Born to the Medici family in Florence, Italy, Catherine was the daughter of Lorenzo, Duke of Urbino, and the French Countess Madeleine de la Tour d'Auvergne. Shortly after her birth, both of her parents died and Catherine was the sole heiress to the Medici familys holdings. At age 14 arrangements were made for Catherines marriage to Henry of Orleans, who would later become King Henry II. Being Italian and not of royal blood, Catherine was unpopular with the French people and, upon becoming queen of France, that unpopularity grew more severe. However she managed to uphold the power of the monarchy, serving as regent for her sons Charles IX and Henry III after her husbands death.
