Original subtitles

The world we live in was shaped by war.

For hundreds of years, power -hungry families fought for the right to rule,

Europe transformed.

For the glory of England!

I, Philip de Valois, am the only king of France.

These rivalries shifted borders.

Curse be the French king!

Destroyed cities and brought populations to their knees.

A war of thrones. Don't touch me!

A tale of murder, sex, and betrayal.

Greatness, madam, that is what France needs.

Those not crowned in glory were brutally slaughtered or condemned to rot in the

shadows.

When in the heretic, one must perish in the flames.

Guards! Guards!

In the merciless game of war and ambition, anything goes.

At the beginning of the Renaissance, the throne of France was once again under

threat.

The ambitious emperor wanted to dominate Europe.

The king of France was prepared to do anything to save his realm.

The rivalry would lead to 27 years of war.

But another sovereign would play the peacemaker.

After the Hundred Years' War, France still had to fight for peace.

On January 23, 1516, the King of Spain, Ferdinand of Aragon, died.

He was 64 years old.

He bequeathed to his grandson, Charles of Habsburg, an unparalleled

The kingdoms of Spain, Naples, Sicily, and Sardinia, as well as colonies in the

New World, discovered by Christopher Columbus 24 years earlier.

These lands were in addition to an earlier legacy, that of his great

-grandfather Charles the Bold, who left him the Netherlands and what is now

Belgium.

At just 17 years old, Charles of Habsburg's empire extended from the

to Spain and from the Mediterranean all the way to the Americas.

It was vast, but it wasn't enough for Charles.

A devout Catholic, his ambition was to build a vast Christian empire to rule

whole of Europe.

He was intelligent and ruthless.

Corruption, blackmail, and war.

Charles would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

This made the other European leaders very nervous.

None more so than the King of France, Francis I.

Francis was born September 12, 1494.

He had never been destined to rule.

Born into a distant branch of the Valois dynasty, Charles was no more than a

distant cousin of King Louis XII.

Louis had failed to father a son, so he passed his crown to Francis.

When he was 14, Francis joined the royal family at Blois Castle, where he was

received as the crown prince.

At the age of 19, he married Louis XII's only daughter, Claude of France.

When Louis XII died on New Year's Day 1515, his now son -in -law, Francis of

Angoulême, became king.

He was 20 years old.

After his

coronation in Reims, His entry into Paris on February 25, 1515 set the tone

his entire reign.

Francis would be a flamboyant monarch.

The new king of France was warmly welcomed by the aristocracy.

And his victory at Mérignon, where he recaptured Milan from the Duke of

made him the new Caesar.

You look magnificent, Mother.

You too, my son.

This auspicious reign... My dear Margaret.

...was supported by his mother and his sister Margaret.

You are truly beautiful.

I thank you. In 1519, an opportunity arose which would reinforce his power.

The death of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I.

With Maximilian dead, the position of Holy Roman Emperor became vacant.

The imperial crown wasn't hereditary. The emperor had to be elected.

Francis was the first candidate to put himself forward for the job.

But he didn't have a single drop of German blood.

Charles of Habsburg, the new king of Spain, on the other hand, was also

Maximilian's grandson.

He had no intention of letting his family lose the crown.

he decided that he too would stand for election.

On March 1st, 1519, in Frankfurt, the empire's archchancellor gathered

the electoral council of the Golden Bull.

This council of three archbishops and four princes were the only ones allowed

elect the new emperor.

To win the title, The candidates needed to score the most votes, but to do that

would cost serious cash.

Charles and Francis were both rich, but neither was rich enough to pay the

bribes needed to win.

They would need to borrow the money.

That is where Jakob Fugger came in.

Fugger was the greatest banker and financier of his time.

the richest man in Europe.

Who receives this?

The same ones?

He was the man who first came up with the idea of adding interest to loans.

Fouguer was also Maximilian's chief financial backer, and therefore he

help the late emperor's grandson claim the crown.

Sire, I believe we can do great things together in Europe.

In order to help Charles win, Fugger proposed a deal.

A loan in return for a sizable share of the Habsburg silver mines.

This is outrageous.

Charles didn't want to give away his family's profits.

He decided he would fight the election without Fugger's financial support.

I offer you my help.

Fugger was annoyed by Charles' arrogance, so he offered his financial

to his rival.

Your Majesty.

Ah, my friend.

I hope you bring me good news.

That is why I am here.

Soon the crown of the empire will be mine.

Fouguer offered the French king 369 ,000 florins, about 47 million euros today,

at 10 % commission.

With such a huge sum behind him, Francis was sure to win the election.

Oh, Fugger, my friend, where did you disappear to? When Charles found out, he

summoned Fugger to court.

Desperately, he agreed to hand over the profits of his silver mines in return

for 543 ,000 florins, almost 71 million euros.

Here it is.

In total, Fugger handed over 846 ,000 gold florins in bribe to the Electoral

Council.

Unsurprisingly, Charles of Habsburg was unanimously elected Holy Roman Emperor.

The coronation of Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, was scheduled to take place a

year later.

Francis would use this year to do whatever he could to stop his rival's

coronation.

I will break the emperor.

He wasn't the only one intent on stopping Charles.

King Henry VIII of England usually went to war to defeat his enemies, but his

foreign minister, Cardinal Wolsey, advised him that on this occasion, an

alliance would be more beneficial.

The devil would take such an alliance.

War must be declared on this emperor.

Only this will stop his hunger for power.

Believe me, Wolsey.

But Wolsey wanted peace and refused to give up.

He eventually persuaded Henry to sign a treaty with France against Charles.

Two years previously, Wolsey had brokered an agreement between the two

which promised the marriage of the eight -month -old Dauphin of France and the

King of England's two -year -old daughter, Mary.

most beautiful declaration of peace with France.

Yes, my baby.

That's right.

You're not afraid.

You're not afraid.

On May 31st, 1520, south of Calais, a diplomatic summit between England and

France was held.

It would become known as the Field of the Cloth of Gold.

The king of France got ready.

Like Henry VIII, he had sworn not to shave his beard until the accord was

signed.

On June 7, 1520, the two kings finally met.

My dear Francis.

At last we meet. Yes.

For three weeks, Henry and Francis were inseparable.

Except at mealtimes. So great was the fear of being poisoned.

Three centuries of war were not easily forgotten.

Behind the scenes, their counselors were busy negotiating a treaty of alliance.

500 years later, a plaque commemorates the location of this summit.

The field of the cloth of gold remains one of the most significant meetings of

the Renaissance.

The remarkable event was painted by the artist Frederick Bouteverk.

For the occasion, Henry had built a vast temporary castle in the village of

Guinness.

It had brick foundations, wooden walls, a painted canvas roof, and huge glass

windows. The whole thing was decorated with great artworks.

The English king is even said to have demanded two fountains, in keeping with

Franco -English tradition, one for wine and one for beer.

The French encampment on the other side of the hill at Ardra was every bit as

opulent.

Francis had erected huge tents, covered with sheets woven with gold thread, as

big as the halls of Blois Castle.

It was an auspicious setting for the signing of a new treaty, which would

Charles V being crowned.

Legend has it that Francis and Henry even had a wrestling match.

After a long, fierce battle,

Francis is believed to have lifted Henry before pinning him to the ground.

This was utterly humiliating for the English monarch.

The winner is Francis!

Hooray!

Blushed with victory, Francis had no idea how this humiliation would affect

alliance.

Whether the wrestling bout ever took place or not, the cloth of gold summit

a waste of time.

Francis had not sooner returned to Blois than he heard that Charles V had been

crowned emperor.

Worse still, Henry VIII and the emperor had formed an alliance with Pope Clement

VII against him.

In 1521, Charles attacked French -held Milan and won.

Francis was furious.

One year later, Francis sent his troops to reconquer the town.

But it was a disaster.

Francis refused to accept defeat.

He decided to join his men in battle.

On July 23rd, the king went to the abbey of Saint -Denis to perform the ritual

which preceded all military campaigns.

He placed the relics of Saint -Denis on the altar and prayed for victory.

Less than a month later, on August 17th, having named his mother Louise of Savoy

as regent, he set off to fight.

In late 1523, heading for Milan, he crossed the Alps and annihilated a

imperial army.

But in the fight, he lost his most trusted captain, Pierre Terhaille, who

the hero of the Battle of Marignan and said to be fearless and beyond reproach.

Even without Bayard, in late October 1524, the French king and his army

to retake Milan.

Emboldened by his victory, Francis turned his attention to the occupied

Pavia.

On the night of February 23rd, 1525, 23 ,000 imperial soldiers pulled

white tunics over their armor as a rallying sign.

In just a few hours, over 30 ,000 French soldiers overwhelmed Charles

V's army.

By eight o 'clock in the morning, Francis was convinced that the battle

But he had not noticed that a Spanish rear guard was firing on his troops.

In less than four hours, the French army was all but annihilated.

Pavia was a catastrophic massacre.

Nine thousand lives were lost.

But Francis refused to surrender. He fought on valiantly.

It's the king!

Despite his bravery, Francis fell, defeated.

He had sustained injuries to his face and hand.

For the third time in France's history, after Saint -Louis and John the Good,

the king was taken prisoner.

Charles V learned of his victory while he was in Toledo.

He allowed his prisoner to write to his mother.

All that has been left to me is

my honor and my life.

Francis prayed that someone would pay a ransom to secure his freedom.

But the emperor didn't want money. He wanted Burgundy, the territory had once

belonged to his great -grandfather, Charles the Bull.

He also wanted the Valois dynasty to renounce all claims to Italy once and

all. Francis refused.

He wrote these words to the emperor.

I am resolved to tolerate incarceration for as long as God wills it, rather than

accept terms which are harmful to my realm.

Curse me, the French king!

Charles was livid.

Nothing was more important to him than recovering the lands which had belonged

to his ancestor.

Francis asked to meet the emperor face to face, but Charles V refused his

prisoner's request.

With King Francis behind bars, the kingdom was now more vulnerable than

enemies, both near and far, began to circle.

The regent, Louisa Savoy, tried desperately to hold on to the reins of

while also desperately trying to secure her son's release.

It was an almost impossible task.

In Spain, the French king fell seriously ill.

He had migraines, fevers, and intense pains throughout his body.

At the end of the summer, after six months behind bars, he was thought to be

close to death.

His mother and sister were deeply concerned.

But as regent, Louise of Savoie couldn't leave the kingdom.

So she turned to Margaret for help.

My child, only you can save your brother.

Bring us back our king.

Charles V gave Margaret of Valois special dispensation to enter Spain.

She hurried to her brother's sickbed.

Francis!

Francis seemed to be at death's door.

He'd lost a lot of weight and was tormented by fever.

He was so sick he was unable to eat or drink.

His sister nursed her brother day and night.

Margaret was a devout Catholic.

She prayed desperately for her brother and held Mass in his cell.

The body of Christ.

As day broke,

The king opened his eyes.

Princess.

Open your mouth to receive communion.

Sister.

The fever seemed to have mysteriously stopped.

Across Europe.

The King of France's recovery was seen as a miracle.

Thank you, Vita.

Be brave.

After suffering for 24 days, he was almost back to full health.

Margaret could now fulfill the other part of her mission.

On October 3rd, 1525, she arrived in Toledo.

to negotiate with Charles V.

But the emperor went back on his promise to meet her.

This was a huge insult to the sister of the French king.

After having waited several hours, Charles V's ministers finally agreed to

her.

Margaret was young.

intelligent, and very persuasive.

She soon became popular in the Spanish court.

Charles V finally granted her an audience.

Your king is stubborn, madam.

He gets what he deserves.

Margaret refused to be intimidated. She offered Charles the Duchy of Burgundy,

along with a substantial ransom to secure her brother's freedom.

Listen to me.

Either King Francis accepts the terms of the treaty, or he spends the rest of

his life in prison.

Margaret had failed, but she refused to let her brother rot in prison.

If the emperor wouldn't set Francis free, she would.

Every night, at the same time, a servant brought the French king firewood.

Margaret noticed that the man came and went without attracting the guard's

attention. This gave her an idea.

She asked him to swap clothes with the king.

It was a very risky strategy.

If she were caught, Margaret would be thrown in prison.

But she would risk everything to free her brother.

The plan was simple.

Francis would slip out of his cell disguised as a valet.

What do you think?

I think it'll be perfect.

Not forgetting to darken his skin with soot.

He's escaping.

Their plan had been rumbled.

But

Charles

V didn't imprison Margaret.

He allowed her to return home to her mother in France.

Louise of Savoie was now so concerned for her son's life and the future of the

kingdom that she wrote to François, begging him to agree to the emperor's

demands.

On January 14, 1526, with a very heavy heart, Francis signed the Treaty

of Madrid.

He renounced any claims to Artois and Flanders. He surrendered Burgundy and

abandoned any aspirations to the Duchy of Milan.

To make him honor the terms of the treaty, Charles forced François to hand

his two sons as hostages, the eight -year -old Dauphin Francis and his six

-old brother Henri.

No sooner had Francis returned to France that he raised an army against the

emperor.

Charles' response to this treachery was to strip the French princes of all

comforts.

They were imprisoned in a dark, damp room.

with no furniture other than two stools and straw mattresses.

The boys were abandoned and had no one to talk to.

As the days turned to months and months to years, the youngest son, Henri,

forgot how to speak his native tongue.

Louisa Savoy was devastated when she was told of the terrible conditions her

grandsons were being held.

She tried desperately to secure their freedom, but all diplomacy failed.

There was only one option.

Take them by force.

In May 1526, King Francis formed the Holy League of Cognac.

It was an anti -Spanish alliance which brought together France, England, the

Papacy, and the cities of Milan, Florence, and Venice.

Their common enemy, the over -ambitious Charles V.

The emperor was furious at his enemy's alliance.

On May 6, 1527, he sent 12 ,000 men to attack the city of Rome.

Pope Clement was forced to flee the Vatican.

One month later, he was caught.

In exchange for his life, he gave Charles 400 ,000 ducats and the city of

The defeat led to the dissolution of the Holy League of Cognac, and an isolated

Francis lost battle after battle.

After more than a year of fighting, Francis was ready to sue for peace.

He refused to stoop so low as to negotiate himself.

His mother led the negotiations, with Charles V's aunt, Margaret of Austria.

In August 1529, the treaty known as the Lady's Peace was signed at Cambrai.

As with the Madrid Treaty three years earlier, France pledged to renounce any

claims to Artois and Flanders, give up Burgundy, and the town of Tournai in the

north of the kingdom, and give up any rights to Italy.

In any case, the last of the Sforzas had been restored in Milan with the

obligation of returning the duchy to Spain on his death.

France had lost Italy, and to make matters worse, the heir to the throne

brother were still held hostage in Spain.

In exchange for their freedom, Charles V demanded a ransom of two million gold

crowns. But Francis' treasury was almost empty.

What are we going to do?

Lord, this is a difficult decision.

Let me think.

We don't have much choice.

We must pay the Emperor to ensure the freedom of the Duffer and his brother.

Lord, your mistake at Pavia cost us dearly.

Raising the funds for the huge ransom was all but impossible.

But Louise was determined to free her grandson.

She turned to the citizens of France for help.

She imposed a special tax on the population for one year.

Eventually, there was enough money to free the young princes.

Francis was now 13.

Henri was 11.

On July 6th, after five long years... Ah, my son!

Francis' sons were returned to him. I missed you both.

Look at me.

Haven't you grown?

And you, what a fine young man you are.

In return,

as imposed by the Treaty of Cambrai, Francis married the emperor's daughter,

Eleanor of Habsburg.

Francis and Charles V were now brothers -in -law.

But Francis still harbored ambitions to overthrow the emperor.

So, despite the treachery of the past, he once again approached Henry VIII,

of England.

Twelve years after the field of the cloth of gold, Henry VIII and Francis

between French -held Boulogne.

and English -held Calais.

The French king proudly introduced his children to his English ally.

What fine sons.

Congratulations.

Henry was also keen to introduce the French king to someone dear to him,

beautiful mistress Anne Boleyn.

She was in fact the real reason for Henry's visit.

She has stolen my heart.

My beloved Anne.

Anne Boleyn was beautiful, intelligent, and fiercely ambitious.

She had been educated in the French courts and had completely bewitched

Henry wanted Francis to persuade the Pope to allow him to annul his marriage

Catherine of Aragon so he could wed Anne.

But to gain Francis' support,

Anne had to win the approval of the whole French royal family.

Not just the king, but his sister and his new wife, Eleanor of Habsburg.

But Francis refused to allow them to meet a woman considered by many to be a

whore.

Don't touch me!

When Anne got wind of this, she felt deeply offended.

For six days, Henry and Frances ate, drank, and were entertained.

During the

final banquet, Anne, her face hidden behind a mask, danced for the two

sovereigns.

It was her last chance to charm Frances.

Her gamble paid off.

The French king thanked her publicly, signaling his approval.

Do you, Lady Anne Boleyn, take this man to be your lawfully wedded wife? Two

weeks later, Henry and Anne are believed to have married in secret.

Do you, Henry VIII, take this lady to be your lawfully wedded wife? I do.

The hasty ceremony is believed to have been rushed forward to cover up the fact

that Henry's mistress was already pregnant.

After three years of peace in Europe, Francesco Sforza, Duke of Milan, died

without having sired a male heir.

In accordance with the terms of the Cambria Ladies' Treaty, Charles V could

add the Duchy of Milan to his empire.

But the King of France had not given up on Italy.

In February 1536, Francis I sent an army to invade Savoie so that he could

trade it for the Duchy of Milan.

But Charles V had sent troops to attack Provence.

As war started to rage again,

tragedy struck at the heart of the Kingdom of France.

On August 10, 1536,

Francis the Dauphin died suddenly at the age of 18.

Immediately, rumors began to spread that he'd been poisoned or that he had died

of tuberculosis, a consequence of his incarceration in Spain.

In mourning and at war, Francis' kingdom, just like Charles V's empire,

face up to a lack of money.

Conflicts would have to stop.

In 1538, the king and the emperor decided to start negotiating once more.

After several weeks of haggling in Nice, the two men made their new friendship

public at Aigues -Mortes in the south of France.

For the first time, both men signed a 10 -year truce.

during which each would hold on to his territories while pledging not to go to

war again.

Charles V kept Milan and kept hold of his empire, but officially renounced any

claim to the French throne.

This was a real triumph for Francis I, who consolidated France's central role

Europe and left an indelible mark on the kingdom.

But in 1547, the King of France was riven with sickness.

He was 52 and suffering from migraines, gout, and an ailment caused by his

serial infidelity, syphilis.

Prayers were said for him.

Masses were performed by his bedside in the presence of his beloved sister,

Margaret.

From his deathbed, Francis called for his son, and now heir to the throne,

Henry.

I've been a great sinner, my son.

Passion has led me astray.

If I had done good things.

Follow that example.

Be a man.

In the early hours of March the 31st, 1547, King Francis I breathed his

last.

His son became King Henry II.

Alongside his lifelong enemy, Charles V, Francis I remains one of the most

powerful monarchs of the Christian era.

From 1540 onwards, the emperor too was beginning to wail. He was terribly

afflicted with gout.

Four years later, he handed over the reins of the Holy Roman Empire to his

brother, Ferdinand.

Then, in October 1555, he passed sovereignty over the Netherlands to his

Philip of Spain.

Charles V's abdication shocked all of Europe.

From his Spanish retreat, he relied on his brother and his son to carry on his

work.

But the Habsburg dynasty was to be divided forever.

He died on September 21, 1558, at the age of 58, eleven years after Francis

I.