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About the talk

The creator of Strawberry Hill House, Horace Walpole, often chose the historic portraits that adorned his walls because of the colourful stories they portrayed. Perhaps the most important painting in Horace Walpole’s collection was the group portrait of Catherine de Medici and four of her ten children. Walpole was intrigued by the de Medici family and their power and influence over European political and cultural life.

Catherine de Medici was a noblewoman from a significant Italian banking family. Within a month of her birth, both her parents had died, and so she was raised and educated by her uncles, the Medici Popes, Leo X and Clement VII. She was married at 14 to Henri, second-born son of King Francis I of France, and became Queen of France when her husband was crowned King in 1547. Her family continued to rule France for many years after his death.

For almost 20 years Catherine was the strength behind the French throne. In a context where women didn’t have direct access to the power, Catherine skilfully and consistently presented herself as a devoted wife, widow, and mother, a figure of continuity in an age of great instability. The portrait endeavours to capture that image of a woman for whom the forces of love and death were always present.

About the speaker

Mark Lambert is an experienced volunteer tour guide at Strawberry Hill House & Garden. He has a degree in history and has had a varied career in technical and financial services. Mark joined the volunteer team at Strawberry Hill in 2011 and worked on the Research Team for the Lost Treasures Exhibition of 2017/18, which saw many historic portraits temporarily return to Strawberry Hill, including that of Catherine de Medici. This sparked Mark’s interest in Catherine’s extraordinary life story, and the portrait continues to be a highlight of his tours today.