Catherine of Valois
Encyclopedia
Catherine of France (27 October 1401 – 3 January 1437) was the Queen consort
of England from 1420 until 1422. She was the daughter of King Charles VI of France
, wife of Henry V of Monmouth, King of England
, mother of Henry VI, King of England
and King of France, and through her secret marriage with Owen Tudor
, the grandmother of King Henry VII of England
. Catherine's older sister, Isabella of Valois, was Queen consort of England from 1396–1399, as the child bride of King Richard II of England
.
. She was born at the Hôtel Saint-Pol
(a royal palace in Paris) on 27 October 1401. Early on, there had been a discussion of marrying her to the son of Henry IV, but the king died before negotiations could begin. The new king, Henry V, also proposed the match, but demanded a large dowry and acknowledgement of his right to the throne of France.
Henry V went to war with France, and even after the great English victory at Agincourt
, plans for the marriage continued. Catherine was said to be very attractive and when Henry finally met her at Meulan
, he became enamoured. In May 1420, a peace treaty was made between England and France, and Charles acknowledged Henry of England as his heir. Catherine and Henry were married at the Parish Church of St John or at Troyes Cathedral on 2 June 1420.7
Catherine went to England with her new husband and was crowned queen in Westminster Abbey
on 23 February 1421. In June of 1421, Henry returned to France to continue his military campaigns.
By this time, Catherine was several months pregnant and gave birth to Prince Henry
on 6 December 1421 at Windsor. The boy and his father would never see each other. During the siege of Meaux
, Henry V contracted a fatal illness and died on 31 August 1422, just before his 35th birthday. Catherine was not quite 21 and was left a widow and Dowager Queen of England.
Charles VI died a couple of months after Henry V, making the young Henry VI
king of England and English-occupied northern France. Catherine doted on her young son during his early childhood.
However, Catherine was still young and marriageable, a source of concern to the Lord Protector
of England, the king's uncle, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester
. Rumours abounded that Catherine planned to marry Edmund Beaufort, Count of Mortain
, her late husband's cousin. Humphrey was strongly against the match, however, and in the Parliament of 1427–8, a bill was introduced setting the rules for the remarriage of a queen dowager. The bill stated that if the Queen remarried without the king's consent, the husband would lose his lands and possessions, although any children of the marriage would still be members of the royal family and would not suffer punishment. Another rule stipulated that the king's permission could only be granted once he had reached his majority. At the time the bill was written, the king was only six years old.
Catherine lived in the king's household, presumably so she could care for her young son, but the arrangement also enabled the councillors to watch over the queen herself.
Despite all of this, Catherine entered into an amorous relationship with Owen ap Maredudd ap Tudor
of Wales
. There are many tales, most unsupported, of how Catherine and Owen met. Owen was probably born in about 1400, and may have gone to war in the service of Henry V's steward Sir Walter Hungerford
in 1421 in France. Tudor was most likely appointed keeper of the queen's household or wardrobe. The relationship began when Catherine lived at Windsor Castle
, and she became pregnant with their first child there. At some point, she stopped living in the King's household and in May 1432 Parliament granted Owen the rights of an Englishman
. This was important because of Henry IV's laws limiting the rights of Welshmen.
It is unclear whether Catherine and Owen Tudor actually married. No documentation of such a marriage exists. Moreover, even if they had been married, the question exists if the marriage would have been lawful, given the Act of 1428. From the relationship of Owen Tudor and Queen Catherine descended Henry VII of England
and the Tudor Dynasty
. Tudor historians asserted that Owen and Catherine had been married, for their lawful marriage was a vital link in the argument for the legitimacy of the Tudor dynasty.
Owen and Catherine had at least five children (four living to adulthood). Edmund
, Jasper and Owen were all born away from court. They had two daughters, Margaret, who became a nun, and Tacina, who married Reynold Grey.
Catherine entered Bermondsey Abbey
, possibly seeking a cure for an illness that had troubled her for some time (possibly cancer). She was also pregnant with her last child at the time and gave birth just days before her own demise. She made her will just three days before her death on 3 January 1437. She now rests at Westminster Abbey in Henry V's Chantry Chapel.
After the Queen's death, Owen and Catherine's enemies decided to proceed against Owen for violating the law of the remarriage of the Dowager Queen. Owen appeared before the Council, acquitting himself of all charges and was released. On his way back to Wales, he was arrested and his possessions seized. He tried to escape from Newgate
jail in early 1438 and eventually ended up at Windsor Castle in July of that year.
Meanwhile, Owen and Catherine's two older sons, Edmund and Jasper, went to live with Katherine de la Pole
, Abbess of Barking
and sister of the Duke of Suffolk
. Sometime after 1442, the king (their half-brother) took a role in their upbringing. Owen, their father, was eventually released on £2000 bail, but was pardoned in November 1439 (and the bail cancelled in 1440). Owen was treated well afterwards and was a member of the king's household until the mid-1450s.
. Owen Tudor was arrested on unspecified charges shortly after her death, but later released. He lived until 1461, when he was executed by the Yorkists following the Battle of Mortimer's Cross
in Herefordshire. Their sons were given Earldoms by Catherine's son King Henry VI. Edmund married Margaret Beaufort
, a lady of royal descent, whose son became King Henry VII
.
The wooden funeral effigy which was carried at her funeral still survives at Westminster Abbey and is on display in the Undercroft Museum. Her tomb originally boasted an alabaster
memorial, which was deliberately destroyed during extensions to the abbey in the reign of her grandson, Henry VII
. It has been suggested that Henry ordered her memorial to be removed to distance himself from his illegitimate ancestry. At this time, her coffin lid was accidentally raised, revealing her corpse, which for generations became a tourist attraction. In 1669 the diarist Samuel Pepys
kissed the long-deceased queen on his birthday:
Catherine's remains were not properly re-interred until the reign of Queen Victoria
.
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Queen consort
A queen consort is the wife of a reigning king. A queen consort usually shares her husband's rank and holds the feminine equivalent of the king's monarchical titles. Historically, queens consort do not share the king regnant's political and military powers. Most queens in history were queens consort...
of England from 1420 until 1422. She was the daughter of King Charles VI of France
Charles VI of France
Charles VI , called the Beloved and the Mad , was the King of France from 1380 to 1422, as a member of the House of Valois. His bouts with madness, which seem to have begun in 1392, led to quarrels among the French royal family, which were exploited by the neighbouring powers of England and Burgundy...
, wife of Henry V of Monmouth, King of England
Henry V of England
Henry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
, mother of Henry VI, King of England
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
and King of France, and through her secret marriage with Owen Tudor
Owen Tudor
Sir Owen Meredith Tudor was a Welsh soldier and courtier, descended from a daughter of the Welsh prince Rhys ap Gruffudd, "Lord Rhys". However, Owen Tudor is particularly remembered for his role in founding England's Tudor dynasty – including his relationship with, and probable secret marriage to,...
, the grandmother of King Henry VII of England
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
. Catherine's older sister, Isabella of Valois, was Queen consort of England from 1396–1399, as the child bride of King Richard II of England
Richard II of England
Richard II was King of England, a member of the House of Plantagenet and the last of its main-line kings. He ruled from 1377 until he was deposed in 1399. Richard was a son of Edward, the Black Prince, and was born during the reign of his grandfather, Edward III...
.
Summary of Catherine
Catherine of Valois was the daughter of King Charles VI of France and his wife Isabelle of BavariaIsabeau of Bavaria
Isabeau of Bavaria was Queen consort of France as spouse of King Charles VI of France, a member of the Valois Dynasty...
. She was born at the Hôtel Saint-Pol
Hôtel Saint-Pol
The hôtel Saint-Pol was a royal residence begun in 1361 by Charles V of France on the ruins of a building constructed by Louis IX. It was used by Charles V and Charles VI.- Description :...
(a royal palace in Paris) on 27 October 1401. Early on, there had been a discussion of marrying her to the son of Henry IV, but the king died before negotiations could begin. The new king, Henry V, also proposed the match, but demanded a large dowry and acknowledgement of his right to the throne of France.
Battle of Agincourt
The Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
, plans for the marriage continued. Catherine was said to be very attractive and when Henry finally met her at Meulan
Meulan
Meulan-en-Yvelines is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France. It hosted part of the sailing events for the 1900 Summer Olympics held in neighboring Paris, and would do so again twenty-four years later.-People:*Mbaye Niang footballer*Ibrahim Sacko...
, he became enamoured. In May 1420, a peace treaty was made between England and France, and Charles acknowledged Henry of England as his heir. Catherine and Henry were married at the Parish Church of St John or at Troyes Cathedral on 2 June 1420.7
Catherine went to England with her new husband and was crowned queen in Westminster Abbey
Westminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
on 23 February 1421. In June of 1421, Henry returned to France to continue his military campaigns.
By this time, Catherine was several months pregnant and gave birth to Prince Henry
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
on 6 December 1421 at Windsor. The boy and his father would never see each other. During the siege of Meaux
Meaux
Meaux is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in the metropolitan area of Paris, France. It is located east-northeast from the center of Paris. Meaux is a sub-prefecture of the department and the seat of an arondissement...
, Henry V contracted a fatal illness and died on 31 August 1422, just before his 35th birthday. Catherine was not quite 21 and was left a widow and Dowager Queen of England.
Charles VI died a couple of months after Henry V, making the young Henry VI
Henry VI of England
Henry VI was King of England from 1422 to 1461 and again from 1470 to 1471, and disputed King of France from 1422 to 1453. Until 1437, his realm was governed by regents. Contemporaneous accounts described him as peaceful and pious, not suited for the violent dynastic civil wars, known as the Wars...
king of England and English-occupied northern France. Catherine doted on her young son during his early childhood.
However, Catherine was still young and marriageable, a source of concern to the Lord Protector
Lord Protector
Lord Protector is a title used in British constitutional law for certain heads of state at different periods of history. It is also a particular title for the British Heads of State in respect to the established church...
of England, the king's uncle, Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester
Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester
Humphrey of Lancaster, 1st Duke of Gloucester, 1st Earl of Pembroke, KG , also known as Humphrey Plantagenet, was "son, brother and uncle of kings", being the fourth and youngest son of king Henry IV of England by his first wife, Mary de Bohun, brother to king Henry V of England, and uncle to the...
. Rumours abounded that Catherine planned to marry Edmund Beaufort, Count of Mortain
Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset
Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset, KG , sometimes styled 1st Duke of Somerset, was an English nobleman and an important figure in the Wars of the Roses and in the Hundred Years' War...
, her late husband's cousin. Humphrey was strongly against the match, however, and in the Parliament of 1427–8, a bill was introduced setting the rules for the remarriage of a queen dowager. The bill stated that if the Queen remarried without the king's consent, the husband would lose his lands and possessions, although any children of the marriage would still be members of the royal family and would not suffer punishment. Another rule stipulated that the king's permission could only be granted once he had reached his majority. At the time the bill was written, the king was only six years old.
Catherine lived in the king's household, presumably so she could care for her young son, but the arrangement also enabled the councillors to watch over the queen herself.
Despite all of this, Catherine entered into an amorous relationship with Owen ap Maredudd ap Tudor
Owen Tudor
Sir Owen Meredith Tudor was a Welsh soldier and courtier, descended from a daughter of the Welsh prince Rhys ap Gruffudd, "Lord Rhys". However, Owen Tudor is particularly remembered for his role in founding England's Tudor dynasty – including his relationship with, and probable secret marriage to,...
of Wales
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
. There are many tales, most unsupported, of how Catherine and Owen met. Owen was probably born in about 1400, and may have gone to war in the service of Henry V's steward Sir Walter Hungerford
Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford
Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford KG was an English knight, landowner, from 1400 to 1414 Member of the House of Commons, of which he became Speaker, then was an Admiral and peer....
in 1421 in France. Tudor was most likely appointed keeper of the queen's household or wardrobe. The relationship began when Catherine lived at Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle
Windsor Castle is a medieval castle and royal residence in Windsor in the English county of Berkshire, notable for its long association with the British royal family and its architecture. The original castle was built after the Norman invasion by William the Conqueror. Since the time of Henry I it...
, and she became pregnant with their first child there. At some point, she stopped living in the King's household and in May 1432 Parliament granted Owen the rights of an Englishman
Rights of Englishmen
The rights of Englishmen are the perceived traditional rights of British subjects. The notion refers to various constitutional documents that were created throughout various stages of English history, such as Magna Carta, the Declaration of Right , and others...
. This was important because of Henry IV's laws limiting the rights of Welshmen.
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
and the Tudor Dynasty
Tudor dynasty
The Tudor dynasty or House of Tudor was a European royal house of Welsh origin that ruled the Kingdom of England and its realms, including the Lordship of Ireland, later the Kingdom of Ireland, from 1485 until 1603. Its first monarch was Henry Tudor, a descendant through his mother of a legitimised...
. Tudor historians asserted that Owen and Catherine had been married, for their lawful marriage was a vital link in the argument for the legitimacy of the Tudor dynasty.
Owen and Catherine had at least five children (four living to adulthood). Edmund
Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond
Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond , also known as Edmund of Hadham , was the father of King Henry VII of England and a member of the Tudor family of Penmynydd, North Wales.-Birth and early life:...
, Jasper and Owen were all born away from court. They had two daughters, Margaret, who became a nun, and Tacina, who married Reynold Grey.
Catherine entered Bermondsey Abbey
Bermondsey Abbey
Bermondsey Abbey was an English Benedictine monastery. Most widely known as an 11th-century foundation, it had a precursor mentioned in the early 8th century, and was centred on what is now Bermondsey Square, the site of Bermondsey Market, Bermondsey in the London Borough of Southwark, southeast...
, possibly seeking a cure for an illness that had troubled her for some time (possibly cancer). She was also pregnant with her last child at the time and gave birth just days before her own demise. She made her will just three days before her death on 3 January 1437. She now rests at Westminster Abbey in Henry V's Chantry Chapel.
After the Queen's death, Owen and Catherine's enemies decided to proceed against Owen for violating the law of the remarriage of the Dowager Queen. Owen appeared before the Council, acquitting himself of all charges and was released. On his way back to Wales, he was arrested and his possessions seized. He tried to escape from Newgate
Newgate
Newgate at the west end of Newgate Street was one of the historic seven gates of London Wall round the City of London and one of the six which date back to Roman times. From it a Roman road led west to Silchester...
jail in early 1438 and eventually ended up at Windsor Castle in July of that year.
Meanwhile, Owen and Catherine's two older sons, Edmund and Jasper, went to live with Katherine de la Pole
Katherine de la Pole
Katherine de la Pole was the oldest daughter of Michael de la Pole, 2nd Earl of Suffolk and Katherine de Stafford.She became abbess of Barking Abbey. In this capacity, she took care of Edmund and Jasper Tudor, the two eldest sons of Catherine of Valois by her second husband Owen Tudor...
, Abbess of Barking
Barking Abbey
The ruined remains of Barking Abbey are situated in Barking in the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham in east London, England, and now form a public open space.- History :...
and sister of the Duke of Suffolk
William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk
William de la Pole, 1st Duke of Suffolk, KG , nicknamed Jack Napes , was an important English soldier and commander in the Hundred Years' War, and later Lord Chamberlain of England.He also appears prominently in William Shakespeare's Henry VI, part 1 and Henry VI, part 2 and other...
. Sometime after 1442, the king (their half-brother) took a role in their upbringing. Owen, their father, was eventually released on £2000 bail, but was pardoned in November 1439 (and the bail cancelled in 1440). Owen was treated well afterwards and was a member of the king's household until the mid-1450s.
Death and burial
Catherine died on 3 January 1437, shortly after childbirth, in London, and was buried in Westminster AbbeyWestminster Abbey
The Collegiate Church of St Peter at Westminster, popularly known as Westminster Abbey, is a large, mainly Gothic church, in the City of Westminster, London, United Kingdom, located just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. It is the traditional place of coronation and burial site for English,...
. Owen Tudor was arrested on unspecified charges shortly after her death, but later released. He lived until 1461, when he was executed by the Yorkists following the Battle of Mortimer's Cross
Battle of Mortimer's Cross
The Battle of Mortimer's Cross was fought on 2 February 1461 near Wigmore, Herefordshire . It was part of the Wars of the Roses....
in Herefordshire. Their sons were given Earldoms by Catherine's son King Henry VI. Edmund married Margaret Beaufort
Margaret Beaufort
Lady Margaret Beaufort , later Countess of Richmond and Derby, was the mother of King Henry VII and grandmother of King Henry VIII of England. She was a key figure in the Wars of the Roses, an influential matriarch of the House of Tudor and foundress of two Cambridge colleges...
, a lady of royal descent, whose son became King Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
.
The wooden funeral effigy which was carried at her funeral still survives at Westminster Abbey and is on display in the Undercroft Museum. Her tomb originally boasted an alabaster
Alabaster
Alabaster is a name applied to varieties of two distinct minerals, when used as a material: gypsum and calcite . The former is the alabaster of the present day; generally, the latter is the alabaster of the ancients...
memorial, which was deliberately destroyed during extensions to the abbey in the reign of her grandson, Henry VII
Henry VII of England
Henry VII was King of England and Lord of Ireland from his seizing the crown on 22 August 1485 until his death on 21 April 1509, as the first monarch of the House of Tudor....
. It has been suggested that Henry ordered her memorial to be removed to distance himself from his illegitimate ancestry. At this time, her coffin lid was accidentally raised, revealing her corpse, which for generations became a tourist attraction. In 1669 the diarist Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys FRS, MP, JP, was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man...
kissed the long-deceased queen on his birthday:
Catherine's remains were not properly re-interred until the reign of Queen Victoria
Victoria of the United Kingdom
Victoria was the monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland from 20 June 1837 until her death. From 1 May 1876, she used the additional title of Empress of India....
.
In historical fiction
- Catherine of Valois is the subject of Rosemary Hawley JarmanRosemary Hawley JarmanRosemary Hawley Jarman is an English novelist and writer of short stories. She was born in Worcester April 27, 1935. She was educated first at Saint Mary's Convent and then at The Alice Ottley School, leaving at eighteen to study singing in London for the next three years, having developed a fine...
's novel "Crown in Candlelight" (1978) - In the book, "The Queen's Secret" by Jean Plaidy, Catherine is the title character.
- William ShakespeareWilliam ShakespeareWilliam Shakespeare was an English poet and playwright, widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's national poet and the "Bard of Avon"...
's play Henry VHenry V (play)Henry V is a history play by William Shakespeare, believed to be written in approximately 1599. Its full titles are The Cronicle History of Henry the Fifth and The Life of Henry the Fifth...
depicts Catherine of Valois' marriage to Henry V of EnglandHenry V of EnglandHenry V was King of England from 1413 until his death at the age of 35 in 1422. He was the second monarch belonging to the House of Lancaster....
after the Battle of AgincourtBattle of AgincourtThe Battle of Agincourt was a major English victory against a numerically superior French army in the Hundred Years' War. The battle occurred on Friday, 25 October 1415 , near modern-day Azincourt, in northern France...
. - Dedwydd Jones' novel, published in 2002, "The Lily and the Dragon", tells the story of Owain Tudor and Catherine of Valois.
- Vanora Bennet's novel "The Queen's Lover" (2009) is based on the life of Catherine of Valois.
External links
- Heidi Murphy Catherine of Valois (1401–1437)
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