florence to Lorenzo de' Medici, Duke of Urbino, and Madeleine de La Tour d'Auvergne. [130] As the centrepiece of an ambitious new chapel, she commissioned a magnificent tomb for Henry at the basilica of Saint Denis. In 1568, she was beaten, punched and had her hair pulled out by Catherine and her brother Charles after a secret affair with Henry of Guise. [9] Leo made Catherine Duchess of Urbino but annexed most of the Duchy of Urbino to the Papal States, permitting Florence to keep only the Fortress of San Leo. They witnessed the first three civil wars and her desperate struggle against the Catholic extremists for the independence of the crown, the maintenance of peace, and the enforcement of limited toleration. To avoid questions about the baby's distinguishing birthmark, she gave the baby to Nostradamus' father. At the same moment, eight members of the Guise family were rounded up, including the Duke of Guise's brother, Louis II, Cardinal of Guise, who Henry's men hacked to death the next day in the palace dungeons. Catherine succeeded in obtaining the regency for Charles IX, with Antoine de Bourbon, king of Navarre and first prince of the blood, as lieutenant general, to whom the Protestants vainly looked for leadership. [107] The king's actions effectively ended her days of power. "[123] Catherine gradually introduced changes to the traditional entertainments: for example, she increased the prominence of dance in the shows that climaxed each series of entertainments. Margaret outlived her former husband, her mother, her father and all her siblings. "[113] He added that she had no sooner died than she was treated with as much consideration as a dead goat. On 25 November 1579, she wrote to the king, "You are on the eve of a general revolt. Her three other daughters did survive to adulthood. Thus began her lifelong struggleexplicit in her correspondencewith these extremists who, supported by Spain and the papacy, sought to dominate the crown and extinguish its independence in the commingled interests of European Catholicism and personal aggrandizement. Claude gave birth to Catherines first grandson, named Henry, on 8 November 1563. He shouted at her, "Your words, Madam, have led us all to this butchery. Catherine asked Henry to act before Margaret brought shame on them again. [48], Charles IX was nine years old at the time of his coronation, during which he cried. [116] She was inspired by the example of her father-in-law, King Francis I of France, who had hosted the leading artists of Europe at his court, and by her Medici ancestors. The challenges Catherine faced were complex and in some ways difficult for her to comprehend as a foreigner. She is portrayed by Rebecca Liddiard. On 11 April 1572, the wedding contract was signed, and Henry headed for France to be reunited with his mother and his new bride. Despite her optimism, the resulting Colloquy of Poissy ended in failure on 13 October 1561, dissolving itself without her permission. His interest in the tasks of government, however, proved fitful. Author of. The most famous of Catherines daughters was born on 14 May 1553. [125], Catherine de' Medici's great love among the arts was architecture. To this end, she set out with Charles and the court on a progress around France that lasted from January 1564 until May 1565. The year was 1519. To create the necessary dramas, music, and scenic effects for these events, Catherine employed the leading artists and architects of the day. I see him rushing towards his ruin. [70] After Catherine's daughter Elisabeth died in childbirth in 1568, she had touted her youngest daughter Margaret as a bride for Philip II of Spain. After Charles died in 1574, Catherine played a key role in the reign of her third son, Henry III. The investigators traced the house and horse to the Guises and claimed to have found evidence that the would-be killer was. When Francis II died in 1560, she became regent on behalf of her 10-year-old son King Charles IX and was thus granted sweeping powers. A poem by Ronsard, engraved on its base, tells the reader not to wonder that so small a vase can hold so large a heart, since Henry's real heart resides in Catherine's breast.[132]. She gave birth to ten children, of whom four sons and three daughters survived to marriageable age. He cites Cloulas (. The Huguenots retreated to the fortified stronghold of La Rochelle on the west coast, where Jeanne d'Albret and her fifteen-year-old son, Henry of Bourbon, joined them. At first, Catherine compromised and made concessions to the rebelling Calvinist Protestants, or Huguenots, as they became known. Because their birth very nearly cost Catherine her life, the king's physician advised the king that there should be no more children; therefore, Henry II stopped visiting his wife's bedroom and spent all his time with his longtime mistress, Diane de Poitiers. Knecht 1998, p. 28, gives the English translation ""The girl has been given to me stark naked." [67] "We have come to the determination to die, all of us", Jeanne wrote to Catherine, "rather than abandon our God, and our religion. Henry IV was later reported to have said of Catherine: I ask you, what could a woman do, left by the death of her husband with five little children on her arms, and two families of France who were thinking of grasping the crownour own [the Bourbons] and the Guises? Babelon, Jean-Pierre. He dispensed with her advice only in the last months of her life but outlived her by just seven months. "[106] As usual, Catherine advised the king, who had fled the city in the nick of time, to compromise and live to fight another day. She had known Mary since the age of five and a half, when the little Scottish queen was brought to Paris and raised alongside Catherines own children. Within a month Louis de Bourbon, Prince of Cond, and Admiral Gaspard de Coligny had raised an army of 1,800. From that moment, she abandoned compromise for a policy of repression. [110] Immediately after the murder of Guise, Henry entered Catherine's bedroom on the floor below and announced, "Please forgive me. The League took control of much of northern France to secure French ports for his armada. [65] She told the Venetian ambassador in June 1568 that all one could expect from Huguenots was deceit, and she praised the Duke of Alba's reign of terror in the Netherlands, where Calvinists and rebels were put to death in the thousands. In October 1586, therefore, he had Margaret locked up in the Chteau d'Usson. [89] Catherine wrote, the next day: "I am so wretched to live long enough to see so many people die before me, although I realize that God's will must be obeyed, that He owns everything, and that He lends us only for as long as He likes the children whom He gives us. On 20 August 1560, Catherine and the chancellor advocated this policy to an assembly of notables at Fontainebleau. She was born in Florence, Italy, on April 13, 1519. At the age of fifty-nine, she embarked on an eighteen-month journey around the south of France to meet Huguenot leaders face to face. Meanwhile, Cond raised an army and in autumn 1560 began attacking towns in the south. Catherine stayed by his bedside, but Diane kept away, "for fear", in the words of a chronicler, "of being expelled by the Queen". The complexity of Catherines position during these years cannot be briefly explained. The wedding, a grand affair marked by extravagant display and gift-giving,[19] took place in the glise Saint-Ferrol les Augustins in Marseille on 28 October 1533. Suspicions of poison abounded, from Catherine to Emperor Charles V.[24] Sebastiano de Montecuccoli confessed under torture to poisoning the Dauphin.[24]. [134] The end of the Valois dynasty so soon after her death brought a change in priorities. "[94] She was under no illusions, however. The throne of France was held by Francis I, also known as Francis Within a month of Catherine's birth, both her parents were dead: Madeleine died on 28 April of puerperal fever, and Lorenzo died on 4 May. "[131] Catherine also commissioned Germain Pilon to carve the marble sculpture that contains Henry II's heart. When Jeanne arrived in Paris to buy clothes for the wedding, she was taken ill and died on 9 June 1572, aged forty-three. Catherine de Medici was the daughter of Lorenzo di Piero de Medici, duca di Urbino, and Madeleine de La Tour dAuvergne, a Bourbon princess related to many of the French nobility. She was soon part of marriage negotiations and was considered as a bride for King Edward VI of England. For the next thirty years, France found itself in a state of either civil war or armed truce.[54]. [51] In January 1562, Catherine issued the tolerant Edict of Saint-Germain in a further attempt to build bridges with the Protestants. However, Catherine's ability to bear children failed to improve her marriage. A distinctive new art form, the ballet de cour, emerged from these creative advances. What was Catherine de Medici best known for? Died: January 5, 1589, in Blois, France. In early 1572, Joan Henrys mother and Queen regnant of Navarre arrived in France feeling ill and tired but determined to see the marriage negotiations through. "[79] Historians have suggested that Catherine and her advisers expected a Huguenot uprising to avenge the attack on Coligny. She was Queen of France from 1547 to 1559 by marriage to King Henry II and the mother of French kings Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. Knecht 1998, p. 8 (dates of death); Hritier 1963, p. 15 (cause of Madeleine's death). Elizabeth I of England's execution of Mary, Queen of Scots, on 8 February 1587 outraged the Catholic world. In 1537, he had a brief affair with Philippa Duci, who gave birth to a daughter, whom he publicly acknowledged. Catherine, Diane, and Prince Francis all fainted. On 12 May 1588, they set up barricades in the streets and refused to take orders from anyone except the Duke of Guise. Caron's vivid Mannerism, with its love of ceremonial and its preoccupation with massacres, reflects the neurotic atmosphere of the French court during the Wars of Religion. Updates? After becoming pregnant once, Catherine had no trouble doing so again. Catherines letters were often filled with advice and instructions. [78], The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, which began two days later, has stained Catherine's reputation ever since. [28] Although she sometimes acted as regent during his absences from France, her powers were strictly nominal. Over the years, Catherine gave birth to ten children of which five were daughters. [55] The royal army struck back quickly and laid siege to Huguenot-held Rouen. Henry arrived in the bedroom with King Francis, who is said to have stayed until the marriage was consummated. Key Accomplishments: A powerful force during the reigns of three successive kings, Catherine played a major role in 16th-century politics. This plan also had the added advantage of removing the Huguenots from France, but it failed to interest the Ottomans.[61]. Three of her sons were kings of France: Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. In 1570, Charles IX married Elisabeth of Austria, daughter of Maximilian II, Holy Roman Emperor. [41] When the Guises heard of the plot,[42] they moved the court to the fortified Chteau of Amboise. Catherine built two new palaces in Paris: the Tuileries and the Htel de la Reine. WebClarice di Piero de' Medici (14891528) [1] was the daughter of Piero di Lorenzo de' Medici and Alfonsina Orsini . From that day, Catherine took a broken lance as her emblem, inscribed with the words "lacrymae hinc, hinc dolor" ("from this come my tears and my pain"), and wore black mourning in memory of Henry.[36]. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. Her eldest daughter was Elisabeth, and she was born on 2 April 1545. Catherines first great political crisis came in July 1559 upon the accidental death of Henry II, a traumatic bereavement from which it is doubtful that she ever recovered. Therefore, her policies may be seen as desperate measures to keep the House of Valois on the throne at all costs and her patronage of the arts as an attempt to glorify a monarchy whose prestige was in steep decline. Religious reconciliation was the conveners purpose of the Colloquy of Poissy (SeptemberNovember 1561). [118] There were also hundreds of portraits, for which a vogue had developed during Catherine's lifetime. She travelled widely across the kingdom, enforcing his authority and trying to head off war. Her essentially moderate influence was first perceptible during the Conspiracy of Amboise (March 1560), an instance of tumultuous petitioning by the Huguenot gentry, primarily against Guisard persecution in the name of the King. Catherine de Medici, wife to one French king and mother to three more, died at Blois in 1589. In the Series Season One Season Two Season Three Season Four Mark Strage described these years as "the happiest of her entire life". Under her son, Francis II, power was retained by the Guise brothers. [96] The death of the heir to the throne in 1584 prompted the Duke of Guise to assume the leadership of the Catholic League. Heritier, 48, has the twins' deaths the other way round. She later kidnapped her half-brothers, Princes Charles and Henry, and attempted to drown them to punish her mother for abandoning her, but Mary hit Clarissa in the head with a rock, believing her to be dead. In 1558, she was considered for Don Carlos, the eldest son of King Philip II of Spain. Catherine de Medici was the queen consort of Henry II of France (154759) and regent of France. The chronicler L'Estoile reported that she cried all through her lunch that day. Inquisition was where he made his one and only cameo. Her efforts won Catherine new respect from the French people. "[95], Many leading Roman Catholics were appalled by Catherine's attempts to appease the Huguenots. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. In 1793, a revolutionary mob tossed her bones into a mass grave with those of the other kings and queens.[114]. Clarissa Delacroix(1539-1557) was the illegitimate daughter of Queen Catherine de Medici and the French noble Richard Delacroix. Claude and Charles would go on to have nine children, of which seven would survive to adulthood. Victoire and Jeanne were twin daughters born in 1556; Jeanne was stillborn due to surgeons breaking her legs to save her mother's life;[a] Victoire survived, dying less than two months later. This is the sixth, and it will focus on her relationships with her daughters. [35] There is reason to believe she was party to the decision when on 23 August Charles IX is said to have ordered, "Then kill them all! I am surprised that she never did worse. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); To celebrate the 500th birthday of the formidable Catherine de Medici, we will be posting seven articles over the next seven days about her. Frieda 2003, p. 48 (NY edition): "J'ai reu la fille toute nue." Also Known As : Caterina Maria Romola di Lorenzo de Medici. She may have owed her change of fortune to the physician Jean Fernel, who may have noticed slight abnormalities in the couple's sexual organs and advised them how to solve the problem. He cared for her and also arranged her union to Henry, Duke of Orlans, the second son of King Francis I of France, in early 1533. [109] On 23 December 1588, he asked the Duke of Guise to call on him at the Chteau de Blois. Knecht, 272. She reappeared after a few hours and declared that she would offer her other daughter Margaret in marriage to King Philip. Died in infancy. During the period 156468, Catherine was unable, for complex reasons, to withstand the cardinal Lorraine, statesman of the Guises, who largely provoked the second and third civil wars. [120], Beyond portraiture, little is known about the painting at Catherine de' Medici's court. Her merciful Edict of Amboise (March 1560) was followed in May by that of Romorantin, which distinguished heresy from sedition, thereby detaching faith from allegiance. [86], In 1576, in a move that endangered Henry's throne, Francis allied with the Protestant princes against the crown. Margaret, however, became almost as much of a thorn in Catherine's side as Francis, and in 1582, she returned to the French court without her husband. But she was unable to avert its revocation (August 1568), which heralded the third civil war. On 27 September 1567, in a swoop known as the Surprise of Meaux, Huguenot forces attempted to ambush the king, triggering renewed civil war. She even encouraged the king to spend more time with Catherine and sire more children. Pettegree, 154; Hoogvliet, 105. Moving on to the fortress of Carlat, Margaret took a lover called d'Aubiac. [3] In practice, her authority was limited by the effects of the civil wars. When King Francis I died on 31 March 1547, Catherine became queen consort of France. She was born with her father's birthmark on [76] Coligny was carried to his lodgings at the Htel de Bthisy, where the surgeon Ambroise Par removed a bullet from his elbow and amputated a damaged finger with a pair of scissors. The next pope, Alessandro Farnese, was elected on 13 October and took the title Paul III. [87] On 6 May 1576, Catherine gave in to almost all Huguenot demands in the Edict of Beaulieu. Seeing as they didn't know the other existed for the first 18 - to 20 years of their lives. [44], In June 1560, Michel de l'Hpital was appointed Chancellor of France. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Some sources claim that Victoire was the one who was stillborn. She herself supervised their education. [5] Catherine has been called "the most important woman in Europe in the 16th century.[6]. Catherine had no more children. Possibly Catherines most concrete achievement was the Edict of January 1562, which followed the failure of reconciliation. Catherine de' Medici's patronage of the arts, "Eglise Saint-Ferrol les Augustins | Marseille 13", "The long barren years of Catherine de Medicis: A gynaecologist's view of history", "The "infertility" of Catherine de Medici and its influence on 16th century France", "History's Black Widow: The Legend of Catherine de Medici", Elizabeth Charlotte, Princess of the Palatinate, Louise Marie Adlade de Bourbon-Penthivre, Princess Maria Amalia of Naples and Sicily, Genealogical tables of the House of Medici, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Catherine_de%27_Medici&oldid=1152284564, French people of the French Wars of Religion, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles containing Italian-language text, Articles with French-language sources (fr), Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica with Wikisource reference, Wikipedia articles incorporating a citation from the New International Encyclopedia, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, Caterina Maria Romula di Lorenzo de' Medici. She is also known for her involvement in the Massacre of St. Bartholomew's Day (1572)part of the CatholicHuguenot wars (Wars of Religion; 156298)and for being mother to three kings of France. He noted that "each had shown valour in the joust". She wrote to her daughter Elisabeth: "My principal aim is to have the honour of God before my eyes in all things and to preserve my authority, not for myself, but for the conservation of this kingdom and for the good of all your brothers". After Franciss death, Catherine wrote to her daughter, Ma fille (my daughter) mamie (my friend), commend yourself to God, for you have seen me as happy as you are now, never knowing any sorrow but that I was not loved as much as I wished to be by the King your father, who honoured me more than I deserved, but I loved him so much that I was always in fear, as you know; and God has taken him from me and, not content with that, has deprived me of your brother.. [23] This proved that Henry was fertile and added to the pressure on Catherine to produce a child. On one occasion, in March 1578, she lectured him for six hours about his dangerously subversive behaviour. She shared the same birthmark as her father, so Catherine had Nostradamus father, a physician, attempt to remove the birthmark from Clarissa. Piero II de Medici+ b. She was born at the royal Chteau de Saint-Germain-en-Laye, where she spent her childhood alongside her sisters, the princesses Elisabeth and Claude. WebPrincess Claude of Valois was born on November 12, 1547 in Fontainebleau, France, as the 2nd daughter & 3rd child born to King Henry II & his wife Queen Catherine de Medici. Three of her sons were kings of France: Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. Catherine then spent an hour trying to make Margaret presentable again.