Catherine de Medici

"The court is a stage where every gesture is a performance."

"I do not fear death; I fear irrelevance."

"A well-placed word accomplishes what armies cannot."

"The perfume of flowers masks many unpleasant truths."

"Fortune favors those who plan for misfortune."

"One cannot rule France while looking backward at Italy."

"The greatest strength is knowing when to show weakness."

"A mother's influence outlives her years by centuries."

"History is written by those with the steadiest hands."

"I have learned that destiny respects only those who respect themselves."

"The mind is the true palace; the rest is mere decoration."

"One must learn to dance in the darkness."

"Ambition without intelligence is merely dangerous thrashing."

"The most profitable investment is in those who owe you a debt."

"Dreams are the rehearsals of destiny."

"Power without mercy is tyranny; mercy without power is foolishness."

"I have outlasted my enemies by never forgetting they were enemies."

"A kingdom's strength lies in its women, though history forgets this."

"The art of ruling is knowing what secrets to keep."

"To love is to have a weapon used against you."

"The future is written in invisible ink, visible only to the patient."

"Every alliance contains the seed of its own betrayal."

"I prefer an honest enemy to a dishonest friend."

"Nobility is less about blood than about the courage to act."

"The planets influence us less than we influence ourselves."

"One learns the art of power by observing those who lack it."

"A woman's tears are a currency more valuable than gold."

"The past is a mirror; look closely and you see your future."

"Fear is the most honest counselor in matters of state."

"I have found that revenge is sweetest when served cold and subtle."