In Reign, there are many historical differences, about people and time periods
Differences:
- Historically, Henry and Catherine had 10 children together in the span of 12 years. In the TV series they had 9.
- In the show, Francis had 2 half-siblings, Clarissa and Sebastian, and 8 more siblings from his parents marriage, whom 3 died as infants.
- Historically, this is inaccurate: Francis had 9 siblings from his parents marriage and 3 known illegitimate siblings.
- Historically, King Henry II had three illegitimate children.
- By Philippa Duci: Diane, Duchess d'Angoulême (1538–1619).
- By Lady Janet Stewart: Henri d'Angoulême (1551 – June 1586).
- By Nicole de Savigny: Henri de Saint-Rémy (1557–1621).
- Sebastian never existed.
- In the show, Catherine has a bastard daughter Clarissa but historically there is no evidence of her.
- Diane de Poitiers had two daughters with her husband, Louis de Breze: Françoise de Brézé and Louise de Brézé.
- Historically, Francis did not have children with any of Mary's ladies-in-waiting but in the show he and Lola, have a son together, Jean-Philippe.
Children of Henry and Catherine:
Historical & Reign Differences
| sebastian de porters | Francis † |
| Elisabeth of Valois
(French: Élisabeth) |
Elisabeth |
| Claude of Valois | Claude |
| Louis de France | Louis † |
| Charles IX, King of France | Charles |
| Henry III, King of France
(French: Henri) |
Henry III |
| Margaret of Valois
(French: Marguerite) |
Princess Margaret |
| Hercule Francois, Duke of Anjou
(Name changed to Francis upon confirmation, in honor of his late brother Francis II) | |
| Victoria of Valois
(French: Victoire) |
Henrietta † |
| Joanna of Valois
(French: Jeanne) |
Emone † |
- Historically, Mary's Ladies in waiting were all named "Mary”, and known as the 4 Marys
- In Reign they are
- Henry II never had an affair with any of Mary's Ladies in waiting. He did however have an affair, and illegitimate son with Mary's Scottish governess, Janet Fleming (née Stewart).
- In Inquisition, Queen Catherine is accused of committing adultery and having a child as a result.
- Historically Catherine never had an affair, due to the fact that she loved Henry, and for Queens of that time adultery was a form of high treason, and punishable by death.
- By all historical accounts, Francis II was abnormally short and stuttered.
- Francis was thought of having suffered of cryptorchidism. funny that this is mentioned because in the show lord Darnley mentions something along the lines of our favorite young king being able to not perform to his dwarfing abilities and sickly health.
- There was no Prince Tomás of Portugal in 1557/1558. King john lll had 8 children none of which were named Tomas or nor were they bastard born.
- In Snakes in the Garden, Charles becomes engaged to a young Noble named Madeleine
- However that fell through
- Historically, Charles became engaged to and eventually married Archduchess Elisabeth of Austria.
- Mary Stuart, was never sent to live in a convent in France, nor did she meet Francis II, for the first time in 1557. Mary was sent to be raised in the French Court at age five: a full ten years before the start of the show.
- At the Notre Dame Cathedral, Mary, Queen of Scotland and Francis II were married on April 24, 1558, at the ages of fifteen and fourteen, respectively.
- Francis died just two years and 8 months after their wedding in 1560.
- Elisabeth's wedding is off by 2 years. In the show it's 1557 when she marries Philip of Spain, but historically she marries him by proxy June 22, 1559. In 1557, Philip was still married to Mary Tudor.
- By this note, Henry would have died during the wedding celebrations. During a jousting competition on June 30, 1559, he rode against Gabriel Montgomery twice, and the second time his lance went through Henry's face shield with splinters going into his eyes and his brain. Henry died from septicemia caused by his injuries on July 10, 1559.
- After Francis died, Mary had two more husbands: Henry Stuart, Lord Darnley and James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell. one of which she had children with except for Darnley.
- Although Mary had no children with Francis, she had 1 son by her second husband: who became King James VI of Scotland and James I of England.
- There was a brief time, shortly after Henry II's death, when Mary thought she was pregnant by Francis, but later realized she wasn't.
- Despite Henry's love for Diane, he did trust Catherine enough to leave her nominal Regent of the kingdom several times whilst he went on campaigns.
- In the show, Catherine murdered Diane de Poitiers for killing her infant twin daughters.
- Historically this is not true: Diane died in 1566 after living comfortably in a chateau because she was banished from French Court by Catherine. It is thought that she died by accidental, unintentional poisoning because she regularly ingested drinkable gold- which she thought would preserve her youth.
- Historically while Catherine and Henry did have twin daughters: Princess Joanna & Princess Victoria of Valois, their twins were not murdered. They died in very early infancy, Joanna in utero, and Victoria 7 weeks after she was born. There were no more children after them.
- In the show, King Francis dies after suffering head trauma while saving Mary from a gang of assassins.
- Historically, Francis died on December 5, 1560 at the age of only 16 after being on the throne for only 17 months.
- His cause of death was complications from an ear infection that included an abscess which exacerbated his condition.
- After the funeral at French Court, Francis' coffin is taken away to be buried.
- Historically, Francis' resting place is the Basilica of St. Denis, where his parents and several siblings rest also.
- In the show, Mary Stuart, was beheaded for her involvement in the murder of (Henry Stuart) for fear he would selfishly take all custody of James VI of Scotland and England. Her forbidden lover Lord Bothwell murdered him and was sentenced to death along with Mary.
- Historically this is incorrect, Mary was sentenced to death not for her part in her husbands murder but for a plot against queen Elizabeth of England. Mary was sentenced to death in 1587 in Fotheringhay Castle.
- in the show Mary was imprisoned for 19 years immediately after her plot to kill her husband came to be known by the infamous John Knox.
- James was 7 years old when his mother was imprisoned and 26 when Queen Mary of Scotland was executed. it is said in the show the reasoning for James not wanting to attend his mothers execution was because he never met her. according to the conversation with Elizabeth, but the real reasoning was according to James his mother didn't want him there.