The Real War of Thrones

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 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...

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 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.

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 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.

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.

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.

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...