Orphaned at just 21 days old, Catherine de Medici’s early life was every bit the storybook damsel tale. As the pawn of a wealthy Italian merchant family, she set off from Italy to marry her young husband, the future King Henry II of France. This strictly political match was intended to tie the Papacy in Rome and the wealth of the Medici family to the noble blood of France. But, thanks to a series of unfortunate events, Catherine suddenly found herself penniless and friendless in a foreign court. The origin story of France’s most cunning Renaissance Queen has it all: tragic childhoods, obnoxious French names, outrageous pageantry, uncomfortable mistress drama and a duck measuring contest of epic proportions.

31. Catherine de’ Medici - Part II

Difficult Damsels is an amateur podcast, brought to you by two ridiculous humans, that explores the difficult damsels throughout history who said “f💋ck this” and broke out of their preordained roles as meek and obedient to be their most authentic selves. Your hosts Rachel and Kat delve into what it means to be a difficult damsel and just how these women changed history only to be labeled witch, mad, crazy because they dared to rise against societal and patriarchal norms and change their world!