Catherine of Braganza
Catherine of Braganza, born on November 25, 1638, in Vila Viçosa Palace, was the daughter of John, Duke of Braganza, who became King John IV of Portugal in 1640 after the country regained independence from Spanish rule. Educated in a convent, Catherine's early life was marked by piety and seclusion, setting the stage for her eventual marriage to Charles II of England in 1662. This union was politically motivated, aimed at strengthening ties between Portugal and England, and came with a significant dowry that included valuable colonies and trading rights.
Despite her marriage, Catherine faced challenges, including a language barrier and the presence of Charles's numerous mistresses. Although she could not bear children, leading to speculation about her worth, she garnered respect for her character and loyalty. After Charles II's death in 1685, Catherine became increasingly isolated, particularly during the tumultuous reign of her brother-in-law, James II. In 1692, she returned to Portugal, where she later served as regent and managed state affairs until her death in 1705.
Catherine's legacy extends beyond her inability to produce an heir; she introduced exotic goods such as tea and silks to England, influencing British culture and colonial life. Her story reflects the complexities of her role as a foreign queen navigating love, political intrigue, and cultural exchange.
Catherine of Braganza
Queen consort of England (r. 1662-1685) and regent of Portugal (r. 1704-1705)
- Born: November 25, 1638
- Birthplace: Vila Viçosa Palace, Portugal
- Died: December 31, 1705
- Place of death: Lisbon, Portugal
Catherine’s marriage to English king Charles II conferred commercial advantages on England, renewing the fortunes of the British East India Company. Although she and Charles were unable to produce an heir, Catherine’s thirty years at court benefited Portugal, to which she returned in 1692. In 1704-1705, she acted as regent for her brother Pedro II while Portugal was at war with Spain.
Early Life
Catherine of Braganza (bruh-GAN-zuh), first daughter and third child of John, duke of Braganza, and his wife, Donna Luisa, was born on November 25, 1638, at the Vila Viçosa Palace, about 300 miles (483 kilometers) from Lisbon. By this time, Spain had controlled Portugal for sixty years. Duke John, Portugal’s wealthiest and most powerful noble, led a successful struggle for independence. In December, 1640, he became King John IV the Fortunate at his coronation in Lisbon.
Like many royal females, Catherine received a convent education, spending most of her time in devotions and needlework, secluded from the outside world. This experience reinforced her piety and gentle, trusting nature. The search for a suitable husband for her, and a powerful ally for Portugal, began when she was eight. One candidate was the young Louis XIV , who was the same age and who had become king of France before his fifth birthday. Negotiations, however, were unsuccessful.
John IV’s ambassadors were better received by Charles I . A commercial treaty between England and Portugal was signed in 1642. As the First English Civil War began, the Portuguese secretary António de Sousa Macedo helped procure arms for the English Royalist cause. In 1644, he and some of Charles I’s advisers discussed a marriage between Prince Charles, then fourteen, and one of the Portuguese Infantas. The defeat, imprisonment, and execution of Charles I in 1649, and his family’s exile on the Continent during the Commonwealth led by Oliver Cromwell, halted these proposals.
Cromwell’s death in 1658 renewed hopes of a Stuart restoration. Negotiations between the Commonwealth’s most powerful general, George Monck, and agents for Charles II culminated in the Declaration of Breda (1660), in which the king issued a general amnesty, recognized the rights of Parliament, and promised religious toleration. On May 18, 1660, Charles was proclaimed king by Parliament, and on his birthday, May 29, he entered London in triumph and still unmarried.
The Portuguese reminded the English about Catherine, offering as her dowry the African fortress of Tangier, the island of Bombay, trading rights with Brazil and India, and œ500,000. These commercial advantages would soon revitalize the East India Company , opening new opportunities to British trade. The monetary sum also made a Catholic princess more acceptable to the average Englishman. In frustration, the Spanish ambassador told Charles that Catherine was deformed and could not bear children. His first assertion was untrue; Catherine, a short, dark-eyed brunette, with small hands and feet, was not misshapen. Charles at any rate ignored his advice. Catherine left Portugal in April, 1662, and a month later, the fleet sent to conduct her to Britain reached Portsmouth. However, when she met her husband for the first time, she was ill and could not yet speak English. Whatever doubts Charles may have had at that moment, the marriage was promptly celebrated, first in a private Catholic ceremony, and then in a public Protestant service.
Life’s Work
Though not conventionally handsome, Charles II was tall, witty, athletic, and fond of women. He had enjoyed several liaisons during his fourteen-year exile; in 1662, he was infatuated with Barbara Villiers Palmer, countess of Castlemaine, beautiful, amoral, ill-tempered, and pregnant with his child. Other problems for the new bride included the language barrier and Catherine’s natural shyness. The informality of the Restoration court differed markedly from Portuguese courtly etiquette. The dress and manners of the elderly ladies in waiting selected by her mother were sources of amusement to English observers. Charles sent them home, to be replaced by Englishwomen, among whom was Lady Castlemaine. The queen knew of Castlemaine, however, and angrily refused to accept her.
Caught between a termagant mistress and an outraged queen who threatened to return home, Charles insisted it was Catherine’s wifely duty to obey his wishes. This directive may have been influenced not only by his passion for the mother of his new son, but also the realization that the monetary portion of the dowry had been supplemented by spices, silks, tea, and other exotic delights. Eventually, Catherine accepted the inevitable. Castlemaine and other mistresses, including the actress Nell Gwyn, gave Charles, an indulgent father, the children he enjoyed. Despite medicinal remedies, visits to spas, and many prayers, Catherine remained barren. Charles’s legitimate heir was, of necessity, his brother James, duke of York, who was rumored to be a secret Catholic.
Some courtiers and politicians suggested Catherine be divorced. The king refused to consider such a step, however, even during the Popish Plot of 1678, a scheme hatched by an adventurer named Titus Oates . Among the outlandish charges leveled by Oates and his associates was that the queen’s physician had agreed to poison Charles. The king and the more perceptive of his advisers quickly recognized the plot as a sham, but the Whig opposition in Parliament supported Oates’s story, hoping to limit the power of the Crown and to remove the Catholic duke of York from the succession. Charles II steadfastly defended his wife and his brother, and gradually public opinion rallied to the monarchy in the early 1680’s. Many people respected Catherine as a good woman, and she had never tried to promote her faith. To allay fears of a series of Catholic kings, Charles directed that James’s daughters, Mary and Anne, be raised as Protestants.
The death of Charles II on February 6, 1685, grieved Catherine. Despite his infidelities, she loved him, and he increasingly honored and respected her judgment. Unfortunately, the new King James II had none of his brother’s political acumen; his bigotry and arrogance offended almost everyone. When his second wife, Mary of Modena , gave birth to a son on June 10, 1688, much of the nation rejected the idea of a Catholic dynasty. Prince William III of Orange, husband of James’s elder daughter Mary, was invited to come to England, and following his successful invasion, James, his wife, and their infant son fled to France.
Catherine remained in England, but as the only Catholic in the English royal family she felt increasingly isolated. On several occasions she petitioned William and Mary to be allowed to return to Portugal. In May, 1692, her wish was granted. After a brief visit to her exiled brother-in-law and his family in France, she and her entourage reached Portugal in January, 1693. During the last years of her life, Catherine remained interested in English affairs and was on good terms with the English ambassador in Lisbon. In May, 1704, her brother Pedro II, at war with Philip IV of Spain, chose Catherine as regent. During this time she conducted state business, and implemented the recruitment of Portuguese troops. Suddenly stricken with colic, Catherine died on December 31, 1705.
Significance
Catherine is often remembered for being unable to give Charles II a legitimate heir and thus contributing involuntarily to events that led to the deposition of James II. However, her importance to English history is more than just a negative. She brought exotic goods from the Far East that soon became part of English life and were later incorporated into British colonial life and the history of American culture as well. These goods included Indian cottons, silks, lacquer work, cane chairs, porcelain, and, most popular of all, tea. It is perhaps ironic that this shy princess’s most valuable gifts to her adopted country enhanced a more gracious ways of living.
Bibliography
Bowle, John, ed. The Diary of John Evelyn. New York: Oxford University Press, 1985. Evelyn, a conservative Royalist and minor politician, chronicled public and private events from 1640 to 1706. Court life was often included in his narrative.
Coote, Stephen. Royal Survivor: The Life of Charles II. New York: St. Martin’s Press, 2000. Focusing on Charles II’s personality, political difficulties, and survival skills, this book details life at the Restoration court.
Davidson, Lillias Campbell. Catherine of Bragança: Infanta of Portugal and Queen-Consort of England. London: John Murray, 1908. Probably the earliest English biography of Catherine. Useful for details about her life before marriage and later as queen regent in Portugal. Includes letters related to Catherine and her will.
Elsna, Hebe. Catherine of Braganza: Charles II’s Queen. London: Robert Hale, 1967. A sympathetic account of Catherine’s life.
Fraser, Antonia. King Charles II. London: Phoenix, 2002. An exhaustive (more than six-hundred-page) account, including numerous illustrations and an extensive bibliography.
Latham, Robert, and William Matthews, eds. The Diary of Samuel Pepys. 11 vols. London: Bell & Hyman, 1983. The complete and unexpurgated edition of Pepy’s secret diary. As clerk of the acts at the Admiralty, Pepys had access to the court and wrote about everything he saw, heard, or experienced. This period (1660-1669) included many important events in Catherine’s early career as Charles II’s queen.
Sousa, Manuel Andrade e. Catherine of Braganza: Princess of Portugal, Wife to Charles II. Lisbon: Edições Inapa, 1994. An illustrated biography of Catherine, with numerous portraits of her and her contemporaries, as well as documents and devotional objects associated with her.
Thomas, Gertrude Z. Richer than Spices: How a Royal Bride’s Dowry Introduced Cane, Lacquer, Cottons, Tea, and Porcelain to England, and So Revolutionized Taste, Manners, Craftsmanship, and History in both England and America. New York: Knopf, 1965. Focuses on the decorative arts and offers a unique perspective on the value of Anglo-Portuguese trade. Extensive illustrations and bibliography.