You really are a natural born story teller, Jon. Between your soothing voice, your excellent research skills, & your story telling abilities it's no wonder I always enjoy your videos so very much. I've been hoping that you would one day do a video on Catherine de Medici! Many Thanks!
Wow, thank you! I'm really not worthy! But appreciate your comment and will continue to try and bring great content to the channel. Have a great week 😊
a very formidable lady, in such turbulent times of plots murders and war, well presented and researched Jon another gem, enjoy your week and thank you. 👍😊
I remember reading a historical novel about Catherine de Medici by Jean Plaidy, and being fascinated, and yet repulsed by her attitudes and actions! Thank you for this most interesting and educational video! 👏👏👏
I am fan of Catharine de Medici.. the „históricas“ novel von Plaidy is not really acúrate,.. and with many many unreal facts.. Catharine de Medicis was one of the Most intelligent Woman for her time. Many things that are recognized as french typical things were introduced By C.Medicis: Parfum, use of folk for eating as well as Servietten, she also supported many artist of that time and also the First „ballets“ were Impulsed By C.de Medicis.
I am descended from a family of Huguenots who escaped France for Prussia in 1685 - the end of the Valois dynasty was a turning point for France much like the take over of England by William the Bastard in 1066. Long term the eradication of the Huguenots from France had a crippling outcome for France. My ancestors returned to France in 1870 as officers in the Prussian Army.
I am a descendant of the Guise. My 13x’s great grandfather was a cardinal who crowned three kings, all Catherine’s sons. He wasn’t killed in the massacre. He stayed out of politics. His sister, Marie de Guise, was the mother of Mary, Queen of Scots.
Yay so happy this video came out. Honestly I get excited when any of your videos come out. But this was really well done regardless and a fantastic story all the same.
Fantastic video Jon as expected 👏 In fairness how could it not be with such a brilliant subject and you as narrator and creator. I found the video very informative and entertaining throughout, the background of her early life especially. You painted a very human portrait of Catherine early who suffered a lot of upheaval, uncertainty and heartache. Catherine certainly did use some unusual methods when trying to get pregnant. You must have had some laugh researching that. Her union with Henry was seemed to be all business and no pleasure. He was so cold to her and didn't appreciate how lucky he was to have such a woman. Diane de Poitiers must have been something special to hold Henry's interest for so long. "Medieval Grab a Granny" very witty Jon 😂. Catherine had a tumultuous relationship with her children. They either died young or failed to live up to her standards. She gave them tough love and expected only the very best. You weren't lying when you previously said the script for this video was quite long. It was a longer than usual video but that didn't matter as it was very enjoyable.
Thanks Shane. There were some parts to her story that, well, are quite remarkable! Her means to get pregnant are right up there with some of the best techniques I have ever heard about, although thank goodness they died out. It was a long video, but after reading her story felt justified in trying to give a full true reflection on her life and not just snippets. Appreciate your views as always, have a great week 😊
Your voice is very soothing and i love listening to history with a cuppa and the sound of rain in the background hehe thank you for another great video!! Have you heard of the "sewing spy"? Policarpa Salavarrieta i learned a little about her recently and thought her story was .. interesting and powerful.
I loved it but at the beginning you said Catherine was born in 1519 and at the end that she died in 1569, aged 69. Didn't she outlive Mary Queen of Scots?
As much as I love history and I feel it’s important to preserve it, I am glad that the bones of Katherine along with other royals were thrown into a mass grave and no one knows were. These people caused so much harm and pain to others and I don’t think they should be glorified.
This account leaves a lot of major events out. Most notably, the St. Bartholomew’s Day massacre in which some 17,000 Protestants were massacred in Paris and several other French cities. Catherine de Medici is said to have orchestrated the massacre along with her son the king (I can’t remember which one). There is also the courtship of another of her sons, the Duke D’Alencon, of Queen Elizabeth of England, which nearly resulted in their marriage, except that the Queen’s minister’s and ant-French public opinion vetoed it. Why did out narrator leave out these important events.
Jon I'm a pretty new subscriber but I really love your videos and your calming voice. You're so informative. As an avid 'historian' I'm hooked on your channel. Thank you. Alison
I saw this and thought I missed a new one. Imagine my surprise when I saw the old style video presentation that I thought was fantastic back then and still holds up to time. Love your videos, Jon!
Good video, but you didn't mention the massacre of St. Barthemew's eve during the night of 23 to 24 August 1572, five days after the marriage of Margot and Henri de Navarre who was a Huguenot. All the Huguenot had come to Paris for the wedding and it was a golden opportunity for Henri de Guise's catholics to get rid of them. However the massacres escalated outside Paris and went on for days. A lot of Huguenots emigrated. Henri de Guise was so successful that he was called the King of Paris, no wonder Henri III was shivering in his shoes in Blois (beautiful chateau, by the way) Catherine died in 1589, not 1569, probably just a slip of the tongue. 🙂
I try and include as much as possible about the character in the story, yet there will always be portions left out. Many of the characters lives spill into others. So I try to keep it simple but informative on the person portrayed. But I appreciate your viewpoint and thanks for watching. 😊
One important thing I learned from researching genealogy, you cannot separate your ancestors from the events of their time. Even if they didn't physically take part of an event, they were still effected by activity of their day whether activity was next door or afar.
That was not mentioned and it was one of histories most horrific blood baths. Some of my family fled to Canada 🇨🇦 and latter the new world. She is remembered as a murderer!
I enjoy your videos very easy listening voice and unpretentious tone, slight mistake at the end though when you said she died in 1569, I know you meant to say 1589 as you had already mentioned the date in her last visit to the Cardinal de Baubon.
I think there were around 4,200 words in this script so one clanger is quite good for me! But thanks for pointing it out and for taking the time to watch, have a great week 😊
This is kinda a copy, almost word for word, of the Wikipedia page. I just read and was looking for more information. Is this just a coincidence or is this all the information we have on Catherine?
Thank you. I knew nothing about her or this 'side' of this era of history. I feel inspired to learn more. It is easy to judge these figures in hindsight with our Internet and our wealth of geopolitical insight but back then? they were just people, doing what they could with minds soaked in the realities and prejudices of their times. While perhaps my view is naive, she seems like she tried a good deal harder than some to work for positive change amidst turmoil it would have taken savvier minds to foresee coming.
The Medici had scores of children and normally robust health. They were bankers who invented double entry bookkeeping. The family originally started out as pharmacists. The name Medici means doctors or pharmacist. I think they were extremely intelligent people, like off the chart iq. Catherine didn't really understand protestantism. She saw it as a war between families.
Great Vid on The French Royal Court Behaving Badly,...all absolute rulers do as All Absolute Power Corrupts; Absolutly. Name any country with a royal line court & you get the same thing, east or west. Thanks for the explanation of why this particular bunch of ninnies acted as they did. Always look forward to your vids.
I believe he was being a gentleman on that and left that out in purpose.Just as he left out that Catherine Medicis parents had it as well.He father died of it and her mother committed suicide due to having it.I respect him for that and it shows an honor in the man.
Why do English speaking narrators of French history consistently mispronounce names and place names in their presentations? Two other examples, he mispronounced Jeanne, the feminine of Jean (John), and Amboise. The e is pronounced, causing the s to be pronounced with a z sound. The castle also contains Catherine de Medici's infamous poison cabinet, a favorite on the tour, or is it at Blois? I have forgotten. As mentioned in other comments, an effort for more correct pronunciations would make the presentation seem more learned and thus factual in my opinion.
Cardinal Ipploito de’ Medici was the only son of Giuliano de’ Medici and his mistress Pacifica Brandano. Ipploito was not fathered by Pope Leo X. I hope this error can be amended.
If only once I'd had a history teacher even a little like this good man, I wouldn't be so ignorant of history now. My teachers were every one like the extraordinarily boring history teacher in the Harry Potter series.
