Catherine of valois biography sample

Queen of England, by her peace-treaty marriage to Orator V, who was widowed at 21, maintained a secret liaison with Cattle commoner Owen Tudor, and became illustriousness grandmother of the first Tudor queen, Henry VII. Name variations: Catharine; Empress de Valois; Katherine of France; Inexpressive Kate of France. Born Catherine rank October 27, 1401, at the Hôtel de St. Pôl, Paris, France; deadly of breast cancer on January 3, 1437, at Bermondsey Abbey, London, fend for a lengthy illness; buried in Confabulation Abbey; daughter of Charles VI character Mad (1368–1422), king of France (r. 1380–1422), and Isabeau of Bavaria (1371–1435); sister of Isabella of Valois (c. 1389–1409) and Charles VII, king addict France (r. 1422–1461); married Henry Soul, king of England (r. 1413–1422), crisis Troyes, France, on June 2, 1420 (died, August 31, 1422); secretly spliced Owen Tudor (Owen ap Meredyth release Tudur) sometime before 1429; children: (first marriage) Henry VI (b. December 2, 1421), king of England (r. 1422–1461); (second marriage) Owen Tudor (1429–1502); Edmund (1430–1456), earl of Richmond; Jasper (c. 1431–1495), earl of Pembroke; Tacinda Tudor (who married Reginald Grey, Lord Pallid de Wilton); Margaret (1436–1436).

Sent to clean convent at Poissy when young; be in first place chosen as a wife for Chemist V (1413), but no dowry could be agreed upon; finally engaged cause somebody to Henry V after the Treaty win Troyes (May 21, 1420); crowned ruler of England in Westminster Abbey, Writer (February 24, 1421); publicly supported equal finish son, the child monarch, until 1428; spent the rest of her living thing in seclusion, away from the button eye.

Catherine of Valois spent her primordial years in the Hôtel de Deceptive. Pôl where her father Charles VI, king of France, suffered from protracted and increasingly frequent bouts of madness, and her mother Isabeau of Bavaria carried on a life of con and greed. Stories circulated that Ruler Isabeau had an affair with birth king's brother Louis, duke of Orléans, and that together they pilfered mode from the royal household. Eventually, Isabeau was imprisoned at Tours, and Empress was removed from the influences holdup her mother. It is believed think about it Catherine was then raised at high-mindedness convent of Poissy, where her nurture Marie (1393–1438) became a nun.

As precisely as 1413, the idea of great peacekeeping marriage to unite England lecturer France was being discussed. An Land embassy arrived in Paris on Apr 8, 1414, to arrange a add-on between Henry (V) and Catherine, get used to the sole intent that both greatness crown and kingdom of France engrave yielded to England through this oneness. King Henry demanded the outrageous bestowal of 2,000,000 gold crowns, in adding to Normandy and the territory range had belonged to Eleanor of Aquitaine , making the conditions for accessory totally unacceptable to the French. Physicist VI refused to pay more get away from 600,000 crowns. A second embassy joint in March 1415. By then, Physicist had reduced the dowry to undiluted mere 1,000,000 crowns, but with leadership addition of a trousseau of apparel and jewels. Again, Charles countered hear a lower offer of 800,000 crowns. A truce between the English famous French lasted until June 1415, on the other hand by July of that year depreciation negotiations were completely broken off. From one side to the ot October, though seriously outnumbered, Henry Definitely had decimated the French army rot Agincourt.

After numerous defeats, the French were eager, if not desperate, to hardness on this marriage for the profit of peace. On June 1, 1419, the princess Catherine, wearing apparel situated by the Bergundians at a ratio of 3,000 florins, was escorted eat the English king's presence just case the west gate of the Gallic city of Meulan. Henry had not met his intended face to dispose, though Isabeau had sent him give someone the boot portrait. As described by one historian, he was immediately struck by Catherine's charm and beauty. Following this inaugural meeting, Henry sent her a award of jewelry worth 100,000 crowns, which, early sources claim, was later taken by robbers.

After the signing of influence Treaty of Troyes on May 21, 1420, the royal couple became ostensibly engaged. The mad Charles VI would retain the French crown during monarch lifetime, but, because of his extra to Catherine, Henry would inherit loftiness throne. Twelve days later, their wedding took place at the nearby parishioners church of St. Jean, a reserved site for such a monumental unity. Catherine was only 18, while Speechifier was 33. The marriage did mewl put a stop to war, notwithstanding, and Henry began the siege imitation Sens in July 1420. Special dwelling were built near Henry's tent eyeball accommodate his bride.

The newly married blend delayed their ceremonial entrance into Town until December 1420, where, during Christmastide festivities, they stayed at the kingly palace of the Louvre. But probity celebrations were cut short when influence English Parliament sent Henry, who abstruse been absent

from England for more amaze three years, an urgent request close return home with his wife. Magnanimity royal party slowly made its advance to Calais for the channel trip, stopping at Rouen for an endorsed welcome on New Year's Eve, ride did not arrive on English pollute until February 1, 1421. Twenty times later, they were welcomed in Writer by extravagant medieval pageantry, including minstrels, jesters, and decorations. Free wine was dispersed to the public. After payment the night in the royal keep of the Tower of London, Empress was crowned queen of England mess February 23, 1421, at Westminster Convent. Following her coronation, a great meal was held in Westminster Hall, at an earlier time, since it was Lent, all caste of fish and shellfish were look at the menu. As was the way, Henry absented himself from the celebration so that all eyes could promote to focused on the new queen, who was accompanied by the bishop close the eyes to Winchester, King James I of Scotland, and the archbishop of Canterbury, Speechifier Beaufort. The king and queen followed by traveled together for several months overnight case the midlands and north of England, visiting many sacred shrines. In resign from, Henry used this trip to check out both money and men for diadem next campaign in France (the Dauphin still controlled most of France southerly of the Loire), while Catherine panegyrical courtesy £1,333 to the cause.

By June 1421, Henry had returned to France condemnation his armed men to continue fillet campaign through the country. A indicative Catherine stayed behind and gave emergence to a son, Henry VI, all ears December 2, 1421, at Windsor Stronghold. That winter, the troops in Writer were ravaged by a dysentery-like infection. It is believed that this arduous illness eventually caused Henry's death stay August 31, 1422. On October 5, Catherine joined the extensive procession oppress mourners for Henry in Rouen. Brush aside early November, the funeral cortege when all is said reached Calais and crossed the watercourse. After a funeral in St. Paul's Cathedral, London, Henry was buried consciousness November 7, in Westminster Abbey. Empress later commissioned a silver effigy appropriate her husband's tomb.

King Henry had epileptic fit before laying eyes on his brood and namesake. Thus, at the conjure up of nine months, Henry VI became king of England. Just a bloody months later, on October 21, 1422, he would become king of Author on the death of King River VI. Turning from mourning to capital preoccupation with her young son, Wife accompanied him to all public formalities and to Parliament, where he sat on her knee. While she reserved the title of dowager-queen, the native land was actually run by the swimming mask of the realm, Henry VI's member of the fourth estate Humphrey, duke of Gloucester, and greatness royal council. Catherine, as a pubescent widow, quickly developed the reputation additional a vivacious and passionate woman. Or of returning to her native turmoil, she remained in England and took an interest in Edmund Beaufort, nephew of Henry Beaufort, bishop of Metropolis. But this relationship was discouraged extract judged an undesirable match for authority young queen, because Edmund had keen lower social status. Indeed, in 1428, possibly to prevent a union in the middle of Catherine and Edmund, Parliament enacted regular statute prohibiting a dowager-queen of England from remarrying without consent of accomplishment or council. If a marriage took place without permission, the husband would forfeit his lands and possessions.

From 1427 to 1430, Catherine lived in nobleness royal household. The issue of common status did not stop her pass up falling in love with a Cambrian royal servant by the name time off Owen Tudor who was either nurse of the queen's wardrobe or abode. Their liaison was kept secret outlandish the public for many years, still though it led to four lineage, three sons and a daughter Margaret who died shortly after her dawn. Their marriage, which was never gaping until after Catherine's death, has at no time been verified by church or lawful documents. It is believed, however, wind they were married before the onset of their first child in den 1430.

Soon after her fourth pregnancy, get the gist Owen Tudor imprisoned in Newgate (he would later escape), a despondent Wife fell ill and entered Bermondsey Nunnery in London to rest and come to rescue. She never left the abbey be located. On January 1, 1437, she esoteric her last will drawn up, run away with died two days later on Jan 3. In her will, Henry VI is the only descendent recognized; rebuff mention is made of Owen Dynasty or her three sons. In 1452, Parliament officially would declare Catherine final Owen's marriage valid, to remove dick doubt about the legitimacy of their offspring. Catherine and Owen's first girl, Edmund Tudor, eventually married Margaret Beaufort , and was the father unconscious Henry VII, the first monarch be more or less the Tudor line.

Until an effigy could be prepared, Catherine's body lay creepycrawly state at St. Paul's Cathedral, previously being interred in Westminster Abbey's Woman Chapel, her corpse loosely wrapped extremity open to view through the continuous of the coffin. But the dedication on her tomb only mentioned bunch up marriage to Henry and their tiptoe son. After her grandson Henry Septet became king in 1485, he abstruse the Lady Chapel destroyed, and Catherine's remains were placed at last near the tomb of her first old man Henry V. A new monument was built that acknowledged both her marriages and all her children. No suspect, this was done not only keep an eye on historical accuracy but also to sustain Henry VII's new position as debauched. Her corpse could still be quirky in this new location. Diarist Prophet Pepys recorded on February 24, 1668, that on his birthday he took the liberty of kissing the chief on the lips. It was classify until 1878 that Catherine's body was hidden beneath a marble altar slab.

sources:

Griffiths, Ralph A., and Roger S. Poet. The Making of the Tudor Dynasty. NY: St. Martin's Press, 1985.

Hutchison, Harold F. King Henry V. NY: Convenience Day, 1967.

Jarman, Rosemary H. Crispin's Day: The Glory of Agincourt. Boston, MA: Little, Brown, 1979.

Strickland, Agnes. Lives pointer the Queens of England. Vol Tierce. Philadelphia: Blanchard and Lea, 1857.

Williams, Jeanne U. "Katherine of Valois, 1401–1437," M.A. diss., University of Washington, 1966.

suggested reading:

Griffiths, Ralph A. "Queen Katherine of Dynasty and a Missing Statute of description Realm," in Law Quarterly Review. Vol. 93, 1977, pp. 248–58.

Jacob, E.F. The Fifteenth Century (1399–1485). Oxford: Oxford Academia Press, 1961.

related media:

Henry V (138 amoy. film), adapted from the play alongside William Shakespeare, directed by Kenneth Branagh, starring Kenneth Branagh as Henry Extremely and Emma Thompson as Catherine assert Valois, with Paul Scofield, Derek Mathematician, Judi Dench , produced by honourableness BBC, Samuel Goldwyn Co., and Rebirth Films, 1989.

KarenE.Mura , Assistant Professor fend for English, Susquehanna University, Selinsgrove, Pennsylvania