by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Credit – Wikipedia

Catherine of Braganza (Catarina Henriqueta) was born on November 25, 1638, at the Ducal Palace of Vila Viçosa in Vila Viçosa, Portugal. Her parents were João, 8th Duke of Braganza and Luisa de Guzmán.  When Catherine was two years old, her father became King João IV of Portugal when the Portuguese Restoration War ended the sixty-year rule of Portugal by the Spanish Habsburgs.

Catherine had six siblings:

• Infante Teodósio, Prince of Brazil (1634 – 1653), unmarried
• Ana of Braganza (born and died 1635), died at birth
• Infanta Joana, Princess of Beira (1635 – 1653), unmarried
• Manuel of Portugal (born and died 1640), died at birth
• Afonso VI, King of Portugal (1643 – 1683) married Maria Francisca of Savoy, no children, marriage annulled
• Pedro II, King of Portugal (1648 – 1706), married  (1) Maria Francisca of Savoy, his brother’s former wife, had one daughter (2)  Maria Sophia of Neuburg, had seven children

The accession of Catherine’s father as King of Portugal brought a great change in the family’s status and Catherine became a potential royal bride for John of Austria (illegitimate son of King Philip IV of Spain), François de Vendôme, duc de Beaufort (illegitimate grandson of King Henry IV of France and cousin to King Louis XIV of France), King Louis XIV of France, and King Charles II of England.  She had first been suggested as a bride for King Charles II of England in 1645 during the reign of Charles’ father King Charles I of England and again in 1660 when the monarchy was restored in England.

Already there were rumors of Catherine’s inability to have children, but the newly restored King Charles II was eager to have the £300,000 dowry.  The marriage contract was signed on June 23, 1661.  Catherine set sail for England in April of 1662 and landed at Portsmouth, England on May 13, 1662.  On May 21, 1662, King Charles II and Catherine were married in Portsmouth in two ceremonies, a private Catholic one, and a public Anglican one.  Catherine’s Roman Catholicism made her an unpopular queen.

Despite fathering at least 16 illegitimate children with his mistresses, Charles had no children with Catherine.  It is thought that Catherine did have at least three miscarriages.  Despite having many mistresses, Charles insisted that Catherine be treated with respect, and sided with her over his mistresses when he felt she was not receiving the respect she was due.  After an initial shock at being presented to Charles’ mistress right after her marriage, Catherine maintained a dignified attitude towards her husband’s mistresses and showed many acts of kindness to his illegitimate children. When it became apparent that Catherine would not produce an heir to the throne, it was suggested that Charles divorce his wife and marry a Protestant princess.  Charles refused the suggestion.

On  February 2, 1685, King Charles II suffered an apparent stroke and died four days later.  While Charles was dying, Catherine was ill and sent a message begging his forgiveness for being unable to come to him. Charles replied to her, “Alas, poor woman, it is I who should be begging forgiveness.”

After the death of King Charles II and the accession of Charles’ brother King James II, Catherine continued to live at Somerset House in London.  Catherine was present at the 1688 birth of King James II’s son James Francis Edward, Prince of Wales, and was his godmother.  When rumors began to spread that he was an impostor baby, and had been smuggled into the royal birth chamber in a warming pan, Catherine was one of the witnesses giving evidence of his legitimacy.  Catherine remained in England after King James II was overthrown in 1688 by the Glorious Revolution and his daughter and her husband and first cousin took the throne as King William III and Queen Mary II.  However, Catherine found that her position with the new monarchs deteriorated and she decided to return to Portugal in 1693.

After living in the homes of noblemen in Lisbon, Portugal for a period of time, Catherine decided to build her own palace, the Palace of Bemposta.  Catherine was an important female figure to her nephew, the future King João V of Portugal after his mother died.  When her brother King Pedro II grew tired of government, Catherine served as his regent.

Catherine died at her Palace of Bemposta in Lisbon, Portugal on December 31, 1705, at the age of 67.  She was originally buried at the Jerónimos Monastery in Lisbon, Portugal.  On September 29, 1855, Catherine’s remains along with the remains of other family members were re-interred at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora.

Tomb of Catherine of Braganza; Credit: www.findagrave.com

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House of Stuart Resources at Unofficial Royalty

• United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Index
• House of Stuart Index
• Coronations after the Norman Conquest (1066 – present)
• History and Traditions: Stuart Weddings
• House of Stuart Burial Sites
• House of Stuart Christenings

by Emily McMahon, revised by Susan Flantzer © Unofficial Royalty 2013

Philippa of Lancaster, Queen of Portugal; Credit – Wikipedia

Philippa of Lancaster was born on March 31, 1359, at Leicester Castle in Leicestershire, England. She was the eldest of the seven children of John of Gaunt, a son of King Edward III of England, and his first wife Blanche of Lancaster.  Philippa’s brother Henry later became King of England as Henry IV. Philippa was raised with her brother and sister Elizabeth, her only siblings to survive childhood.  When Philippa was nine years old, her mother Blanche died at age 23, possibly of the plague or due to childbirth complications.

Philippa’s six siblings:

• John (c.1362/1364), died in infancy
• Elizabeth (1364 – 1426), married (1) John Hastings, 3rd Earl of Pembroke, no issue  (2) John Holland, 1st Duke of Exeter, had issue  (3) John Cornwall, 1st Baron Fanhope, had issue
• Edward (born and died 1365)
• John (born and died 1366), died in early infancy
• King Henry IV of England (1367 – 1413), married (1) Mary de Bohun, had issue  (2)  Joan of Navarre, no issue
• Isabella (born 1368), died young

Philippa had two half-siblings by her father’s second marriage to Constance of Castile daughter of Pedro I, King of Castile and León:

• Catherine (1372–1418), married King Enrique III of Castile, had issue, grandmother of Queen Isabella I of Castile who was the mother of Catherine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII of England
• John (1374–1375)

Philippa also had four half-siblings from her father John of Gaunt’s third marriage to Katherine Swynford, first his mistress and later his wife. The children were legitimized in 1397, and the House of Tudor is descended from their first son John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset

• John Beaufort, 1st Earl of Somerset (1373 – 1410), married Margaret Holland, had issue
• Cardinal Henry Beaufort, Bishop of Winchester (1375 – 1447)
• Thomas Beaufort, Duke of Exeter (1377 – 1427), married Margaret Neville, no surviving issue
• Joan Beaufort, Countess of Westmorland (1379 – 1440), married (1) Robert Ferrers, 5th Baron Boteler of Wem, had issue;  (2) Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland, had issue including Lady Cecily Neville, wife of Richard, 3rd Duke of York, Yorkist claimant during the Wars of the Roses and mother of King Edward IV of England and King Richard III of England

Philippa married King Joáo I of Portugal in the Cathedral of the Assumption of Our Lady in Porto, Portugal on February 2, 1387, sealing the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance, a treaty that is still in effect. She was a comparatively older bride at 27, as most medieval royal women were married by their late teens. Philippa’s pious, maternal influences were welcomed in a court known for its debauchery and corruption.  She is known as the mother of the “Illustrious Generation” (in Portuguese Ínclita Geração) of infantes (princes) and infantas (princesses).

Philippa and Joáo  had nine children:

• Blanche (1388 – 1389), died in infancy
• Afonso (1390 – 1400), died in infancy
• King Duarte of Portugal (1391 – 1438), married Eleanor of Aragon, had issue
• Pedro, Duke of Coimbra, Regent of Portugal (1392 – 1449), married Isabella of Urgell, had issue
• Henrique of Portugal, Duke of Viseu (1394 – 1460), unmarried, known as Prince Henry the Navigator, who guided Portugal to the Age of Discoveries
• Isabella (1397 – 1471), married Philip III, Duke of Burgundy, had issue including Charles the Bold, Duke of Burgundy
• Blanche (1398 – 1398), died in infancy
• Joáo, Constable of Portugal, Lord of Reguengos (1400 – 1442), married Isabel of Barcelos, had issue, grandfather of King Manuel I of Portugal and Queen Isabella I of Castile who was the mother of Catherine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII of England
• Fernando, Master of Aviz, Lord of Salvaterra de Magos and Atouguia (1402 – 1443), unmarried, called “the Saint Prince”

The wedding of Philippa and John; Credit – Wikipedia

Philippa was a well-educated woman for the time, and her suggestion of the conquest of Ceuta eventually helped Portugal dominate the African spice trade.  Philippa and Joáo were about to set sail to attack Ceuta when, Philippa died on July 19, 1415, at the age of 55 of the plague.  She was buried at the Monastery of Batalha in  Leiria, Portugal. The monastery was built to thank the Virgin Mary for the Portuguese victory over the Castilians at the Battle of Aljubarrota in 1385, fulfilling a promise of King Joáo I of Portugal.  Her husband survived her by 18 years and was laid to rest next to Philippa when he died in 1433. Their four younger sons are also buried at the Monastery of Batalha.

Tomb of King Joáo I of Portugal and his wife Philippa; By Daniel VILLAFRUELA, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=37869378

This article is the intellectual property of Unofficial Royalty and is NOT TO BE COPIED, EDITED, OR POSTED IN ANY FORM ON ANOTHER WEBSITE under any circumstances. It is permissible to use a link that directs to Unofficial Royalty.