The Neglected Young Princess
Catherine of Valois was born a princess of France on October 27, 1401. Catherine was the daughter of King Charles VI and Isabeau of Bavaria. She spent her life as a neglected child of this royal couple.
King Charles often suffered from bouts of madness. and was often referred to as “Charles the Mad” or sometimes the Mad King. Meanwhile, her mother, Isabeau of Bavaria, would act as Regent for France in her husband’s place during his spells of madness. Rumors spread that she was much more interested in her young lovers than her children.
Brothers and Sisters
Although King Charles VI and Isabeau of Bavaria had a total of twelve children only a handful of them lived to become adults. Some that did survive died early deaths. Three were given the name Charles and two were named Jeanne after babies that had not lived very long.
- Jeanne of Valois (two were named Jeanne)
- Charles (three were named Charles)
- John
- Philip
- Marie of Valois
- Michelle of Valois
- Dauphin Louis (brother)
- Isabelle of Valois (Catherine’s older sister)
Catherine being the youngest child was probably the most neglected. She faced many challenges due to her father’s madness. Her mother’s lack of interest also affected her life, so she certainly did not live the life of a pampered fairy tale princess. Catherine did spend some of her young life growing up at Poissy Convent which was the basis for her religious education. Catherine was raised understanding that she would be merely a pawn when it came who her future husband would be. There had been negotiations since she was fairly young regarding a possible marriage to the future king of England, Henry V.
I believe that like most young princesses of Europe, she hoped for love and a family with her husband. Yet, her marriage would be to whichever member of European royalty was most beneficial to France.
Peace Through Marriage
King Charles VI reign was filled with war (known as The Hundred Year Wars). One effort at achieving peace was through marriage. Isabelle, Catherine’s older sister was married to England’s King Richard at a mere six years of age. The marriage was never consummated due to her young age and the early death of King Richard in 1400. She was held in England for some time after Richard’s death before she was allowed to return to France.
King Henry V
King Henry was a young man when he was crowned the king of England. For much of his father’s reign, the royal English family fought with France. This conflict came to be known as the “One Hundred Years War”. King Henry V signed a treaty with France on May 21, 1420. In the treaty, he demanded the return of lands that had once belonged to England. This was the Treaty of Troyes which also included Henry’s marriage to the young eighteen-year-old Catherine of Valois. A large dowry was also included in the marriage contracts.
King Henry V and Catherine of Valois were married on June 2, 1420, and Catherine was crowned queen of England in February 1421. The royal couple soon welcomed their only son Henry VI heir to both the English and France thrones. Their marriage proved to be a brief marriage. Henry V died on a battlefield in 1422 leaving a twenty-one-year-old widow and an infant son. Henry VI was only an infant when his father died. His two uncles, the Duke of Gloucester and the Duke of Bedford, controlled the government.
Queen Catherine was sent off to live quietly, at Baynard’s Castle, with only a small household staff. Her brothers-in-laws who were controlling England were concerned that if Catherine were to remarry, any new husband might influence the infant king and they would lose their power over the boy and England.
Forbidden to Love Again
The two dukes and the English parliament had specific ideas on how this young widow should conduct herself. She was also the mother of the boy king Thus they decided how she should be allowed to live her life. Therefore, parliament passed a law that forbade Catherine from establishing romantic relationships and she was forbidden to marry again without parliament’s or her young son’s approval. Any man with a title or lands would lose both his title and his land if he were to marry King Henry V’s widow. No man was willing to take the risk of angering parliament or losing their lands or titles. As her son was only a year old and would not be able to give his consent for years, Catherine’s fate had just been sealed. She would never be allowed to return to France, love again, or have more children to love.
The Queen’s Secret Love
But Catherine was lonely and a very young widow. Catherine was only in her early twenties and wanted to love and marry again. She wanted more children also. However, she was shut away from society in a huge castle with little company other than those who were her servants. She was even deprived of her young son, the future king. Henry had nurses and governesses and was allowed little time with Catherine.
At some time, Catherine met and became involved with a young handsome Welsh gentleman who was in charge of the royal wardrobes. Owen Tudor was in reality a high-ranking Welshman. Thus, the two of them began a secret love affair. Although there seems to be no record of their marriage, and though it was forbidden, Catherine and Owen were secretly married. A marriage that would produce more children for Catherine to love but would also have tragic endings for both Catherine and Owen. When the marriage caught the attention of Parliament, Catherine entered a nunnery and died a short time later. Owen would be captured and imprisoned. Owen eventually escaped prison and served with Catherine’s oldest son King Henry VI but was later captured by the enemies of Henry VI and was beheaded in Hereford marketplace. He was buried in Hereford.
Children of Owen Tudor and Queen Catherine
Owen Tudor an Catherine had several children together but two would play a huge part of English royalty history. Catherine’s oldest son King Henry VI would later make his half brothers and sisters legitimate and bestow them royal titles.
Edmund Tudor 1st Earl of Richmond and father of the future king Henry VII.
Jasper Owen Earl of Pembroke who would help to bring Henry VII the crown of England.
There may have been two daughters and another son named Edward but this is unknown for certain.
Catherine’s grandson would later become king making Catherine the wife of a king, the mother of another king, and the grandmother of the first Tudor king.
References
- Griffiths, Ralph A., and Roger S. Thomas. The Making of the Tudor Dynasty. NY: St. Martin’s Press, 1985.
- https://www.encyclopedia.com/women/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/catherine-valois-1401-1437
- https://www.geni.com/people/Catherine-of-Valois-Queen-consort-of-England/5395072124840042760
- https://www.englishmonarchs.co.uk/plantagenet_36.html
- Mark Cartwright. https://www.worldhistory.org/Owen_Tudor/ (published on 3 April, 2020)
- Wu Mingren. https://www.ancient-origins.net/history-famous-people/catherine-valois-0013959 (updated 9 July, 2020 – 13:56)
© 2021 L.M. Hosler
