Honors College Theses

Publication Date

2024

Major

History (B.A.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Faculty Mentor

Kathleen Comerford

Abstract

Throughout history Catherine de’ Médicis has been seen as Machiavellian and deceitful. However, what has been largely ignored is that her style of governance has been based on that of male sovereigns before her. Her goal was to keep the Valois line intact in a time of upheaval. The actions in which the queen mother participated in were an attempt to quell dissent within France and to reinforce the social order of the Ancien Régime. This paper will argue that while Catherine de’ Médicis governmental strategies were not dissimilar to previous years, her authority was undermined by her gender, alien origins, and the factionalism within the French realm. The queen-mother has been maligned as a woman who operated outside of her proscribed feminine sphere; however, this paper will argue that Catherine was able to operate within this sphere utilizing the identities of a widow and a mother.

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