Royal survivor

Samantha Morton and Liv Hill star in a period drama about the life of Catherine de’ Medici

-  CAREN CLARK, JUDY EWENS, STEVEN PERKINS.

Queen

NEW Available: Sunday 11 September Genre: Drama Season: 1 Episodes: 8 (released weekly)

The story of Catherine de’ Medici is one of the greatest royal survival sagas in history. Born in 1519, orphaned within a month, and growing up in constant danger of assassination after the overthrow of the Medici family, she went on to marry the future King Henry II of France – but her dowry went unpaid and her husband ignored her in favour of his mistress.

Despite all this, the clever, shrewd Catherine clung to power, outliving her husband and serving as a key adviser and regent to her young sons as they took the throne.