Catherine of Braganza

25 November 1638 (Vila Viçosa in Alentejo, Portugal) - 31 December 1705 (Lisbon, Portugal). Wife of Charles II.

Early life

Catherine of Braganza was the daughter of John of Braganza, later King John IV of Portugal, and Luiza Maria, daughter of Juan Manuel Domingo Perez de Guzman (eighth duke of Medina Sidonia). In 1644, King John tried to arrange a marriage between his daughter and Charles Stuart, Prince of Wales, but his idea was rejected.

Some scholars say that Catherine was raised in a convent (Panzer 128), others argue that she was brought up in the royal palace (Wynne). In 1660, her mother renewed the marriage proposal between Catherine and Charles and this time the Royal family agreed. The English were interested in her marriage portion: £300,000, the strategic trading posts Tangier and Bombay as well as free trade with the East Indies and Brazil. In return, the Portuguese sought English protection against Spain. The marriage treaty was signed on 23 June 1661.

Queen of England

When Catherine landed in Portsmouth on 13 May 1662, she spoke almost no English. Charles II and Catherine married on 21 May 1662 in Portsmouth. Catherine insisted on a Catholic ceremony. Therefore, the couple married first in a secret Catholic ceremony, second in a public Protestant ceremony.

Charles II was known as "merry monarch" with quite a few mistresses. He did not stop this behaviour after his marriage and - after a few angry protests, Catherine adjusted to her husband’s affairs. After several miscarriages, discontent arose among the English people because Catherine could not bear an heir to the throne. Another problem was Catherine’s faith. In a mainly Protestant country, a Catholic queen was not appreciated by the people. In 1678, for instance, during the Popish Plot, Titus Oates even tried to overthrow the queen by telling Parliament that she had plotted to kill the king, but he failed. Attempts during the Exclusion Crisis to encourage Charles II to get a divorce also failed, because the king refused to separate from Catherine.

Life after Charles’ Death and Return to Portugal

In 1685, Charles II fell ill and died on 6 February. After her husband’s death, Catherine lived in Somerset House as well as in her summer residence Hammersmith. She experienced less difficulties regarding her Catholic religion as the new king, James II, was Catholic himself. In 1687 Catherine breathed the wish to leave England but she was not permitted. According to Wynne her presence in England during the "Glorious" Revolution irritated William and Mary (Wynne). In 1692, Catherine left England at the request of her brother King Pedro II and returned to Portugal (Panzer 133-134).

She moved to a palace in Bemposta near Lisbon. In 1704 her brother, King Pedro II, fell ill and she had to assume the reins of government. Catherine managed to defend Portugal against Spain and she ruled the country as a regent until her death on 31 December 1705.

References

"Catherine of Braganza." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online Academic Edition. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2013, <http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/99703/Catherine-of-Braganza, accessed 21 April 2013.

Hutton, Ronald. The Restoration. A Political and Religious History of England and Wales 1658-1667. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1985.

Panzer, Marita A. Englands Königinnen. München: Piper, 2003.

Wynne, S. M. "Catherine (1638–1705)". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edition, Jan 2008, http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/4894, accessed 21 April 2013.