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Catherine de' Medici: life of the week

Catherine de' Medici: life of the week

Leah Redmond Chang unravels the complex life of the royal mother and regent popularly known as 'the serpent queen'

Emily Briffett

Published: July 16, 2024 at 7:16 AM

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Catherine de' Medici has gone down in history as the sinister 'serpent queen', who had a troop of female spies in her court and may have instigated the deadly St Bartholomew's Day massacre. But is this a fair judgement of the 16th-century queen and regent? In this 'Life of the week' episode, Emily Briffett speaks to historian Leah Redmond Chang to reassess Catherine's twisted reputation – and shine a light on her struggles and achievements as one of the era's most powerful people.

Authors

Emily BriffettSenior content producer (podcasts)

Emily Briffett is senior content producer (podcasts) at HistoryExtra