Catherine of Valois, Queen of England 1420-1422

Catherine Valois

Born: 27 Oct 1401, Paris, France
Died: 3 Jan 1437, London, England

Reigned England: 2 June 1420 – 31 Aug 1422

Married Henry V Plantagenet King of England: 2 June 1420
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She was the daughter of Charles VI Valois King of France and Isabella of Bavaria.

Married 1st Henry V King of England
Children: 1
1. Henry VI, King of England (6 Dec 1421 – 21 May 1471)

Married 2nd Owen Tudor: 1431?
Children: 6
1. Thomas (6 Nov 1429 - 1501)
2. Edmund, Earl of Richmond (1430 - 1 Nov 1456) Married Margaret Beaufort, 1 Son Henry VII King of England
3. Jasper 1st Earl of Pembroke (1431 – 26 Dec 1495)
4. Owen (1432 - 1510) Monk at Westminser Abbey
5. Tacinda (1433 - ) married Reginald Grey, Baron Grey of Wilton, had issue
6. Margaret (Jan 1437)

She was born at the palace of Hôtel Saint-Pol. After she was born there was talks with Henry IV of England to marry her to his son Henry V which continued after Henry IV died but Hnery V wanted a large dowery and acknowledgement of his right to the throne of France. During a campagne Henry V met her at Meulan in 1420 and became enamoured with her as she was said to be very attractive. After they married she went to England with her husband who then returned to his military campagne in France.

She was pregnant during the time her husband was gone and gave birth to a son Henry VI, her son would never meet his father as while in France he contracted dysentery and died August 31 1422. She was a very doting mother to her son.

As she was still young and able to remarry, in 1428 the Duke of Gloucester (Hunphrey, he was the infant King's uncle) who was also Lord Protector of the infant King had parlament introduce a bill setting the rules for the remarriage of a queen dowager, which stated that if the queen remarried without the King's concent the new husband would loose all his lands and possessions, but 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 (the King was 6 years old). Humprey had this done because there was rumors that the dowager queen wanted to marry Edmund Beaufort, Count of Mortain and he was against the match.

She lived with her son in the King's houshold which allowed the councillors to keep an eye on her. Despite all of this, she entered into an relationship with Owen ap Maredudd ap Tudor of Wales. She had her first child with Owen at Windsor Castle. In may 1432 Owen was granted the rights of an englishman by Parliament.

There is no clear evidence that they ever married as there is no documentation, although they may done it in secret. She died after giving birth to her last child. Shortly after Owen was arrested on unspecified charges but was released. Owen was later executed in 1461 by Yorkists following the Battle of Mortimer's Cross in Herefordshire. Her son Henry would later grant his half brothers earldoms.


Link to Henry V: [link]
Link to son Henry VI: [link]



All credit goes to Doll-Divine and Azalea's Dress Up Doll Tudor Maker.

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