logo
episode-header-image
Apr 2024
19m 21s

Catherine de' Medici, Queen of France

Lindsay Holiday
About this episode
Catherine de' Medici from the powerful Italian family married the future King Henry II of France at 13. When he was impaled through the eye during a joust Catherine ruled France as regent for three of her sons during civil and religious wars. She was also a patron and devotee of mystic Nostradamus. Join me every Tuesday when I'm Spilling the Tea on History! ... Show More
Up next
Oct 27
7 Royal Witches
Witch! The word struck terror in the hearts of many a medieval man. It whispers of people, mostly women, using dark magic and even selling their souls to Satan to get what they want. Forcing men to fall in love with them and cursing their enemies. Sorceresses have been feared sin ... Show More
33m 36s
Oct 20
4 Curses on the Romanov Dynasty of Russia
The Romanov Imperial House ruled Russia with an iron fist for 300 years. In that time they made plenty of enemies. From a grief-stricken mother who foretold the demise of the dynasty, to a scorned Tsaritsa who cursed St. Petersburg to calamity. From a hermit monk who claimed to k ... Show More
33m 7s
Oct 13
4 Spooky Stories of Royal Demons & Exorcisms
For millennia, royals have claimed that their right to rule over the unwashed masses was granted to them by God. But a few have been associated with powers originating far south of heaven. Tonight I’ll share with you the spooky and salacious tales of the demon countess who spawne ... Show More
30m 19s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2024
Catherine de' Medici, Serpent Queen
<p>Queen Consort of France and mother to three successive Kings, Catherine de’ Medici's legacy could have been one of intelligence, fortitude, artistic patronage and religious moderation. But instead, as with so many women in positions of power, Catherine's life and actions have ... Show More
39m 58s
Mar 2024
Catherine de Medici of France Part 1: Weddings & Witchcraft | 13
Catherine de Medici was Queen of France for nearly 30 years, during a time that was so volatile it makes the French Revolution feel like a street fair. In part one of this three-part series, Catherine is an Italian orphan who marries into French royalty. But keeping her new cushy ... Show More
41m 57s
Feb 2025
Catherine de’ Medici: the real Serpent Queen of France
Greg Jenner is joined in 16th-Century France by Dr Estelle Paranque and comedian Shaparak Khorsandi to learn all about controversial queen Catherine de’ Medici.Catherine’s life was dramatic from the moment she was born: orphaned when she was just a few weeks old, she was brought ... Show More
57m 40s
Apr 2010
Catherine de' Medici, Italian Orphan
<p>Catherine de' Medici remains the most famous female member of the Medici clan. Orphaned at a young age, Catherine survived struggles with childhood illness and eventually became the Queen consort of France. Tune in and learn what happened next.</p><p> </p> Learn more about you ... Show More
23m 51s
Mar 2024
Catherine de Medici of France Part 2: Prophecies, Princes & Protestants | 14
In part one, Catherine de Medici married into French royalty and secured her spot in court by having a bajillion kids. But now her husband is dead, and his rivals are out to usurp Catherine’s power. If Catherine is going to keep control, she'll have to get creative – and maybe ge ... Show More
40m 45s
Dec 2018
SYMHC Classics: Catherine de' Medici, Italian Orphan
Today we're revisiting a 2010 episode from Katie and Sarah about Catherine de' Medici, who remains the most famous female member of the Medici clan. Orphaned at a young age, Catherine survived struggles with childhood illness and eventually became the queen consort of France.  Le ... Show More
24m 2s
Oct 2025
The Scandalous Royal Mistress Who Ruled France
Is this strangest threesome in royal history?!We're endlessly fascinated with the lives of royal mistresses, and this has to be one of the most notorious.It takes place in 16th century France between Henry II, his wife Catherine de Medici and his much older mistress, Diane de Poi ... Show More
37m 45s
Mar 2021
Femme Fatales Pt. 2: Catherine de Medici and Her Flying Squadron
A cunning puppetmaster, Catherine de Medici is most vividly remembered as a one-time queen of France who dispatched beautiful women in her court to manipulate the men of France. Except… that’s not really the case. But hidden in the spectacular legends lie kernels of truth about C ... Show More
48m 27s
Aug 2023
Catherine of Aragon, Rerun for Tudor Week
In this episode rerun of our classic 2017 episode (omg we were podcasting babies) we delve into the captivating story of Catherine of Aragon and her tumultuous relationship with Henry VIII. We explore the intricacies of her marriages and the immense pressure she faced as she atte ... Show More
1h 11m