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Elizabeth I’s greatest rival?

Estelle Paranque untangles the complex relationship between Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici, two 16th-century queens who wielded huge power - and frequently locked horns over religion, marriage and more

Published: July 8, 2022 at 12:32 PM

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Sixteenth-century Europe was dominated by two female powerhouses: Elizabeth I of England and Catherine de Medici, the French Queen Mother. The two women had a tumultuous relationship, being sometimes friends and at other times foes, as Estelle Paranque reveals to Rhiannon Davies.

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Estelle Paranque is the author of Blood, Fire and Gold: The story of Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici (Ebury Digital, 2022)

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Authors

Rhiannon DaviesFreelance journalist

A former BBC History Magazine section editor, Rhiannon has long been fascinated by history and continues to write for HistoryExtra.com. She has appeared on the award-winning HistoryExtra podcast, interviewing experts on a variety of subjects, from Lucy Worsley discussing Agatha Christie to Sir Ranulph Fiennes on the perils of polar exploration

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