Catherine of Valois

Catherine of ValoisShe was born on October 27, 1401 in Paris, France, the daughter of King Charles VI of France and Queen Elizabeth of Bavaria. She was the couple’s youngest daughter and the third youngest of the twelve children they had, four of whom died young. Catherine is believed to have had a lonely childhood, as she was abandoned by her mother and did not have a good life. According to historical sources, the mother ofKatherineHe sent her to a convent in Poissy to study religion.

The father ofKatherine, King Charles VI of France, was at war with England. Henry V of England, son of Henry IV of England, won the Battle of Agincourt, which was one of the first victories in a hundred years of war. In 1420, the Treaty of Troyes was signed between King Charles VI of France and Henry V, which would result in Henry V marryingKatherine.

Henry V sawKatherinefor the first time in Meulan-en-Yvelines and was immediately enchanted by its beauty. They were married in the parish church of San Juan in June 1420, and Charles VI also recognized Henry V as heir to the French throne. After their marriage, the couple returned to England andKatherineshe was crowned queen at Westminster Abbey in February 1421. A few days later, King Henry returned to France to continue his engagement in the war.

In December 1421, the queenKatherineshe gave birth to her son, the future Henry VI, while King Henry was busy with the war in France. The king never saw his son as he died during the siege of Meaux in August 1422.Katherineshe lost her father within months of losing her husband. The death of King Charles VI made the newborn Henry VI King of France and England. AsKatherineHe was only 21 years old, the royal court feared that he could remarry, endangering the future of young Henry VI.

The Duke of Gloucester, Humphrey, became the guardian of the future king and tried to protect the interests of the young king in every possible way. There were many rumors thatKatherinehe wanted to remarry, but the duke did not approve of the options.

Sir Owen Tudor, a Welsh courtier who was in the service of the late King Henry V’s butler, Sir Walter Hungerford, drew the attention ofKatherine. Tudor was in charge of the house ofKatherinewhile living in Windsor Castle when they both fell in love. She became pregnant with their child, but there was no evidence that they were married. There were rumors that the two had been secretly married. However, even if they were married, the laws would not approve it. Parliament granted Owen Tudor the rights of an Englishman, and with the influence ofKatherineIn the royal family, the Tudor dynasty began to grow. Apart from their first son, Henry VII, who would later become King of England, they had five more children.

During the birth of your last child,Katherinedied of complications related to childbirth on January 3, 1437. However, rumor spread that she did not die in childbirth, but from a disease for which she had been seeking a cure. His mortal body rests in the old Lady Chapel in Westminster Abbey, and with his death, Owen Tudor lost his greatest support in England. He was arrested and sent to prison for violating the law to remarry a widowed queen. He was later released and knighted by King Henry VII.