Imagine the fate of a war-torn nation resting on your wedding day
Imagine the fate of a war-torn nation resting on your wedding day. Margaret of Valois, a Catholic princess, and Henry of Navarre, a Huguenot leader, married in a bid to end the French War of Religions, which had claimed 2-4 million lives. Their union was contentious, but initial harmony gave way to religious tensions. The wedding itself was a success, but the alliance failed to bring peace, instead sparking the St. Bartholomew's Day Massacre, which killed thousands of Protestants. Henry was spared after promising to convert, while Margaret protected Protestant nobles. Despite her mother's offer to annul the marriage, Margaret refused, citing consummation. The marriage remained contentious, childless, and eventually ended in annulment, allowing Henry to remarry and secure an heir. Margaret's courage and loyalty in the face of tragedy and betrayal would become her legacy.