Catherine de' Medici: life of the week

Published: July 15, 2024, 11 p.m.

Catherine de' Medici has gone down in history as the sinister 'serpent queen', who had a troop of female spies in her court and may have instigated the deadly St Bartholomew's Day massacre. But is this a fair judgement of the 16th-century queen and regent? In this 'Life of the week' episode, Emily Briffett speaks to historian Leah Redmond Chang to reassess Catherine's twisted reputation \u2013 and shine a light on her struggles and achievements as one of the era's most powerful people. \n\n\nThe HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.\nLearn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices