25. Queen Margot’s Wedding Began With a Murder, and Ended With a Massacre
Margaret of Valois (1553 – 1615) was a French queen known both for her numerous love affairs and general licentiousness. She is also known as the first woman in history to pen her memoirs – a vivid depiction of the turbulent France of her lifetime. She was made even more famous, or perhaps infamous, by Alexander Dumas’ portrayal of her in his historical novel, Queen Margot. She was unlucky in marriage: her wedding began with a murder, and ended with a massacre.
Margaret was born to King Henry II of France and his formidable wife, Catherine de Medici. Growing up, Margaret was quite close to her brother Henry – the future king Henry III, the last of the Valois kings. So close that rumors spread about an incestuous love affair between the siblings. Closeness turned into lifelong hatred, however, when she was discovered having an affair with an aristocrat, Henry of Guise. It ended in 1570 with Margaret’s mother and her brother, King Charles IX, beating up Guise and banishing him from the court.