Elizabeth I vs. Catherine de Medici: Great Rivalries in History

Try Hormone Harmony from Happy Mammoth and get 15% off your entire first order with the code TEATIME at store.happymam...
Please consider supporting me at / lindsayholiday
For most of history, men ruled the world. But for 3 decades in the late 1500s two powerful women dominated Europe. Catherine de Medici was Queen of France and Elizabeth I was Queen of England. Neither one was expected to be Queen. But both bid their time until they could seize power. They were brilliant, dynamic, determined, and sometimes ruthless leaders. But even with all they had in common, their differences made them fierce opponents. Catherine was a catholic, a wife and a mother, while Elizabeth was protestant and single by choice. Dozens of books and dramas have focused on the epic rivalry between Elizabeth and her northern neighbor, Mary Queen of Scots. And while she is an important part of the story, Elizabeth’s relationship with her greater nemesis, Catherine has long been forgotten. However, season 2 of the Starz series Serpent Queen, and the recent book Blood, Fire & Gold by Estelle Paranque have resurrected the historic frienemies. So let’s examine the parallel lives and epic rivalry between Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici.
Check out the History Tea Time Podcast:
Spotify: open.spotify.c...
Apple: podcasts.apple...
Follow me on Facebook: www.facebook.c...
Instagram: / historyteatimelindsayh...
Source: Paranque, Estelle. Blood, Fire & Gold. Hachette. 2023.
Music: Folk Round Kevin MacLeod
For business inquiries, please contact [e-mail]

[@bebu4ever]

@4:59 I don't know which is crazier, two 14-year-olds getting married while his father watched them consummate or the fact that the 14-year-old groom fell in love with a 38-year-old woman.

[@Hanculka13]

French men apparently have a thing for this. Just look at their current president and his wife, who is 25 years his senior and groomed him as teen :D

[@JodyMagee]

It was common, if not a required, to have an audience on the wedding night in order to confirm the act was consummated. The court was also present during the delivery of royal babies.

[@Martin-Tello]

And the 38-Year-old-woman was his carer

[@therewillbecatswithgwenhwyfar]

@@Martin-Tellothat's so gross.

[@nicoleackerman205]

Diane is a sicko he was a child.

[@yayfood6361]

Omg the last time I was this early Henry Viii was still married to Cathrine of Aragon(EDIT :OMG TYSMMM FOR THE LIKES AND POSITIVE COMMENTS HOPE YALL HAD A GOOD DAY !）

[@elkowasaki]

wilddd lmao 😭🙏

[@shamaal123]

🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Zaasi]

Great comment!

[@ladyv5655]

Or was she still married to Henry's brother, Arthur?

[@PrettyPoppyGirl651]

Haha, so cheaky 😂

[@hollyoconnor2745]

I heard about these queens from the history books before, but I didn't even know that there was a rivalry between these two. Thank you Lindsay for the forgotten history

[@ElleHistory]

It's all in my book, Blood Fire and Gold. Thank you Lindsay for giving it a bigger platform.

[@user-fg9xz4bz3b]

Catherine Medici has gotten more notice since the tv series Reign.

[@irawilliams343]

Elizabeth I and Catherine de Medici knew how to play the game which catapulted them to the ultimate peak of power. But history is hardly kind to women who wield power.

[@debbylou5729]

It’s hardly kind to kings either. Victim points = 0

[@twilight-princess240]

Honestly, just how much of Catherine's actions were because she was a mother trying to protect her children? I've wondered this for so long, especially as I learned more about her and looked deeper. After Henri II of France died, Catherine was a widow in a foreign court with several underage children, seven to be exact, and with all the pains in the back that she faced from the beginning of her widowhood until her death, protecting her family was probably one of the biggest priorities if not the biggest priority on her mind when dealing with said pains in the back. Henri IV of France even said this quote about her: "I ask you, what could a woman do, left by the death of her husband with five little children on her arms, and two families of France who were thinking of grasping the crown-our own [the Bourbons] and the Guises? Was she not compelled to play strange parts to deceive first one and then the other, in order to guard, as she did, her sons, who successively reigned through the wise conduct of that shrewd woman? I am surprised that she never did worse." If even he of all people was willing to admit that one of the biggest reasons (if not the sole reason) Catherine did what she did was to ensure the safety of her children, especially the sons who ruled while they were still underage, then I can definitely believe that one of her primary reasons for her actions if not the primary reason was her children. She may have been queen mother of France after being widowed and was regent for two of her sons due to their youth, but she was also a mother. No doubt she was very aware that her children, especially her sons, were underage even for the time and therefore needed all the support and protection they could get, so it's really no surprise that she devoted everything she had and did all she could so that they had that support and protection, even if she was the sole source of both. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she was the sole source of support and protection for them at times. There's a very good reason why the Mama Bear trope exists on TV Tropes when describing mothers, and I definitely count Catherine as one with all that she did. She went to a lot of lengths to ensure her sons would remain on the throne of France despite the many threats to their reigns, and many of those lengths if not all of them were to ensure that those threats would not get to them in any shape or form. She, in my eyes, did this not just as a queen mother and queen regent, but as a mother to ensure the safety and security of her children, even if all of them predeceased her except for Henri III of France and Margaret of Valois. She may have also never done worse things than what she did, but I'm willing to bet that she was at least willing to do worse if the situation ever called for it, because from what I've seen and heard in both real life and in popular culture, the wrath of a mother is truly something to behold. Catherine is far from the only woman in history vilified for this though: how many women in history, such as Agrippina the Younger, Hurrem Sultan, and many others, have been vilified for so long for actions they committed that, when looked at in a different lens, could have at least been rooted from the fact that they were mothers wanting to protect their children and ensure that they would have secure lives? I think that far too many, including Catherine, have suffered vilification just because they dared to claim power when maybe, just maybe, a far stronger motivation if not their sole one was the next generation and ensuring that they had at least some form of security in their lives long after those before them had passed on. I hope that as women in history who held power are reevaluated and reexamined, or at least looked at again and are learned about by more and more people, that the fact that some of these women if not all of them were mothers and therefore may have been simply trying to protect their children is taken into account more frequently and that it's used as a lens to examine certain historical events and actions where it might apply.

[@lewisreed8415]

Make a channel

[@user-my8uf1yh5m]

Bingo. Could NOT have said it any better.

[@jamellfoster6029]

*Mary Queen of Scots was not the granddaughter of Henry VII, but his great granddaughter. Elizabeth I was his granddaughter and 1st cousin of James V of Scotland (Mary's Dad) even though she was young enough to be his daughter (Henry VIII had his younger kids late in life & was old enough to their grandpa).

[@annhenriques3520]

I would argue that Catherine and Elizabeth weren’t rivals at all. Elizabeth wanted to concentrate on ruling England and fixing the economic problems that she inherited from both her brother and sister: she had no interest in wars. And while Catherine might have preferred a Catholic on the English throne, France had enough problems with internal strife and an adversarial relationship with Spain to deal with. In fact, it was Mary, Queen of Scots, her husband Francois II and her Guise relatives that had the most adversarial relationship with Elizabeth, and the relationship with France definitely improved with Francois’ death and Mary returning to Scotland. Overall, I would consider Elizabeth and Catherine to be uneasy allies more than rivals.

[@twilight-princess240]

Elizabeth even said once that out of all the rulers of Europe at the time, Catherine was the one she feared the most

[@truefairytale164]

Please do make a video on Rajiya sultan of Delhi and Rani Lakshmi Bai of jhansi, the warrior queens of India, among many ......❤

[@anna_avnta]

Now I have to find out ab them 💯💯💯💯

[@user-fg9xz4bz3b]

India had some great women.

[@avaglennon9873]

Are these great rivalries gonna become a series? That would be so cool.

[@jacquesgotbacque]

If so Henry VIII and François I should be part 2

[@SassyyjuicyMaria]

@@jacquesgotbacque part I bcz they were earlier

[@monical.r13]

Fully agree!! I have so many ideas: Ferdinand I and Philip the Fair Maria Theresa and Frederick the Great Francis I and Charles V (maybe a 2 parter including Henry VIII in like a "hate triangle") George II and his father George I Sorry, I'm a history nerd

[@jacquesgotbacque]

@monical.r13 those are great ideas!!! I'm a history nerd too lol

[@avaglennon9873]

@@monical.r13 George I and George II sound like a great idea! I even considered George III's wife Charlotte and his mother Augusta. That might be more of a one-sided antagonistic rivalry from Augusta's side.

[@theplagueboybunny6794]

So excited to learn more about the de Medici family!

[@AbbyOrton]

I cannot express how excited I am to watch this video! I've been binging your content about Elizabeth and Cathrine and was so excited when I saw this!!

[@ElleHistory]

Hi Lindsay, I'm glad that you liked my book so much (Blood Fire and Gold) that it inspired you doing a video. I enjoyed that. Would you like to do a collaboration type video on the Serpent Queen? Estelle Paranque

[@paulinacyganek7440]

Hi there Lindsay, could you do a series of videos about Polish Kings and Queens as well as their consorts. I'd love to see more videos about Polish history on your channel.

[@sheenaford5033]

Wow brilliant i knew most of Elizabeth's story, but nothing about the Medici queen thank you.. I love the way you narrate easy to understand ehat you are saying . And you make it so interesting 😉. Keep up the good work

[@ElleHistory]

It's all in my book Blood Fire and Gold. I'm so grateful to Lindsay for bringing my book to a bigger audience. :)

[@Astro-uc1pi]

I know her channel focuses on women in history but i hope she makes a video on francois 1 vs charles 5. Their rivalry was so interesting

[@sreyno01]

True!!

[@user-fg9xz4bz3b]

It was epic.

[@mrfearsmom8857]

I've always been really sad for Elizabeth, thinking she never wanted to be married, then the moment she thought she might want to, her people didn't want him to be her husband. ❤️ Gloriana has always been my favorite queen and if I could go back in time, I'd definitely go back to see Elizabeth at her court.

[@shelbybrown9296]

Lindsay: I’m gonna be discussing the Medici family Me: YASSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!!!

[@deansky-lucas7880]

This is the first time that any of this has made sense to me, and that's after years of reading many wonderful books. Thank you for your excellent diction and the pace of your dialogue. What a crazy history this was!!

[@Kamane-bee]

Please do video about Great Dutchy of Lithuania royals.

[@lyndanickerson1373]

Thanks for the video Lindsay

[@hollyhobgoblin8838]

I am a proud Catherine de Medici apologist.

[@BatkhuuChuluun]

Me too, man! Catherine de’ Medici is my 14x great-grandmother! In my honest opinions, based on historical nuances and what I studied about her as well as her regency during the French Wars of Religion, she was not as bad/tyrannical as commonly portrayed. I am descended from Élisabeth of France, Queen Consort of Spain, and Claude of France, Duchess Consort of Lorraine, the daughters of Catherine de’ Medici and Henry II of France. The popular “Serpent Queen” narrative is so tiresome…

[@twilight-princess240]

Honestly, I can see why. From what I've read and heard of her, I've been wondering for quite some time just how much of Catherine's actions were because she was, at the same time as she was a queen regent for at least two of her sons, a mother simply trying to protect her children. When her husband Henri II died, many of her children if not all of them were still underage, and Catherine might have been one of their only sources of support to protect them from harm if not the sole source. Catherine might have been a queen consort and later a queen mother, but she was also a mother. Her children and their well-beings were, if not her greatest priority, one of her greatest priorities, and like many, if not all mothers, she would have done anything to ensure they were safe and could live peacefully. Even her son-in-law, Henri IV of France, once said that she was compelled to do what she had to do when dealing with the Wars of Religion and those fighting them for the sake of her children, even noting the fact that several of them were underage even at the time. He even said that he was surprised that she didn't do worse things than what she ultimately did throughout her life. There's a very good reason why the Mama Bear trope exists in TV Tropes, and I definitely consider Catherine one herself.

[@tiffystrangebirdbrown6844]

i just love when these videos help establish a good world view timeline, and help me associate and reconcile large events with each other. Plz make more like this.

[@hunnycombss]

I would love a rivalry series! That would be awesome 🩷🩷🙏🙏 love your work Lindsay!🥰

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Another tuesday another amazing video by the Queen of History! Your voice is so soothing and amazing to listen to Lindsay! Could hear you for hours talking about painting and never get bored! Your hardwork is always appreciated. Can you please consider covering Queen anne? Under her Britain was born and she and her husband george deserved much better with their children.

[@Tinkerbe11]

Imagine, being 14 years old and just got married to a man you never met before, and then your father-in-law watches the night you are lose your virginity. A nightmare!

[@hotchocolate7681]

Imagine they put there hand in you to make sure your a virgin before you get married 😮

[@thecalicocat6657]

These videos are the highlight of my Tuesdays

[@brettlarch8050]

Last time I was this early, Anne Boleyn still had her head.

[@ohemajosefine]

there two things i love: history + tea time and Lindsay serves both and I love it :)

[@KoiYakultGreenTea]

I was surprised ro find that safiye sultan of the ottomans respected her contemporary Elizabeth I because as Valide Sultan, she technically only ruled the harem not the empire but she was rhe real power behind the throne yet could never say so or act like it like Elizabeth did

[@areiaaphrodite]

"Each had shown valor in the joust" .....🤢🤮

[@danielsantiagourtado3430]

Oh! More English history?! Yes please! This is my favorite subject Lindsay and i LOVE all your videos on it! Good Queen Bess was amazing! And you are too❤❤❤👸👸👸

[@101adnap]

Let’s get this woman to 1 MILLION 0:09

[@michellecrocker2485]

I was going to say. I never heard anything about Elizabeth leaving England in her reign if not her life. Do I wondered if they ever actually meet face to face. I don’t think even if they did, Catherine’s alpha dog ego would have gotten in the way

[@ThinWhiteAxe]

I have the same birthday as Catherine de Medici (April 13)! I knew a bit about her already, but I never knew about her frenemy relationship with Elizabeth I.

[@kevinallison75]

I finished Blood, Fire & Gold last month! You have the best content. I share you with all my friends when they have history questions. Great Video!

[@kia_jones5-17]

Are any of the letters between Elizabeth and Francois available to read? I’d love to see their version of ‘steamy’ love letters 👀😂

[@raaf4678]

Yes, that would be interesting.

[@LDVA2003]

I am a fan of this channel, however, I am very disappointed in the advertisement regarding hormone stabilization for women. Specifically, the comment that you made that had Catherine and Elizabeth had their hormones managed, maybe they would’ve gotten along better. That comment is so disappointing, especially coming from a woman! This is the kind of crap that men have believed for like ever, and is one of the reasons why women are held down in much of western society. I cannot speak for eastern society, but I am very, very disappointed!

[@LindsayHoliday]

You make a valid point, I have edited.

[@IlexOpacaLP]

I also checked out the sponsor's website and it's very misleading. I have a background in ad/pr, but I'm a science librarian now, and I can say from both perspectives that the marketing language on their website is sketch and troubling (for example, they mention "toxins"/"toxic waste"/"detox" - these are all meaningless marketing terms, not scientific ones; they also claim that their "natural ingredients" are featured in a number of scientific publications [in a way that implies that these publications would endorse their products and without specifying which ingredients they're talking about - they could literally mean water]). Love Lindsay's content, don't love this sponsor!

[@Luke_05]

The fact that Elizabeth actually accepted Francis, Duke of Anjou’s proposal really shocked me as I never knew any of her affections went that far.

[@stickerfan3388]

Suggestion: Princesses who were 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 queens regnant Note: female heirs who could've been queens regnant but did not due to their death, renouncing their right or other factors. Ex: Princess Charlotte of wales who would've been queen regnant have she not died in childbirth. Sophia of Hanover would've been queen regnant have she outlived Queen Anne. Princess Charlotte, Duchess of Valentinois who would've been sovereign princess have she not renounced her right in favor of her son.

[@legacyxlove]

This was really cool! Thanks, Lindsay!

[@HermioneSamara]

I can’t wait to see if Lindsey will cover the Pazzi conspiracy.

[@LindsayHoliday]

💯 I will, and lots of other juicy bits!

[@SpenserParkinson]

Ugh I just wish I could time travel and convey to Henry VIII how epic Elizabeth I is historically.

[@_d_a_i_s_y_998]

And he’d probably accuse you of witchcraft and execute you! 🤣 but I agree!

[@user-xh2bj5no2r]

While peddling, please let us know what the side effects are?

[@IlexOpacaLP]

The sponsor doesn't list any side effects on their site. They just say to talk to your doctor and that some people may experience "adverse effects" (without specifying what those effects might be). That, along with the misleading marketing language all over their site, makes them super-sketch.

[@inissabri7428]

Two divas queening it out

[@williethomas5116]

Is it true that Mary's husband said that her "pregnancy" was more likely to end in a gust of wind than in an actual child?!

[@carsoncambers568]

Hey Lindsey love your videos ❤ can you do a video on the Irish monarchs?

[@emmaandersson5792]

Queen Elizabeth was having enemies left and right, god

[@andyroo9381]

There was so much information in this video. I can only guess how much you had to leave out in order to streamline this. Talk about Game Of Thrones!

[@zero_bs_tolerance8646]

Very good. Enjoyed. Thank you.

[@0hMyLife]

What does the Kennedy family tree have anything to do with Elizabeth I, Catherine Medici, or Mary of Scots??????

[@WildWestRosie]

I find it interesting that Elizabeth I was actually born in the Chinese year of the snake, whilst Catherine was born in the year of the rabbit... Most likely the Rabbit of Caerbannog, but still just a harmless wee bunny!

[@here_we_go_again2571]

Tuesday delights! Thank you Lindsay.❤👍😊 Poor Mary Queen of Scots didn't stand a chance with those two ruling France and England. Mary wouldn't have been allowed to live in peace and obscurity in either France or England (Perhaps as queen-regnant of Scotland she did not want to live in obscurity?)

[@jefflisondra8555]

These queens are connected to Mary Queen of Scots. Catherine de Medici is Mary Queen of Scots Mother in law and Elizabeth I is Mary's cousin.

[@akaLaBrujaRoja]

All of the Western European royals are inbred.

[@jadechavis1738]

Yay 🎉 New Series ❤ And Can You Please Do Other Dynasties As Well Please And Thank You 💓

[@anniel6479]

19:00 What are the Kennedys doing here? 😅

[@GonzaloDarre-hk4rl]

Who else thinks the thumbnail is on point?

[@MCampbell-hd5md]

Excellent video… hope to see more of this soon. Thanks 🙏🏻 so much for sharing.

[@ethanwallace9163]

Please do a video on greek mythology and the lost city of Atlantis

[@jojoone1099]

It's fantastic that you cover history that relates to current tv shows.

[@areiaaphrodite]

Personally, if I were Catherine, I wasn't about to allow Henri and Diane to humiliate me one more time before he died, either. 🤷‍♀️ I'm just petty like that.

[@elkowasaki]

BABE, WAKE UP! A NEW RENAISSANCE VID JUST DROPPED!!

[@martijnvoesenek7762]

Could you do a series about the French kings?

[@hninnaing9443]

Could you make a video on Korean history? Or do a full history on the Ottomans?

[@seantodd8875]

Love your videos! Not sure about the Nostradamus business though. Any event that happened after his "predictions" could be spun to fit them.

[@veroniqueblais5858]

Wow, this was intense but so informative. I like parallels: it makes events so much clearer to me. Could you refer me to one of your épisode that would explain the beginng the feud between England and France please?

[@h0rriphic]

What an incredible closing line… _”…they (Queens Elizabeth & Catherine) both ended in much the same place, as dazzling exclamation points at the end of two great dynasties…”_

[@Victory-A.P.EarthSchool]

I have to say that your voice is very pleasant to listen to and your videos are so interesting! I will actually click off of videos if I do not enjoy the narrators voice or if it's AI. When the documentary quality matches the narration and voice, it's PERFECT😊 THANK YOU😁

[@taisasales8667]

Is there a possibility you talk about the brazilian royal family? Dom Pedro I and Dom Pedro II, please?

[@djfreem6881]

13:34 wait wait wait. Elizabeth’s astronomer was John Dee, Catherine’s was Nostradamus, and the church didn’t just outwardly say these two were witches and condemn them??? That’s amazing. Those are two of the most famous male occult figures in history, next to Crowley and Gardner. I am absolutely stunned by that

[@Mascaramaskofdeath]

Elizabeth’s was John Dee, this made me mad hearing this lol.

[@djfreem6881]

@@Mascaramaskofdeath why?

[@tylishaqueenoceanriver1676]

See at first when I saw this I thought you was gonna do a rivalry between Queen Elizabeth the first and Queen Mary the first

[@jennifervillanueva8453]

Can you please 🙏 make a video 📹 🙏 of Queen Claude of France 🇫🇷 please ❤️ 🙏

[@Sunrey2356]

I love this channel so much! 🫶🤍☺️

[@mwgreen9978]

Wonderfully done!

[@xina968]

I am so happy that I happened upon your channel! Good stuff❤

[@CaptainJackSparrowSavvy]

Well I’m earlier then I though I would be

[@Abdullaha1880-pk8]

who else like Lindsay

[@drruankhabedahanak]

I love her ..

[@diannewheatleygiliotti8513]

Thanks!

[@LindsayHoliday]

Thank you!

[@milametaliator3138]

Elizabeth reminds me of Rhaenyra and Catherine of Alicent of "House Of the Dragon"

[@TrahnaeShelley]

Both I pick both

[@nikasaleminik9442]

Please do a video about the history of Iran.

[@josepinheiro6064]

I love your voice and delivery!

[@Laramaria2]

I love this idea! Historical rivalry ❤

[@mzjamm2]

They probably did have an intense rivalry. I just don’t agree that Elizabeth and Catherine were on equal footing as rulers as your video states. Elizabeth had decided not to wed. We can’t say for sure, but Elizabeth had no desire to he ruled by a husband. Also the fact that if she had married her husband might want to he king. He might try to get rid of her. I do admire Catherine de Medici. She was a Queen consort. Catherine was basically told who she would marry. Her husband was the 2nd son of the King France. Her husband, the king, was killed in a jousting accident. Yes, Catherine was the regent to her son as well as the power behind the throne of her sons who became king, Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. Elizabeth had the ability to rule as the sovereign. Even though Catherine had power I feel it wasn’t the same as Elizabeth’s.

[@callmethecommentcountess9329]

I’m sorry I like the whole reign version much better than the Shelby

[@fburger9953]

This is a word for word remake of your Medici video from 4 years ago, spliced with Elizabeth content. Not complaining, but since I just watched the other one last week, i was having MAJOR deja vu 😂

[@Leezl41]

I really enjoy your channel. Thank you for sharing your work.

[@L1ghtSkies]

Love that even when women were in charge the France v England rivalry continued.

[@dumpsterfire6466]

I love your content! can you cover game of thrones pls? ik its fantasy but I think you'd be really good at telling it

[@ptboat67]

This was enjoyable. May I suggest looking up the American version of foreign pronunciations, like that of Chenonceau, so that your information gathering isn’t lost?

[@level3nat]

Obsessed with the show! I needed to know more.

[@rockyspears]

18:18 why was that cut out??

[@Lulu-ut9pv]

Image consummating your marriage with your father watching

[@originalcosmicgirl]

I really enjoy your channel and have learned a lot from it over the years. That is why I am so disappointed by your segue at 17:52. Did you really tie the rivalry between two queens to their menstrual cycle? I think you were probably trying to make a joke, but it is still a problematic thing to do. Men have used that very same excuse to keep us out of power for millennia. That's why I think it is reckless to use here, in a video about two of the most powerful women of their time.

[@LindsayHoliday]

You make a valid point, I have edited.

[@originalcosmicgirl]

@@LindsayHoliday I wasn't sure you would read my comment, much less make an edit. Thanks!

[@TrahnaeShelley]

Both

[@jameshodge4249]

I would be lying if I didn’t say Sid Myer’s Civ6 didn’t bring me here…

[@jessicatripp5129]

Fun fact. Elizabeth I was known as 'The Cat' at court. Katarina d'Medici is 'The Serpent.' Cat vs Viper = boss fight

[@ash.lou613]

easy answer in terms of things done.....elizabeth.....her signed slavery act remained until 1975. medici didnt leave much of a legacy other than her familys torture devices.

[@Galistarwater]

Now I'm more interested in a video about every French monarch like you did with the British monarch😊

[@MarcusBrownlee-iv9ty]

10:35 recognizes rival is figurehead and decides to spare them but must overturn her decision unwillingly as her rival is gathering point for resistance to her reign