Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers: Catherine de' Medici and Her Sons
100 Days of Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers
100 Days of Alexandre Dumas' The Three Musketeers
June 1 - August 31, 2024
All for One and One for All: "The Three Musketeers" at 180
June 4
Historical post 4 of 10
As I mentioned, Catherine de' Medici had 10 children with her husband, Henry Il of the Valois dynasty - which should have assured the perpetuation of the line, right?! Not so fast...
A total of THREE of her sons - Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III - became kings of France - but not one of them left an offspring...
Francis II (1544- 1560) ruled for one year 1559-1560 - and died of ear infection complications... Or was it poisoning?!?!?! He was married - please make sure you are seated - to Mary, Queen of Scots - who as a widow returned to Scotland - had a son named James - was beheaded by Elizabeth I - but triumphed when the Tudor dynasty died with Elizabeth and her son James became James VI of Scotland and James I of England of the Steward dynasty - who will be fighting France in The Three Musketeers!!!
With the stunning death of Francis Il, the next brother became Charles IX (1550-1574) who ruled 1560-1574, ALSO without producing a heir!!! He died of tuberculosis - and it was time to inform his younger brother that he was "It" - BUT the future Henry III was temporarily occupying the throne of Poland-Lithuania - where I was just last week!!! I was actually thinking of him as I was driving through the kingdom he ruled very briefly!!!
The dashing Henry III (1551-1589) was the King of Poland and Grand Duke of Lithuania 1573-1575 - and, with the untimely death of his brother, King of France 1574-1589. But he was assassinated, JUST LIKE HIS DAD, before making much impact on history...
None of these Valois kings inherited their father's fornicating skills... Not one left an heir... Needless to say, they were such a lackluster bunch, the true ruler of France was their mother, Catherine de Medici, who FINALLY gained aces to power and wielded it with abandon during the reign of her three king sons!!! But with their deaths - was she going to retire and leave French politics to the next generation of intriguers?!?!?! NEVER!!! She also had a daughter named Marguerite!!!
Catherine de' Medici (1519-1589), again... AND her three king sons!!!
Francis II (1544- 1560)
Charles IX (1550-1574)
Henry III (1551-1589)