June 2, 1418 death of Catherine of Lancaster, Queen of Castile (yes could have been British thread to but decided to go by her marriage and kids).
Catherine was the daughter of John of Gaunt, Duke of Lancaster and his second wife Constance of Castile. Her paternal grandparents were Edward III and Philippa of Hainault. And her maternal grandparents were Peter I of Castile and his first wife María de Padilla. Peter had been assassinated by his half-brother who had seized the throne of Castile.
Catherine was one of 2 children from her father's marriage. She had 10 half-siblings (4 of whom were born during her parents' marriage).
Her siblings:
-Philippa: married John of Portugal. Had eight children. Including the famous 'Henry the Navigator' (1st wife)
-John: died at 3
-Elizabeth: married 3 times including John Holland, Duke of Exeter. She had 8 children from her last 2 marriages (first was annulled)
-Edward: died the year he was born
-Henry: became Henry IV. Married Mary de Bohun and Joanna of Navarre. Had six kids with his first wife including Henry V.
-Isabel: last child of the 1st wife. died in first year of life.
-John: Catherine's only full sibling. died as an infant
-John: Earl of Sommerset (1st child by third wife Katherine Swynford). Married Margaret Holland. Father of 6, great-grandfather of Henry VII.
-Henry: bishop of Winchester
-Thomas: Duke of Exeter, married Margaret Neville. no children
-Joan: married twice. 2 children by Robert Ferrers, 5th Baron Boteler of Wem. And 14 by Ralph Neville, 1st Earl of Westmorland. Her daughter Cecily by her second husband was mother of Edward IV and Richard III.
Catherine was born March 31, 1373 in Hertford castle which was her father's primary residence.
In 1385 John of Portugal defeated the Catilian army and cemented Portugal's independence. At the time John encouraged Catherine's father to come and assert his wife's claim to Castile. The current king of Castile John I was Constance's half-cousin. He was the son of Henry II, Constance's Uncle who had assassinated her father and took his throne. Constance's only brother had died, and she was the eldest living sister (her younger sister Isabella was married to the duke of York, her older sister had been a nun and had died by this time). Catherine accompanied her parents to Portugal. They cemented the alliance with Portugal against Castile with the marriage of her half sister Philippa to John of Portugal.
After an unsuccessful attempt to take Leon, her father came to an agreement with John of Castile. In return for Constance giving up her claim to the Castile throne, her daughter Catherine would marry his son Henry. The marriage added legitimacy to John's line as well as ending the Spanish side of the hundred years war. Henry was his father's heir.
September 17, 1388 Catherine was married to the nine year old Henry. She was 15. They were married at Palencia cathedral. In 1390 her husband became Henry III when his father died, but he was not declared of age to rule until 1393. Catherine's only contribution to his reign was giving him three children. She was a great supporter though of the Dominican order and she was a staunch supporter of the anti Pope.
Her husband died in 1406. She was named by her husband as co-regent to her son John II until he came of age. She shared the duty with her brother in law Ferdinand I of Aragon. Catherine was to have relinquished custody of her son to two nobles though. She prepared to defend herself in her castle Alcázar of Segovia, as she refused to give up her infant son. Ferdinand though stepped in and worked it out to allow her to retain custody.
Catherine was given control of Castile and Leon. She was a strong leader who while their French alliances weakened, strengthened their bonds with Portugal and England. She worked closely with her brother Henry IV to strengthen trade between their two kingdoms.
Unfortunately when Ferdinand died in 1416 she lost most of her power. She had been backed by his rivals and they no longer supported her. She died 2 years later leaving her 13 year old son to the hands of courtiers.
She is buried with her husband at the Cathedral of Toledo.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathe...ia/File:Sepulcro_de_Catalina_de_Lancáster.JPG
Catherine of Aragon, her great-granddaughter, was named for her.
Catherine bore her husband three children. She and her brother in law/co-regent Ferdinand arranged to marry all 3 of her children one of his children.
-Maria: married Ferdinand's eldest son Alfonso V of Aragon. Their marriage was childless, and he was succeeded by his brother John II.
-Catherine: married Ferdinand's fourth child and 3rd son Henry, Duke of Villena. She died after suffering a miscarriage with their first child. The Duke of Villena title had been given to Henry by Catherine's brother John. John reclaimed the title after his sister died.
-John: became John II as an infant. He married Ferdinand's oldest daughter Maria. They had four children but only their son the future Henry IV made it to adulthood. He later married Isabella of Portugal. Isabella's father John of Portugal was the son of Philippa of Lancaster (Catherine's half sister) and John I of Portugal. He had 2 children from this marriage. By this second marriage he was father of Isabella I (Isabella and Ferdinand) and grandfather of Catherine of Aragon.
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