As England mourns Queen Elizabeth II, Starz is giving us The Serpent Queen tonight.
The Serpent Queen is the story of the French Queen Catherine de’ Medici (Samantha Morton and Liv Hill). Medici was born in Italy to wealthy parents who left her an orphan at a very young age. She did not have an easy upbringing, but that didn’t stop the King of Italy from marrying her off to Prince Henry of France.
The Prince was already in love with her distant cousin, and he was not interested in having sex with her. Therefore, she was not able to give him an heir. The longer it takes her to get pregnant, the better the chances she will be discarded.
However, the King of France fancied her brain, so he kept her around. Now, she will do anything and hurt anyone to become the Queen and give her husband, his future King.
How far will she go? Further than the other evil Queens whose stories we have learned.
While Catherine de’ Medici’s reign was ugly, Starz’s telling of it is beautiful. So sit back and watch a real-life Royal story that does not have a happy ending. And I prefer this to the fairy tales we grew up with.
My only negative is that they got English actors to play the roles of French and Italians.
