Note: Presenting via Zoom as part of the Smithsonian Associates program.

In the 16th century, the Medici family shaped much of the religious and political life of Western Europe. Into this world stepped young Catherine de' Medici, who left her native Florence to marry into the French royal family. When her husband ascended the throne as Henri II, Catherine became Queen Consort—yet she spent years in the shadow of his powerful mistress. How did Catherine rise from this constrained position to become one of the most influential figures in Europe? Historian Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger explores Catherine’s journey—from her early years in Florence to her strategic role in the French court. She examines how Catherine secured her place through dynastic alliances, produced children who would marry into royal houses across the continent, and became a formidable political force during the reigns of her three sons: Francis II, Charles IX, and Henri III. Amid religious and political turmoil, Catherine sought to forge alliances—most notably with Elizabeth I of England, even offering the queen her sons as potential husbands. Her leadership was marked by both diplomacy and controversy, leaving an indelible mark on European history.

Carol Ann Lloyd-Stanger, the author of The Tudors by Numbers and Courting the Virgin Queen, lectures internationally on the Tudor period and Shakespeare.