* {{Bowdlerise}}: It began with the book, which is not surprising, given the controversy of that time. In particular, the book and almost all its adaptation slopes play down the homosexual propensities of Anjou or the general IncestSubtext among the children of Catherine. And this is not to mention the Bartholomew's Night. Averted in the film, where Margot is a nymphomaniac who entertains all of her brothers, and Anjou has at least one male favorite.
* JustHereForGodzilla: Most men love this story not because of romance, but because of the St. Bartholomew's Day massacre and political intrigue.
* HoYay:
** La Mole and Coconnas. In spades! Coconnas kisses La Môle on the lips after he refuses to abandon his friend, and after the (former) Huguenot has been beheaded.
-->"You prefer him to me; that is shameful! and I detest you, Annibal! Why not be frank, and tell me you prefer him to me?[...]"
-->"Henriette, the loveliest of duchesses! For your own peace of mind, believe me, do not ask such unwise questions. I love you more than any woman, and I love La Môle more than any man."
** Charles and Henri, post hunting accident. Charles hugs Henri a lot and begs him not to go to Navarre. Later, Catherine complains that they're always going out hunting together alone.
* JerkassWoobie: Though a bratty ManChild, Charles still comes across as a deeply unhappy man, so hungry for friendship that he'll latch on to anyone who shows him the slightest bit of real kindness.
* LesYay: Marguerite and Henriette kiss on the lips in their first scene alone together.
* MoralEventHorizon: In the film Margot is being assaulted by the king, two royal princes and prince of blood, and the only people in France who can interfere are the queen mother and another prince of blood, her husband. Yet Catherine only says "Not in public", gets ignored and doesn't care to press further, and Henri vanishes into thin air. All other nobles present watch the whole ordeal like entertaining spectacle.
* SignatureScene: The St. Bartholomew's Day massacre, of course.
* TearJerker:
** The execution of Coconnas and La Môle, innocent scapegoats. Prior to that, Coconnas seeing the broken La Môle and refusing to flee without him.
** The death of Charlotte de Sauve. She lingers on until Henri arrives, so she can kiss him and say she loves him one last time.
** The death of Charles IX, too. Despite being a ManChild, he was also an incredibly lonely man who latched onto anyone who showed him the least bit of kindness. He didn't deserve to have such a BigScrewedUpFamily who planned for his death. His own birth mother definitely didn't mourn him as much as his nurse did.
* TooBleakStoppedCaring: Being the darkest part of the "Valois Trilogy" and having a complete DownerEnding, this is not surprising. In fact, this story is about how the main characters involuntarily find their death. Adaptation makes this even more depressing, adding IncestSubtext and NightmareFuel.
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