CW’s Reign: Top 10 Quotes From Queen Catherine De Medici

Queen Catherine is a complex character in CW’s show Reign. Not only does her allegiance shift like the wind, but she is also an overall true neutral character that works to better her own position at Court no matter the cost.

That said, she has some remarkable lines that speak the truth, even if it is sometimes only her own truth being said. After all, not every monarch is known for their reign of bloodshed and scheming.

10 “The first lesson I ever learned was never to wait for a man’s rescue.”

Forget damsel in distress. Catherine is a queen that prides herself in her self-assured nature and connections at court.

In an unhappy marriage, she learned to depend on herself for help, rather than her adulterous husband. Nevertheless, this is a great lesson to instill on a young monarch like Mary Stuart.

9 “My dear, never give up a crown to anybody.”

Rule number one in queen school is to respect your crown. Catherine reminds Mary that her crown is powerful. And if Mary gives up her crown, she looses all of her power. In a patriarchal society, that would not be wise of the young monarch to give up her political power.

This is solid advice from the queen that schemes her way out of a situation that could threaten her own power.

8 “History is written by the survivors. And I am surely that.”

History is commonly regarded to be written by the victors, and Queen Catherine acknowledges this.

She is known to be a resilient character that refuses to let any obstacle hurt her. With this ambition, she works to write herself on the winning side of history.

7 “Happiness is the one thing we queens can never have.”

It seems ironic that a monarch could not find happiness, but it is, unfortunately, a reoccurring theme in this show. Due to their privileged birthright, the women lose much of their own free will. Their husbands are selected for them, their voices are silenced, and their power is constantly challenged.

This is a common thought by not only Queen Catherine, but also Queen Mary and Queen Elizabeth.

6 “We must move forward on our own, as queens of separate nations.”

When Mary Stuart leaves France to reclaim her Scottish throne, Catherine says goodbye to the young women.

This is an emotional scene in the show because the two are reminded that as they reign over separate nations, they will no longer be connected by their love for Francis. This could mean they fall on opposite ends of each others’ warfare.

5 “Why do you dismiss me? Because I’m a woman? I have a mind of my own.”

Being a female monarch in an old patriarchal society is not easy. Catherine, who is a self-assured queen with years of experience reigning, understands her value at Court and will not allow her male advisors or husband to dismiss her perspective from meetings.

In this line, she not only calls the men out for their sexist behavior, but she also reminds them that she’s intelligent and valuable.

4 “Ruling requires that your hands be drenched in blood.”

Known for her chaotic nature and court whispers of bloodshed, Catherine seems to believe that being queen requires an amount of murder in order to show strength.

This is a reoccurring event in Catherine’s life. She seems to rationalize her actions with her position at Court.

3 “These next moments of your life will either define you as a victim or as a powerful Queen…”

In a heartfelt pep talk with Mary Stuart, Catherine explains that there are lifechanging moments in every monarch’s reign that will challenge them.

However, it isn’t the moment that will define them, but rather how they choose to handle the situation and move forward. No monarch wants to be viewed as weak, so they must carry on.

2 “We must have their love. Thank heavens I can buy it.”

Catherine acknowledges that a monarch’s power not only comes from their claimed birthright, but it also comes from the satisfaction of peasants.

While Catherine lacks the charisma to win over her land’s peasants, her Medici namesake is exceedingly wealthy, so she bribes the peasants’ compliance with gold. At the very least she can buy their love, if not authentically win them over, showing that at least the queen is realistic with herself.

1 “Let go and hold on to me.”

While Catherine is known to be the serpent beneath French Court’s flower, she does have an ironic soft spot for Mary Stuart. This moment of love is spoken when Catherine talks to Mary after the death of the French King, Francis.

Both queens were mourning the loss because Francis was not only Catherine’s son, but also Mary’s husband. While they both struggle to let go of him, Catherine urged Mary to cling to her, because a monarch must not be viewed as weak, even if they are mourning the love of their life.

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