(dynamic music)
How can I help our poor distant ally?
Previously on The Real War of Thrones ...
(gun firing)
Unrest in Europe.
In England, Queen Elizabeth I was under threat
from her Scottish cousin.
But if one day Mary Stuart should sit on the throne
of England, then her child must be one of ours.
(baby crying)
My love!
In Scotland, Mary Stuart
was about to lose her throne for love.
Few doubted that Mary, Queen of Scots
was an accomplice in her husband's assassination.
Majesty, Majesty, your husband has been murdered!
How dare you gather here!
In France, the Massacre of Wassy
had rekindled the Wars of Religion.
(shouting)
My friends, the Catholics continue to humiliate us.
Despite the death of their leaders,
both Catholics and Protestants refused to quit.
I'll put those Huguenots to death!
My lord!
In Flanders, the revolt
against the King of Spain escalated.
They are nothing but beggars.
This was the bloodiest period
of the Renaissance.
A traitor!
(dynamic music)
This time, the Queen of England
feared for her life.
(yelling)
The former Queen of Scots, imprisoned
by her Protestant cousin, planned to escape.
While the King of France was helpless to avert a massacre
that would mark the history of the Wars of Religion.
(shouting)
Murderous madness had gripped Europe.
(dramatic music)
(emotional music)
Early in the summer of 1567, Catholic Mary, Queen of Scots
was being held prisoner by Scottish Protestants.
A few days after her arrest, her half-brother James Stuart
had visited her at Loch Leven Castle.
James!
Help me!
But James Stuart
had not come to set his sister free.
He needed to keep her locked up,
because he wanted the crown for himself.
(tense music)
James was convinced that Mary's new husband, Lord Bothwell,
had ordered the murder of the king consort of Scotland.
And that Mary was his accomplice.
As proof, James showed Mary what historians refer to
as the casket letters, the many passionate poems
she had written to Lord Bothwell before they were married.
Enough!
Overwhelming proof.
(dramatic music)
Mary, Queen of Scots saw that she had little choice.
To save her life, she agreed to abdicate
in favor of her only son, James VI of Scotland.
He was just one year old.
Until her son was old enough to reign,
her half-brother James Stuart was named regent.
(crying)
(emotional music)
Crowned Queen of Scotland at nine months old,
then Queen of France at 16,
Mary Stuart had lost everything for love.
On the other side of the border, in England,
Elizabeth I did not rejoice at Mary Stuart's imprisonment.
She may have always feared her cousin,
but she was equally terrified that her people
may one day follow the example of the Scots
and seek to overthrow her.
From the sea, from the sides,
from the cliffs, and we'll be sure to win.
We have enemies everywhere.
We must act.
In England, the Catholic nobles
were also in full revolt against their sovereign.
They would no longer tolerate the reformist religion
imposed by Elizabeth for the last 10 years.
Elizabeth had once refused to persecute anyone
for their faith, but now the Queen was in danger.
(emotional music)
For her own security, she set up
the largest network of spies in Europe.
Elizabeth discovered that the leader of the revolt
was the Duke of Norfolk,
once one of her most senior advisors.
Norfolk wanted to restore Catholicism to England.
Throw him in the tower.
(dramatic music)
Tolerance be damned.
The royal repression was fierce.
(dour music)
450 rebels were executed.
(yelling)
And 28 priests were hanged for practicing mass.
We may have quashed the revolt,
but we can't afford to start a war.
Philip of Spain will use it to gain his revenge.
(dramatic music)
Elizabeth now knew that she had
as many enemies inside the kingdom as outside,
beginning with Spain and King Philip II,
the most ardent defender of Catholicism in Europe
after the Pope.
So to defend herself against the King of Spain,
Elizabeth supported William of Orange.
For the glory of God!
(shouting)
In Flanders,
he assumed the command of the Protestant revolt
against the Spanish King's Catholic army.
A keen strategist, William allied himself
with the German prince Wolfgang of Bavaria.
Together, they lent a hand to Admiral Gaspard de Coligny.
(shouting)
Once a fierce defender of the French Catholics,
Coligny, removed from power by the Guise brothers,
had since embraced Calvinist ideologies.
He was now the leader of the French Protestants
known as the Huguenots.
On June 12th, 1569, having ransacked Beaune
and crossed the Barry, the Dutch and German soldiers
joined Coligny at Saint-Yrieix in Aquitaine.
The Protestant army was now 25,000 strong.
(dramatic music)
For the kingdom of France!
And the kingdom of Navarre!
(shouting)
Henry of Anjou, brother of King Charles IX,
victor of the Battle of Jarnac some weeks earlier,
knew that the Protestants had never been as strong.
But with all the hot-headedness of his 18 years,
he carried on the fight, certain of winning.
(dramatic music)
the French War of Religion was underway.
(shouting)
(dramatic music)
For six months, the Royal Catholic Army
clashed violently with German, Dutch,
and French Protestants, inflicting a great number of deaths.
The battles were evenly pitched.
By autumn the troops were at Moncontour
in the north of Poitou.
The Catholics, who outnumbered Protestants
two to one, took the advantage.
The Battle of Moncontour was the harshest
of the Huguenot defeats.
(dynamic music)
Nothing could stop the Catholics,
who took Chatellerault, Nion, Lusignan,
and then laid siege to Saint Jean-d'Angely,
which eventually surrendered.
But with winter coming, the royal army
of the Duke of Anjou was in bad shape,
weakened by battle, disease, and desertions.
Coligny, meanwhile, headed for the south of the kingdom,
where he was joined by many Protestants.
His army in Montpellier grew to 20,000 strong.
From then on, victory followed victory.
Nobody managed to stop Coligny and his men.
They were now marching on Paris.
In July 1570, the kingdom of France
was literally cut in two.
This situation threatened the future of the monarchy.
And so, on August 8th, 1570, Charles IX
and Admiral de Coligny signed a new peace treaty.
This time the Protestants officially obtained
four places of safety: La Rochelle, Montlebon,
Cognac, and La Charite Sur Loire.
(dynamic music)
Catherine de Medici, who was now 51,
was forced to face facts.
Her favorite son, Henry of Anjou, could do nothing
against the military might of the Protestants.
So she decided to hold out the hand
of friendship to Queen Elizabeth.
(determined music)
Ask our ambassador in London
to present this letter to Queen Elizabeth.
On the other side of the channel,
Queen Elizabeth was vulnerable.
In early 1570, she was excommunicated
by the formidable Pope Pious V.
The pontiff also informed the English that anyone
who continued to obey the Queen would go straight to hell.
From now on, any Englishman, whatever his faith,
either Catholic,
or Protestant,
was anathema if he supported the Queen.
Pious V called Elizabeth a heretic and a usurper.
(dramatic music)
The Pope considered Elizabeth illegitimate,
as the marriage between her mother Anne Boleyn
and King Henry VIII was never
officially sanctioned by the church.
Therefore, Elizabeth did not belong on the English throne.
(somber music)
When a French ambassador arrived in England
and proposed a marriage between Elizabeth
and the Catholic Prince Henry of Anjou,
Elizabeth saw an opportunity to get back
into the Pope's good books.
Share my bed and my crown with a prince of France?
Why not, after all?
This time, she promised
she would consider the marriage.
(spirited music)
At the French Court, Henry of Anjou
reacted strongly against the planned nuptials.
(laughing)
Gentlemen, look what my mother envisages for my happiness.
An old, balding heretic 18 years my senior.
And apparently this woman is expected to give me an heir.
Henry always preferred the company
of his favorite boys, nicknamed his mignons,
to conjugal life.
The brother of the King of France made it known
via a very courteous letter to the Queen of England
that he was ending all marriage negotiations,
essentially for religious reasons.
Catherine de Medici's plan had failed.
But Henry of Anjou wasn't Catherine's only problem.
(ominous music)
At 21, King Charles IX was a man in fragile health.
(coughing)
A consummate horseman and hunter,
Charles dreamt of distinguishing himself
on the field of battle, but Catherine refused
to allow him to make a single decision,
either political or personal.
(crying)
Frustrated by his lack of freedom
and jealous of his brother's recent military victories,
Charles felt very alone.
But then he received support from an unexpected place:
the leader of the Protestants in France,
Admiral Gaspard de Coligny.
Since signing the Saint-Germain Peace Treaty in the summer,
Charles and Coligny had become inseparable.
It's believed the King spoke to Coligny
about his unhappiness.
Nobody stands with me anymore.
They are all turned to my brother!
But you are here.
You.
My father.
At 51, Coligny believed
that the young king needed a father figure,
someone who could teach him values
and impart the advice he needed
to overcome his mother's authority.
The decision is yours.
Coligny also used their friendship
to influence the King.
He wanted to unite Catholics and Protestants
against the Spanish.
But Catherine de Medici was certain
that declaring war on Spain would be a disaster.
Especially as she had another plan to overcome her enemies.
(light music)
Marry me, Margo.
I am the sister of the King, dear friend,
and betrothed to a prince.
Surely a lowly Duke of Guise doesn't think he is a match.
(giggling)
(laughing)
That annoys you, huh?
Lowly Duke of Guise.
(tense music)
You're nothing but a wretched harlot!
(slap)
How can a princess of France prefer debauchery
over the glory of her kingdom?
And you, Guise, you're barely worth more than your father.
Get out!
Catherine de Medici had decided
to marry her Catholic daughter, Margaret de Valois,
known as Margo, to Henry of Bourbon,
heir to the throne of Navarre, a Protestant.
At 18, Henry of Navarre was a spirited
young man from Bearn.
He had a great fondness for hunting and beautiful women.
He grew up at the Court of France
with his father, Antoine of Bourbon.
Henry was a direct descendant of the Capetian kings.
Heir to the Bourbon family on his father's side,
he was also heir to the crown of Navarre
on his mother's, Jeanne d'Albret.
Though Protestant, Henry of Navarre
was the most eligible bachelor in France,
perfect for the sister of King Charles.
Never will I Mary that heretic!
Do you hear me?
Never!
(dramatic music)
The problem was Margo was in love
with the handsome Henry of Guise, leader of the Catholics.
The 21-year-old soldier was determined
to avenge the death of his father, Francis, Duke of Guise,
Catherine de Medici's former enemy.
(dour music)
In the eyes of the Queen Mother,
Margo's marriage to Henry of Navarre
was a unique opportunity to ally France's two
great royal houses, De Valois and Bourbon's.
It would also ease tensions
between Catholics and Protestants.
Catholics referred to the marriage as an abhorrent coupling.
The Pope himself expressed his disapproval to the Queen.
The impossible can only
be made possible by God, Madam.
But the impossible was made possible.
800 Protestants, including all of Henry of Navarre's
friends, arrived in Paris to witness the wedding.
On August 18th, 1572, at around four o'clock
in the afternoon, everyone gathered
on the square in front of Notre-Dame Cathedral.
(anxious music)
Margo was wearing a beautiful bridal gown.
Henry of Navarre was worried.
Everything was running smoothly,
when suddenly an incident threatened to disrupt everything.
When the time came to give her consent,
Margo refused to speak.
(tense music)
Legend has it that after a long silence, King Charles
pushed his sister's neck, forcing her to give her consent.
(gasps)
(speaking Latin)
(dramatic music)
(gunshot) (shouting)
Four days after the wedding, at 11:00 in the morning,
the leader of the Protestants, Admiral of Coligny
was victim of an assassination attempt a the Louvre.
The failed assassination rocked the whole of France.
An investigation determined that the people
behind the attack were none other
than Catherine de Medici and her younger son Henry of Anjou.
Why?
Hm?
Why did you do this?
It's believed that when King Charles
learned of his mother and brother's involvement
in the attempted murder, he was furious.
It was in the interest of the kingdom.
But you're my mother.
Yes, and I'm defending your interests.
Catherine de Medici is believed
to have told her son that Coligny
was plotting against him and that he was in danger.
And you, my brother.
(dramatic music)
I am unshakeable.
He must be eliminated.
No, no, no.
No, no, no, no.
No, not Colignye, no.
It's out of the question.
The Queen Mother, less than impressed
with her son's weakness, threatened him.
Join us, I beg you.
It will happen with or without you.
And you will be king in name alone.
(crying)
You want this?
All right!
Then kill them!
But kill them all, so that not a single one
is left to reproach me.
Not a single one.
But in reality, this scene between
the King and his mother never actually took place.
Historians say the attempt of Coligny
was ordered by the Duke of Guise to avenge his father,
Francis, Duke of Guise, killed 10 years earlier
by the Huguenots, an attack that revived hatred
between Catholics and Protestants, and united Paris.
(bells ringing)
At 3:00 a.m. on the night of April 24th, 1572,
in the heart of the capital,
the bells of Saint-Germain l'Auxerrois church
gave the signal for one of the bloodiest nights
in France's history.
To identify themselves, Catholics placed a torch
in their window and wore a white scarf on their left arm.
(shouting)
Paris was in the grip of murderous madness.
(shouting)
One man took advantage of the chaos
to gain entry into Admiral of Coligny's room.
He'd been sent by the Duke of Guise
to finish the attempted assassination from two days earlier.
(shouting)
(soft music)
Coligny's body was then tossed out the window.
Around 3,000 of Coligny's fellow Protestants
were massacred in Paris that night
and over the two following days.
(dramatic music)
But the Saint Bartholomew's Massacre wasn't just in Paris.
The madness cast a pall over the entire kingdom.
The very next day, massacres took place
in La Charite sur Loire and Meaux.
On August 26th and 27th it exploded on Orleans,
then in Lyon on the 31st, then Thouars,
Bourges, Guyin, Bordeaux, Toulouse.
The Catholics' bloodthirsty fury
resulted in 10,000 deaths throughout France.
But the most famous Protestant was still alive.
(soft music)
As the sun rose on Paris, bathed in blood,
Charles IX summoned his Protestant cousin
and now brother-in-law.
Ah, Navarre.
(tense music)
What is it, then?
Mass?
Death?
Or the Bastille?
Navarre had no choice.
To save his life, he needed to renounce Protestantism
and convert to Catholicism.
Sir, you are my King.
Excellent.
(tense music)
I believe in the holy
and apostolic Catholic church.
I believe in the holy
and apostolic Catholic church.
One month after Saint Bartholomew's Day,
France's leading Protestant, Henry of Navarre,
rejected his faith.
I confess a baptism unto forgiveness of sins.
And await the future resurrection of the dead.
Throughout France, many Huguenots
began to convert rather than die as martyrs.
I most firmly admit and embrace the apostolic.
And Ecclesiastical traditions.
The shockwave produced in Europe
by the Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre was phenomenal.
In Rome, on September 8th, the Pope
had a commemorative medal cast, then ordered a fresco
to celebrate the power of the Catholic faith over heresy.
In Spain, Philip II declared Saint Bartholomew's Day
to be the best day of his life.
In England, Queen Elizabeth entered a period of mourning,
but she took no action.
She had enemies closer to home to deal with.
(dynamic music)
Her chief concern was still her Catholic cousin,
Mary, Queen of Scots.
After a year in captivity in Scotland,
Mary Stuart escaped Loch Leven Castle.
She raised an army of 6,000 men
to help her reclaim her crown.
But in Glasgow, Mary's forces lost the Battle of Langside
against the fierce Protestant army
led by her brother James Stuart.
Forced to flee, she sailed for England,
hoping her cousin Elizabeth would give her refuge.
But Mary had walked into the lion's den.
The English monarch immediately imprisoned her
in Carlisle Castle.
This imprisonment outraged the whole of Catholic Europe,
especially the King of Spain,
who swore to set Mary free.
(gentle music)
He regularly sent her messengers offering support
and promising her release.
(dynamic music)
Philip of Spain was determined to put Mary
on the throne of England in place
of the Protestant Queen Elizabeth.
(barking)
But one after the other, plots were foiled
and messengers arrested.
In retaliation, Elizabeth tightened her grip on Mary.
The conditions in her cell became increasingly harsh.
Elizabeth also stepped up her aid to the French Protestants.
They had organized a rebellion in La Rochelle,
their stronghold.
(dramatic music)
A new war seemed imminent.
To prevent it, the King of France, Charles IX,
sent his brother Henry of Anjou to lay siege to the city.
By April, the young prince commanded
a vast army of 28,000 men and 40 cannon.
You and your army will block the north road.
That way we'll be able to cut off
the supplies to those Huguenot dogs.
Navarre, now a Catholic,
had been forced to follow the King's brother
to fight the Huguenots who once supported him.
We'll attack them here.
(cannon firing)
Henry of Anjou ordered the bombardment
of the northwestern corner of La Rochelle.
But after four attacks, the city's fortifications held,
and the Catholics suffered heavy losses.
King Charles sent a letter from Paris
in support of his brother.
He begged him to press on to victory.
(booming)
(dramatic music)
But by June 12th, after an eighth assault, the royal guard,
sick and exhausted, decided to flee rather than fight.
Henry of Anjou wrote to the King,
"I am almost ashamed to be French."
(ominous music)
Two days later, Henry of Anjou was wounded
in his leg, his left hand, and his neck.
(moaning)
Inside the ramparts of La Rochelle,
the Protestants were also exhausted
from the six-month siege.
On June 24th, the Catholic King of France
signed a peace treaty with the Protestants.
Two weeks later, he struck his camp.
The Edict of Boulogne, which put an end to the fourth phase
of the French Wars of Religion, satisfied nobody.
The reformists only obtained freedom of worship
in three cities: La Rochelle, Nimes, and Montauban.
They lost Cognac and La Charite Sur Loire,
obtained in the previous treaty.
This was unacceptable to the Protestants and the Catholics.
So it was back to the drawing board.
The throne of France was looking distinctly shaky.
(horn squealing)
Since Saint Bartholomew's Day, Charles IX
had been gradually slipping into madness.
(cackling)
Days of hunting were followed by bouts of fever
and depression and punctuated by fits of euphoria.
(cackling)
At just 23, the King of France looked twice his age.
In the spring of 1574, stricken by fever,
his breath was becoming shorter and shorter.
Charles's weakness and the absence of his brother,
who was now the King of Poland,
left the door wide open for another revolt.
(emotional music)
Catherine de Medici knew that France
was once more on the brink of chaos.
(moving music)
In the last days of May, Charles' health worsened.
The body of Christ.
(dour music)
Like all kings,
Charles knew he must die in public.
So after hearing mass on Whitsunday,
he called for his young brother Francis Duke of Alencon
and his cousin Henry of Navarre.
My brothers.
Please hear my will and uphold it.
Take greater care of the kingdom than of yourselves.
Charles asked Francis and Navarre
to agree to his brother, Henry King of Poland,
succeeding him to the throne.
Then, his mother came to his bedside.
(soft music)
My child.
Your condition no longer allows you
to ensure the affairs of the kingdom.
For its safeguard,
and like in the first hours of your reign,
I beg you to place your trust in me.
Entrust me with the regency.
I promise you to continue your work.
Once again, Catherine de Medici
put her role as Queen ahead of that of mother.
You will do exactly as my mother commands.
You will obey her as you did me.
(dramatic music)
Now ...
Madam ...
I feel it is time to take my leave and bid you farewell.
Adieu, my Queen.
Adieu ...
my mother.
Charles IX, who was only 24 years old,
died a few hours later from tuberculosis.
The young man who dreamed of honor and glory
would forever be seen as a depraved madman
who ordered the Saint Bartholomew's Day massacre.
On his death, it fell to his brother Henry of Anjou
to ascend to the throne of France.
Catherine de Medici placed all her hopes in Henry
to finally end the French Wars of Religion.
Did she know that the Protestants of Europe
were now supporting Henry of Navarre,
the most powerful man in France?
(dramatic music)