Original subtitles

For the kingdom of God!

And for God!

The wars of religion shaped the Europe we live in today.

I have the heart and stomach of a king!

In the 16th century, religion and power were inextricably linked.

Your Majesty, the Catholics will rebel.

I will never marry that heretic, do you hear me? Never!

What have you done to the kingdom? What have you done?

Promise me it will stay Catholic.

At the time of the Renaissance, the rulers of Europe's most important

fought each other violently in the name of God.

Kill them!

Kill them all!

May God punish the heretics!

There has to be another solution.

The English throne must be hers.

Love. Your prince offers me the Dutch crown against an army.

Betrayal. It can't be true.

Jealousy and passions rock the most influential families.

They can't get away with it. I admire your audacity.

A merciless game of power and faith.

Have faith in me.

This is the true history of Europe.

At the height of the Renaissance, the young Queen of Scotland was forced to

her homeland.

The King of France had Europe on tender hook and kicked the English out of his

kingdom.

Meanwhile, the largest empire in the West was breaking apart.

Europe was on the verge of 30 years of bloody warfare.

In Scotland, after the death of the Catholic King James V, everything rested

a nine -month -old child.

On September 9, 1543, the infant Mary Stuart was crowned Queen of Scotland at

Stirling Castle, north of Glasgow.

Her 23 -year -old French mother, Mary of Guise, would rule in her place as

regent. until she was old enough to reign.

Her first political decision was to promise her daughter in marriage to the

of Henry VIII, the King of England.

Such an alliance would allow the young queen to remain in Scotland until her

tenth birthday.

But four years later, King Henry died.

His son and heir, Edward VI, immediately sent troops to Scotland to seize his

betrothed. He was just four years old.

The new king of England wanted the child queen in order to unite the two

kingdoms as soon as possible.

Mary! Mary, wait!

One night in 1547, in the utmost secrecy, Mary of Guise decided to

daughter to safety.

To escape her kidnappers, young Mary was entrusted to her most loyal servants.

What's happening? Hurry, you need to escape!

God will protect you, Mary.

Under the cover of darkness, Mary was taken to the austere Inchmahome Priory,

isolated on a small island in a lake in the Scottish Highlands.

A hideaway only accessible by boat.

With her daughter safely hidden, Mary of Guise did everything in her power to

make sure the young queen didn't fall into the hands of the English.

Her salvation came from France.

Mary of Guise's only hope of saving her daughter was her brother, Francis of

Lorraine, Duke of Guise, and Cardinal Charles of Lorraine.

Born into one of the most powerful families in the Kingdom of France, they

also trusted advisors to the French king, Henry II.

Mary of Guise asked her brothers, to send military aid to help fight the

who had invaded Scotland in order to kidnap her daughter.

The ultra -Catholic Guise brothers saw this as a unique opportunity to enlarge

the kingdom of France.

All that remained was to convince their king to send troops to Scotland and

offer protection to the young Mary, Queen of Scots. Your Majesty, the union

Mary Stuart and King Edward means that sooner or later,

Scotland will be annexed by the English.

Our sister has given you a unique opportunity to destroy that alliance.

to take control of Scotland.

Offer your support.

Henry II agreed to help the infant Queen of Scots, but in return, he requested

that she become betrothed to his son, the Dauphin of France.

On January 27, 1548, he signed an agreement with Mary of Guise and

dispatched a fleet of 140 ships. and 6 ,000 men to Scotland.

Barely eight months later, Mary Stuart, now aged six, set sail for France.

After a long journey, Mary finally arrived at the French court. Come here,

here, come here.

There she could grow up in safety, far from the political rivalries of her

homeland.

Ah, welcome to France, my child.

She is the crowned queen and will be honored and treated as such.

In keeping with her rank, the little queen, as she became affectionately

was raised with her betrothed, the four -year -old Dauphin Francis, the eldest

son of Henry II.

This union would allow France to lay claim to the Scottish throne and, by

extension, the throne of England.

because Mary Stuart belonged to the junior branch of the House of Tudor, the

Kings of England.

Her great -grandfather was none other than Henry VII, the first Tudor King of

England. So the little queen had a legitimate claim to the throne. The King

France was intent on helping her take it.

Henry II was 29 years old.

A year earlier, he succeeded his father, Francis I to the French throne.

Henry II was an ambitious, ruthless monarch, whose main obsession was to

revenge on his old arch -enemy Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor.

Henry II had never forgiven Charles V for imprisoning him and his elder

in Spain when they were children.

His mind was scarred by the terrible experiences he suffered for five years

his cramped, dank cell.

And the exorbitant ransom of two million gold coups demanded from France for

their release.

And now...

came an unexpected opportunity for Henry to take his revenge.

Early in 1552, at the Chateau de Chambord in the Loire Valley, the King

France received some curious visitors.

Three German princes converted to Protestantism.

Since the early 16th century, Protestantism, known as the Reformed

been gaining ground in Europe. In the heart of the Holy Roman Empire, the

Reformism advocated by Martin Luther had been adopted by the German and Flemish

nobility. In Latin countries like France and Spain, John Calvin was also

converting more and more people.

Scotland remained Catholic, but England, since Henry VIII, had turned away from

Rome.

Protestants, and notably the Calvinists, refused to go between themselves and

God. They turned their back on the Pope, the worship of saints, relics, and

crucifixes.

Their faith had no place for symbols and iconography.

You want my permission to freely practice your religion? I admire your

The German princes knew that, like Charles V, Henry II was persecuting

Protestants. But they had a proposition for him. If the king paid them to rise

up against the Holy Roman Emperor, they would allow him to seize the bishoprics

of Metz, Toul and Verdun.

Something that would allow the king to push French borders further east.

On top of all that, they promised to overthrow Charles.

You're right.

Charles V is a vermin that needs to be exterminated.

Tell me your plan.

Despite his fervent Catholicism, Henry II's hatred for Charles V far outweighed

his religious beliefs.

On January 15, 1552, Henry signed a treaty of alliance with the Lutherans

at Chambord, and in late March, the French Royal Army, numbering 50 ,000

were ready to advance.

On April 10th, Henry II's troops approached Metz and Toul.

Both surrendered without combat.

The king left 3 ,400 men to occupy the town, and 12 days later, his army

captured Verdun.

A furious Charles V prepared to attack, but he was up against the king's most

loyal lieutenant, Francis, Duke of Guise.

Francis was nicknamed Scarface due to a large scar on his left cheek.

He was a fearsome soldier and a trusted servant to the king.

Charles V had tried to kill him on several occasions, but in vain.

This time, the emperor was on the point of claiming a famous victory on the

political battlefield.

Across the Channel, in England, on July 6, 1553, having thwarted a coup by the

English nobility, Mary Tudor ascends to the English throne.

She began beheading traitors, because Mary was a Catholic.

Mary Tudor was the only daughter from Henry VIII's first marriage to the

Catholic Catherine of Aragon.

This made Mary the first cousin of the Emperor Charles V.

To strengthen the family bond, in 1554, Charles negotiated the marriage of the

newly crowned Queen Mary to his eldest son, Philip.

It was a masterstroke for the Holy Roman Emperor.

The father's victory, however, wasn't celebrated by his son.

His new wife was ten years his senior.

I do.

And she was not at all to his liking.

But Philip knew that according to English law, the properties and titles

queen would become equally his.

I do. Making him even stronger in his fight against the French.

Before God, I pronounce you united in the sanctity of marriage.

Mary was delighted with her marriage to Philip.

For a woman who had waited until she was 37 years old to wed, it was a major

event.

And with Philip at her side, Mary would be able to reestablish Catholicism

throughout her kingdom.

In 1554, the persecution and executions of English Protestants increased.

In all,

300 men and women were burned at the stake.

earning the queen the nickname Bloody Mary.

The alliance between England and Spain was a disaster for English Protestants.

In the face of such horrors, Thomas Wyatt decided to rebel.

This 33 -year -old noble wanted to overthrow Mary.

and to replace her with her younger half -sister, 21 -year -old Elizabeth Tudor.

Elizabeth was the daughter of the deceased King of England, Henry VIII,

second wife, Anne Boleyn.

So, a bastard in the eyes of Queen Mary.

And to make matters worse, Elizabeth Tudor was raised as a Protestant.

Rumors began to spread that the Protestant rebel Thomas Wyatt wanted to

Elizabeth on the throne of England.

He apparently dispatched a messenger to obtain her approval.

Tell your master that the time has arrived where I'll do what God has

for me.

Elizabeth refused to help overthrow her half -sister.

She would be risking her neck if Queen Mary and her husband Philip of Spain

to find out about the plot.

Meanwhile, Philip was about to become the most powerful Catholic monarch in

Europe.

His father, Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor, was an old man riddled with

and gout.

At this moment, the Emperor took a decision that would rock all of Europe.

Since 1519, Charles V had reigned over a vast empire, including the Netherlands,

Greater Germany, a major part of Italy, Spain, and parts of the Americas.

But on October 25, 1555, the emperor abdicated and split his empire in two.

He bequeathed to his brother, Ferdinand of Habsburg, the Holy Roman Empire

itself.

and named his son Philip as King of Spain, Flanders, portions of Italy, and

lands in the New World.

Philip's inheritance, added to his title of King of England by his marriage to

Queen Mary Tudor, made him one of the most powerful men in the world.

He would use that power and influence to defend the Catholic faith in Europe.

You look splendid, madam.

It's been too long since I was at your side.

You have been missed, my friend.

What good fortune brings you here?

The future of England.

And the hope of your support.

You have my ear.

In March 1556, Philip of Bain asked his wife, Queen Mary, to help him in a war

with France.

Mary's advisors begged her to refuse.

Wars were expensive and dangerous.

Leave us.

Three months later, on June 7th, Spain and England jointly declared war on

France.

Philip wanted to finish the conquest of France started by his father.

Firstly, he would annex strongholds on the northern border before advancing on

Paris.

On August 2nd, 1557, his army of 56 ,000 Spanish and English soldiers

reached Saint -Quentin in northern France.

The town had only 300 men to defend it.

St. Quentin is under siege. Gather the men.

At around one in the morning, the governor of Picardy, Admiral Gaspard de

Coligny, was alerted. He immediately set out for St. Quentin with reinforcements

numbering 2 ,000 men.

For a whole week, they resisted the 56 ,000 soldiers besieging them.

To avoid a massacre, night after night, Admiral de Coligny secretly smuggled

small groups of women and children from the town.

In the end, he managed to save 800 lives.

Follow me closely, always.

You ready?

Right, let's go.

After 17 days of resistance... On August 27th, the town was finally captured by

the Anglo -Spanish army.

Philip II, King of Spain, was so scared of losing the battle, he oversaw it in

person.

His men mutilated and massacred the French defenders, but they also suffered

important losses.

A few hours after the start of the assault, Admiral de Coligny is captured.

The Battle of Saint -Quentin was a terrible defeat for the French.

At least 3 ,000 died, and thousands more were taken prisoner.

Despite losing a large number of men, Philip II was proud of his victory.

But he had forgotten the main reason for his invasion, Paris.

What's more, he had run out of money to continue his war.

This strategic error on the part of Philip gave the King of France the

time to prepare his response.

Keep a noble heart and take nothing for granted.

Send this immediately to the Duke of Guise.

Henry II immediately recalled his trusty captain.

He offered him command of the entire French army and royal fleet.

My friend.

Back from the Italian front, Scarface presented himself before the king on

October 20th, 1557.

The war kept you away too long.

It's an honor to serve your majesty.

Henry asked the Duke of Guise to attack England's possessions in France.

The English supported Philip II of Spain at Saint -Quentin, and now they would

pay for it.

On the last day of the year 1557, the 30 ,000 men under the command of the Duke

of Guise surrounded the last remaining English stronghold in France, Calais.

after a swift and deadly attack.

The town, which had been in English hands for over 200 years, was finally

again.

On January 8, 1558, Queen Mary of England heard that Calais had fallen

French hands.

This cannot be true.

The traitors.

How could this have happened?

She was totally devastated.

These are the words she is believed to have uttered. At my death, when you open

up my corpse, you will find Philippe and Calais engraved upon my heart.

But it wasn't all bad news for England.

Queen Mary was pregnant.

She was convinced she was expecting a son, an heir who would one day unite the

Catholics of England, Ireland, Spain, and Flanders under one single crown.

But Mary's happiness was short -lived.

Six months later, she discovered she wasn't in fact with child.

She was the victim of what is now called a phantom pregnancy.

At 41 years old, Mary now realized she would never bear a child.

This fact fanned the fire of hatred she felt towards her half -sister.

Elizabeth.

Mary had her sister locked up in the Tower of London.

Intent on forcing her to confess to being the ringleader of a Protestant

overthrow her.

May God protect you, my sister.

Will you finally reveal your intentions against me?

Your Majesty, I cannot confess what I have not done.

If you have intentions to ascend to the throne, promise me it will remain

Catholic.

I only promise.

To govern according to my convictions.

Leave now.

I never want to see you again.

The open war between Mary and Elizabeth was good news for the King of France.

Henry II was convinced that 16 -year -old Mary Stuart, Queen of Scots, was

rightful heir to the English throne.

Especially when, on the morning of Sunday, April 24, 1558, at Notre Dame

Cathedral in Paris, the young Mary Stuart became Henry II's daughter -in

During a sumptuous wedding ceremony, Mary finally married the young man to

she had been betrothed since childhood,

Francis of Anjou, Dauphin of France.

Mary wore a magnificent white embroidered dress.

One guest described her as a hundred times more beautiful than a goddess. Her

person alone was worth an entire kingdom.

Mary Stuart was now the Dauphine of France and Francis the King Consort of

Scotland.

But in secret, Henry II had added an extra clause to the marriage contract.

It stipulated that should Mary Stuart die first and without any heirs, all

of Mary's rights to the thrones of Scotland and England would transfer to

without additional consideration.

The King and Queen of France now had the promise that one day they may be able

to claim the English throne, especially since in England the future of the crown

was far from certain.

For the past year, Mary I of England had been very ill.

She was suffering from excruciating headaches, cardiac arrhythmia, and

stomach cramps.

In the final years of her life, she was practically blind.

We now know that she was suffering with ovarian cancer.

On November 17, 1558, after a five -year reign, Mary Tudor, Queen of England,

died. She was 42.

Even though Mary had opposed it, her 25 -year -old half -sister, Elizabeth, was

crowned queen.

And England became Protestant once again.

At Fontainebleau, the French king received the bad news.

He refused to recognize Elizabeth as the rightful Queen of England. He felt she

was a heretic. He believed his daughter -in -law, Mary Queen of Scots, was the

legitimate heir to the throne of England.

To strengthen her claim and the new family ties, Mary Stuart's coat of arms

changed to the arms for the royal family of Scotland.

were added those of England and France.

An imperial crown was placed on top to symbolize the Franco -British empire

Mary claimed.

This provocation, combined with the secret clause added to the marriage

contract, would poison relations between Mary, Queen of Scots, and Elizabeth I

for the rest of their lives.

Interference from the Guise brothers also didn't help.

Charles, my brother, we need to talk.

They too were convinced that only Mary Stuart could legitimately wear the

English crown.

So, to oust Queen Elizabeth, the brothers turned to Rome.

Our niece is Catholic.

She is the true successor of the throne of England.

The Pope must lend her his support.

Their niece would soon be the Queen of France.

But to further their own ambitions...

They also wanted her to take the crown of England.

King Philip II of Spain opposed the idea.

Although Mary Stuart was a Catholic, like him, he feared a Franco -English

coalition. and he was determined to maintain his own influence on the

crown.

Philip didn't care if the new English queen was a Protestant as long as they

were united.

A widower for only a matter of days, he asked for Elizabeth's hand in marriage.

Mom, I propose our coupling is in the interest of both our countries.

Secretly, Elizabeth had no intention of accepting his offer.

But she allowed him to believe it was a possibility to help ease her

relationship with the Pope.

The Pope despised Elizabeth, but he knew he couldn't afford to upset his most

loyal ally, the Catholic King of Spain, as he was helping him maintain his grip

on Italy.

So His Holiness refused to support Mary Stuart over Elizabeth.

He tells the French as much.

It was a harsh blow for the Guise brothers.

But they refused to give in.

Henry, the King of France, was deeply upset. He spoke of his unhappiness to

mistress, Diane de Poitiers.

You seem preoccupied, my friend.

My apologies, my love.

I'm so tired of these battles for power.

These wars are ruining the kingdom.

Despite what your counselors tell you, you have the power to stop these

conflicts.

You are a great king.

And you always make the right decisions.

Follow your heart, my king.

My heart is telling its love for you, madam.

The king relied on the advice of his mistress and regularly visited her at

Chateau d 'Anette, which she had built to her own glory and that of the king.

In this chamber, she took advantage of tender moments together to try to

persuade the king not to listen to the Guise brothers' advice, as it risked

plunging France into a war with England and Spain.

Diane de Poitiers' political influence bore fruit.

In 1559, France called on England and Spain to end hostilities.

On April 2nd, a representative of Henry II signed the Treaty of Cateau

-Compressy along with the emissaries of Philip II of Spain and Elizabeth I of

England.

The peace brought an end to the war between the three kingdoms.

Elizabeth had insisted on one condition to the peace, that the French return the

town of Calais.

In London, she waited impatiently for King Henry's response.

How dare you tell me I have no right to French territory?

Leave here!

Leave here!

Elizabeth was furious, but she didn't have the means to fight another war

against France.

Conflict would continue to trouble Europe, because very soon, nations would

enter a new war in the name of God.