Margaret of Valois, also known as Queen Margot, was a French princess born on May 14, 1553, at the Château de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. The daughter of King Henry II and Catherine de Medici, she became embroiled in the religious and political turmoil that plagued France during the 16th century. Her 1572 marriage to Henry of Navarre, a Protestant king, was intended to unify the country’s warring factions. However, five days later, the St. Bartholomew’s Day Massacre erupted, a night of violence against the Huguenots (French Protestants) that cast a long shadow over her life. Separated from her husband for many years, Margaret eventually became Queen of France for a brief period when Henry ascended the French throne. She spent her later years writing her memoirs, a vivid account of her life and times. Margaret of Valois died on March 27, 1615, in Paris.
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