The second set of installments of the story of the Medici's, following on from the BBC radio dramas of a year ago (see https://tonyfitz1959.postach.io/post/the-medici-bankers-gangsters-popes-listened-1-3-2-23-4-5). This set of three separate plays focused firstly on the life of Alessandro de' Medici (22 July 1510 – 6 January 1537), ruler of Florence from 1530 to his death in 1537, and secondly that of Catherine de' Medici (13 April 1519 – 5 January 1589), Queen of France from 1547 to 1559. As before the stories were well done, entertaining and brought to life the phenomenon that was the House of Medici. A family that spawned a business, and then a political and religious dynasty that held sway over large parts of Europe from the 14th to the 18th centuries.

Alessandro was by rumour a bastard son, although he was formally recognised as the only son of Lorenzo II de' Medici, grandson of Lorenzo de' Medici "the Magnificent". Part of this was related to his "Moorish" complexion, and he was nicknamed "il Moro". The first Medici to rule Florence as a hereditary monarch, Alessandro was also the last Medici from the senior line of the family to lead the city. He was popular with the Florentine people but his cousins Ippolito and Lorenzaccio never forgave him for taking up what they felt was Ippolito's birth right. His assassination at the age of 26 at the hands of Lorenzaccio caused the title of Duke to pass to Cosimo I de Medici, from the family's junior branch.

Catherine was Queen of France by marriage to King Henry II and the mother of French kings Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. The years during which her sons reigned have been called "the age of Catherine de' Medici". The second play concerned her rather dysfunctional childhood, sent to a nunnery at age 11, and then married off to the Dauphin of France at age 14. There was rather too much focus on the challenges that Catherine had in becoming pregnant and the estranged relationship she had with her husband, who was rather keener on his affair with Diane de Poitiers. In later life, with both her father in law and husband dead, she was a serious political mover and shaker in the life of France. The third drama related to her attempts to make peace through marriage with the Huguenots, and then the tragedy of the St Bartholomew's Day Massacre in 1572.

Written by Mike Walker and Catherine Johnson. Cast included Elliott Barnes-Worrell, Sion Daniel Young, Jacob Ifan, Kiran Sonia Sawar, Marsha Millar, Nico Pimparé, Arwel Gruffydd, Michael Bertenshaw, Kitty O'Sullivan, Tyler Cameron, John Lightbody, Hardy Yusuf, Huw Huckstep, Catrin Aaron, Julian Lewis Jones, Juliette Aubrey, Arthur Hughes, Aneirin Hughes, Joel MacCormack, Heather Craney, Jacob Ifan, Grace Nettle, Joel MacCormack, Nia Gandhi, Ian Dunnett Jnr, Matthew Bulgo, Tom Mumford and Poppy Almond. First broadcast 28 January - 4 February 2024.