In Style With Catherine de Medici
On this day in 1589, Hell got a den mother. Yes, Catherine de Medici died.
From my video archives, here is a visit with the 16th century’s inspiration for Martha Stewart:
Catherine: Why hello. Today I am planning the wedding of my daughter Margaret to Henry of Navarre. And nothing and no one will be spared. I may cut throats but never corners. Helping with the invitation list is my friend–and great gossip–Nostradamus.
Nostradamus: The Pope can’t come, so there is no point in sending him an invitation.
Catherine: With Nostradamus you don’t have to bother with RSVPs. Now designing the wedding dress is my son Henri.
Henri: It is so beautiful I wish I were wearing it. Perhaps when I am king….Knowing Margaret, though, no one will believe that she should be in white.
Nostradamus: When the groom says “I do”, most of the guys at court will think “So have I.”
Catherine: Changing the subject, we are having the wedding at Notre Dame Cathedral. Having a thousand people stand during a four hour ceremony might be a certain problem, but my friend–and paisano–Ben Cellini is here with the solution.
Cellini: Here is it: a solid gold chamber pot. Of course you will need at least five hundred for both necessity and mementos. It won’t be cheap.
Catherine: We can economize on the catering. You see, we are planning to massacre the Protestant guests. Believe me, it will be difficult enough getting Margaret to write any thank-you notes for the gifts; so this will eliminate half of that chore. And a massacre is certainly a more original entertainment than the usual band; even the Protestants might find it preferable to doing “The Hokey-Pokey.”
Margaret ties the knot, and her mother ties a Huguenot to the nearest tree.