To celebrate the US release of Susan Abernethy’s book Charles II’s Portuguese Queen, The Legacy of Catherine of Braganza learn more about Catherine’s early life.
Written by Susan Abernethy
As rebellion against Spain gained traction and the whispering of revolution began, the Duke and Duchess of Braganza lived in their palace of Vila Viçosa, to the east of Lisbon. The duke remained as far away as possible from the turmoil in the Spanish government of Portugal and the intrigues of his friends. He preferred to live the life of a country gentleman, devoting his life to his wife and children. Vila Viçosa was a pleasure palace with every imaginable amusement.
John VIII, Duke of Braganza was the wealthiest and most powerful nobleman in Portugal. The Spanish minister to King Philip IV, Gaspar de Guzman y Pimentel, 1st Duke of Sanlúcar, 3rd Count of Olivares, known as the Count-Duke of Olivares, had arranged a marriage with his relative, Luisa Maria Francisca de Guzman, with Duke John in 1634. The couple began their family, starting with the birth of a son, Teodósio, in February 1634. A daughter, Ana, died shortly after birth in early 1635. Joana, Princess of Beira, was born nine months later, and then Catarina Henriqueta de Bragança appeared on November 25, 1638. A son Manuel died in infancy, followed by Afonso in 1643 and Pedro in 1648, both of whom would become King of Portugal.
They baptised Catherine on Saturday, December 12, 1638, in the ducal chapel of the palace by Anthony de Brito e Sousa, dean of the chapel. Many nobles from the family of Braganza and their supporters attended the baptism. The Infanta Catherine, named after Saint Catherine of Alexandria, on whose feast day she was born, was in the care of her nurse, Marian of Lancaster, and she grew up in a peaceful and sheltered environment. Her entire family adored her, and people instantly took to her when they met her. The atmosphere at Vila Viçosa was kind and loving. She was especially close to her father and her brother, Teodósio. The Duke was content and happy living in his luxurious palace, managing his estates, which encompassed one-third of the entire kingdom.
During Catherine’s early years, her father had several meetings with his steward, Dr. John Pinto Ribeiro, among others, to discuss a coup and the restoration of the Portuguese monarchy. The Duke had deliberated on the prospect of ascending the throne with his wife, who was an enthusiastic supporter. These meetings culminated in a critical discussion on November 25, 1640.
On this date, there was a splendid second birthday party for Catherine at the palace. The pageantry of the festivities concealed the actual intention of the gathering of the many friends of the Duke and Duchess. Shortly before this party, the Habsburg Vicereine’s government had summoned the Duke to Madrid to discuss his mission in leading troops in his capacity as commander of the Portuguese army, to counteract a rebellion against Spain in Catalonia.
He hesitated and made his excuses to the government in Lisbon as long as he could without being arrested for disobeying orders. His appearance in Madrid was mandatory, or the intended coup must go forward immediately. Now, with a party of one hundred and fifty gentlemen, most of them heads of families, with all of their servants, along with two hundred citizens and operatives in attendance, discussions took place on the restoration of the Portuguese monarchy.
The duke hesitated to take up the call to arms on the side of Spain as he had everything to lose and nothing to gain from doing so. During the birthday party, they asked if he would definitively and categorically consent to becoming King of Portugal. With the Duchess by his side, she persuasively pointed out to him the hazards of leaving Portugal and going to Spain, insisting he risked death. The story of her holding up the Infanta Catherine and asking him if he would deny making her a royal princess is probably apocryphal, but Luisa convinced him, and the duke consented to being proclaimed King if the planned coup proved successful.
The nearly effortless overthrow of the Spanish government took place in Lisbon on December 1. On December 25, ten days after her father’s acclamation as King John IV of Portugal, Catherine left Vila Viçosa and moved to Lisbon with her mother, her brother Teodósio and her sister
Joanna. They settled into their new residence, the royal Ribeira Palace, on the banks of the Tagus River. The next time we hear of Catherine is her attendance at the baptism in the Royal Chapel of her brother Afonso on September 13, 1643, along with her mother and her sister.
The routine of the Portuguese court was austere, sombre, and monotonous, with strict, highly formal etiquette and ceremony. The nobles were stiff and solemn. They secluded women in severe and rigorous privacy. Well-born girls were intentionally preserved from the contamination of the world, shut up like nuns until they found husbands. Duennas fiercely guarded them, forbidding them even to speak to a man outside of their family.
Catherine, along with every other daughter of the House of Braganza, was no exception to the enforcement of these stringent precepts. They gave her an education equivalent to that taught in a convent. There is some evidence that she received her education in a convent very near the royal palace, with her mother thoroughly supervising her instruction.
Due to a few historical references, this was most likely the Dominican O Convento do Sacramento (Convent of the Holy Sacrament) of Alcântara. Construction on the convent finished in 1620 and accommodated women of the high nobility who lived in great seclusion and austerity. It is unclear if Catherine lived in the palace and the nuns taught her there, or if she actually lived in the convent during her education. It is also possible they took her to the convent, if not daily, at certain intervals.
During these years, Queen Luisa laboured with great intent to make a prestigious marriage for Catherine, including a match with King Louis XIV of France and with the Prince of Wales, the future King Charles II of England. Following the restoration of the Stuart dynasty, this match came to the forefront and was finalised in early 1662. Catherine left the convent, was given her own household and properties and income commensurate with her status as the future Queen of England. She departed Lisbon in April and sailed to Portsmouth to meet her future husband.
Susan’s passion for history began over fifty years ago and led her to study the subject for her degree at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Her blog, The Freelance History Writer, has been continuously publishing articles on European medieval, Tudor, early modern and women’s history since 2012.
Her debut non-fiction book, Charles II’s Portuguese Queen: The Legacy of Catherine of Braganza, is available now in the UK and the US. Her second book, The Formidable Women Who Shaped Medieval Europe: Power and Patronage in the Burgundian Court, is available for pre-order from Amazon UK. She is currently working on her third non-fiction book.
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