The Real War of Thrones

Child hostages, marriages, battles, and betrayals -- this is the story of Francis I, King of France and Charles V, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor, and the rivalry that engulfed Europe in war. But in the end, did either of them "win"?

Louis XI of France faced a formidable range of enemies when he ascended the throne. English kings and Burgundian dukes had eyes for the monarchy of France. This is the story of how Louis battled, schemed, bribed and even arranged marriages, all in a quest to keep his kingdom.

In 15th Century France confusion reigns with a king who goes mad, dauphines who die as teenagers, a queen who switches allegiances between rival dukes and multiple assassinations. And then, of course, there was the English king, Henry V, who also claimed the throne of France...

In the turbulent formative centuries of early Europe, power-hungry family dynasties fought for domination of the continent. The conflicting ambitions of the Plantagenet king of England, Edward III, and the Valois king of France, Philip VI, brought intrigue, war, kidnapping and mayhem to France.

In France, Henry III still has no heir. Catherine de Medici is determined to prevent him from being the last of the Valois line and leaving the throne to Henry of Navarre. Yet again, the wind of revolt blows over the kingdom of France and leads to the assassination of Henry, Duke of Guise.

Mary, Queen of Scots is forced to abdicate and flee to England, where Queen Elizabeth has her imprisoned. Refusing to acknowledge her cousin as her legitimate heir, Elizabeth accepts to wed one of Catherine de Medici’s sons. In Flanders, William I requests military assistance from France.

In the name of religious tolerance, Catherine de Medici weds her Catholic daughter, Margaret of Valois, to the young Protestant heir of the Bourbon dynasty, Henry of Navarre. Protestants and Catholics are both in attendance. This event leads to the most infamous bloodbath in France's history.

In France, perfidy and treason plunge the French Kingdom into chaos. Behind new king Charles IX, Catherine de Medici rules in the background as master of the throne. However, she is unable to prevent a civil war.

The rise of Protestantism is dividing Europe. This is the beginning of the Wars of Religion. While celebrating an alliance treaty, Henry II dies during a jousting tournament. Espionage, conspiracies, treason - his son, the sickly Francis II, sees his life and his reign threatened by the Protestants

In the middle of the Renaissance, the son of Francis I shake up the foundations of Europe. Henry II, the King of France, secures a claim to the Scottish crown by marrying young queen Mary Stuart to his son, the future Francis II, heir to the French throne.

France must now take up arms in this so-called "Thirty Years' War" which is devastating the whole of Europe. The conflict is also spreading on French soil... Richelieu and Louis XIII discover that Queen Anne of Austria, born Habsburg, gives information to her brothers, kings of Spain and the Spanish Netherlands. The king is about to repudiate her when an event upsets the kingdom and marks the History of France forever: the birth of the future Louis XIV!

It's time for conspiracies, and Richelieu is the target of all intrigue. At the very heart of the royal family, Marie de Médicis, Anne of Austria and Gaston d'Orléans do their utmost to get rid of the "red devil". The famous "day of the dupes" will be decisive!

Louis XIII's wife, Queen Anne of Austria, could hardly resist the charm of the favourite of the sovereign of England, the Duke of Buckingham. She tries to keep this suitor away by offering him ferrets, but the King of France lets his jealousy and rage explode. He then forbids Buckingham to return to court. The latter, supported by the monarch of England, then decided to take revenge on Louis XIII by trying to conquer La Rochelle, the main Huguenot stronghold of France. For the love of Anne of Austria, war was declared.

Bruno Solo looks back on the reigns of the kings who marked the History of France: Henri IV and Louis XIII. Outside the country, many enemies prowl around, while multiple intrigues are established within the court. On 14 May 1610, Henri IV was assassinated by the religious extremist François Ravaillac, while the future Louis XIII, sole heir to the throne, was only 8 years old. Too young to reign, it was Marie de Medici who was appointed regent and kept Louis away from business. A bitter struggle then ensues between Marie de Medici and the young monarch...

In 1594, Henri IV is finally the legitimate king of France. He had great ambitions for his kingdom, which had been ravaged by the Wars of Religion. The king devoted himself to the restoration of France, but also to his loves. He wants to marry his favourite, Gabrielle d'Estrée, and make their son the heir to the throne. To achieve this, he must repudiate Queen Marguerite de Valois, who had married 22 years earlier. But the sudden death of Gabrielle d'Estrée, in 1599, disrupted his life and his reign.

Henri IV is the new King of France. But he is Protestant and few people accept to see him wearing the crown. In April 1590, the king and his troops - 21,000 men - arrived at the gates of Paris. The powerful Catholic League, with twice as many men, prevented him from entering the capital to join his throne. Unable to take the city by force, the king decided to starve it. For several weeks, the people of Paris starve and the plague spreads. However, the League still refused to submit. It will take five years of battles to Henry IV and a conversion to Catholicism before being crowned in the cathedral of Chartres.