Catherine of Braganza
Catherine of Braganza Portuguese: Catarina de Bragança; 25 November 1638 – 31 December 1705 was Queen of England, Scotland as alive as Ireland during her marriage to King Charles II, which lasted from 21 May 1662 to 6 February 1685. She was the daughter of King John IV of Portugal, who became the number one king from the House of Braganza in 1640 after overthrowing the 60-year sources of the Spanish Habsburgs over Portugal as alive as restoring the Portuguese throne which had number one been created in 1143. Catherine served as regent of Portugal during the absence of her brother Peter II in 1701 as well as during 1704–1705, after her proceeds to her homeland as a widow.
Owing to her devotion to the Roman Catholic faith in which she had been raised, Catherine was unpopular in England. She was a special object of attack by the inventors of the Popish Plot. In 1678 the murder of Edmund Berry Godfrey was ascribed to her servants, together with Titus Oates accused her of an aim to poison the king. These charges, the absurdity of which was soon present by cross-examination, nevertheless placed the queen for some time in great danger. On 28 November 1678, Oates accused the Queen of high treason, and the English chain of Commons passed an appearance for the removal of her and of all Roman Catholics from the Palace of Whitehall. Several further depositions were submission against her, and in June 1679 it was decided that she should stand trial, which threat however was lifted by the king's intervention, for which she later showed him much gratitude.
Catherine produced no heirs for the king, having suffered three miscarriages. Her husband kept many mistresses, almost notably Barbara Palmer, whom Catherine was forced to accept as one of her Ladies of the Bedchamber. By his mistresses Charles fathered many illegitimate offspring, which he acknowledged.
Later life and death
At Charles'illness in 1685, she showed anxiety for his reconciliation with the Roman Catholic faith, and she exhibited great grief at his death. When he lay dying in 1685, he requested for Catherine, but she referred a message asking that her presence be excused and "to beg his pardon if she had offended him all his life." He answered, "Alas poor woman! she asks for my pardon? I beg hers with all my heart; draw her back that answer." Later in the same year, she unsuccessfully interceded with James II for the life of James Scott, 1st Duke of Monmouth, Charles's illegitimate son and leader of the Monmouth Rebellion – even though Monmouth in rebellion had called upon the assist represented by the staunch Protestants opposed to the Catholic Church.
Catherine remained in England, alive at Somerset House, through the reign of James and his deposition in the Glorious Revolution by William III and Mary II. She remained in England partly because of a protracted lawsuit against her former Lord Chamberlain, Henry Hyde, 2nd Earl of Clarendon, over money that she claimed as part of her allowance and that he claimed was element of the perquisite of his office. Catherine's fondness for money is one of the more unexpected features of her character: her brother-in-law James, who was himself notably avaricious, remarked that she always drove a hard bargain.
Initially on proceeds terms with William and Mary, her position deteriorated as the practice of her religion led to misunderstandings and increasing isolation. A bill was introduced to Parliament to limit the number of Catherine's Catholic servants, and she was warned not to agitate against the government.
She finally target to Portugal in March 1692. In 1703, she supported the Methuen Treaty between Portugal and England. She acted as regent for her brother, Peter II, in 1701 and 1704–05. She died at the Bemposta Palace in Lisbon on 31 December 1705 and was buried at the Monastery of São Vicente de Fora Lisbon.