The First Five Catherines: A Short History
Since the announcement of Prince William's engagement to his longtime girlfriend Catherine Middleton, it has come to my attention, that one day, if the monarchy in England continues past the current Queen, Catherine will be the sixth woman of that name to be Queen of England. So, I thought for fun, I would give brief histories of the first 5 Queens of England named Catherine. The first Catherine to marry a King of England was of course Catherine de Valois (1401-1437), younger daughter of Charles VI of France. Catherine's older sister had already been married to a King of England, Richard II, before his untimely death. Catherine was married off to Henry V of England as part of the treaty between the two countries, which acknowledged that Henry as heir to the throne of France. Most of you have seen either the movie or the play HENRY V, no doubt remember the charming wooing scene between Henry and Catherine as he tries to speak French to her. Catherine and Henry were marri