The series is based on the 2004 nonfiction book 'Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France' by Leonie Frieda, and was created by Justin Haythe.

Starz greenlit an eight-episode series in February 2021, with Francis Lawrence and Erwin Stoff serving as executive producers alongside Haythe, and Stacie Passon directing multiple episodes including the pilot.

Lorris Chevalier served as the historical advisor for the production.

Samantha Morton was the first cast member announced, joining as Catherine de' Medici in April 2021, followed by other stars like Amrita Acharia, Enzo Cilenti, Barry Atsma, Nicholas Burns and Danny Kirrane in May 2021.

For season two, several roles were recast, including Emma McDonald replacing Sennia Nanua as Rahima, Alexandre Willaume taking over the role of Montmorency from Barry Atsma, and Bill Milner and Stanley Morgan stepping in to play the grown-up Charles IX and Duke of Anjou.

Minnie Driver joined the season two cast in a recurring role as Queen Elizabeth I of England.

Principal photography for the first season began in April 2021, with filming taking place in Marseille and the Loire Valley in France, as well as at the Papal Palace in Italy.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the series holds a 100% approval rating from 19 critics with an average score of 7.7/10, with critics praising Samantha Morton's 'commanding star turn'.