Catherine of Belpha, Queen of Auwyland

Catherine (11 March 1409-3 January 1439), was Queen of Auwyland from 1427 until her death, due to her marriage to Henry IV, King of Auwyland. She mothered the next king, Edward III. She was a granddaughter of Conan V, King of Belpha, and his second wife Charlotte of Canary. She was described as one of the most beautiful women in the 15th century, however, she never gained her husband’s favor, as a result of Mary Solleia’s presence. Because of her jealousy behaviors against her husband’s mistresses, especially Mary Solleia, she was criticized by poet Charles Adams,“ Queen of Auwyland is not proud anymore.”

Childhood
Catherine of Belpha was born on 11 March 1409 in Sherysa Castle in Leneia, by Conan Edward and his wife Maria of Hentinbourg. Conan Edward was the first son and heir of Conan V, King of Belpha, by his queen Charlotte of Canary, who was a sister of Louisa of Canary, Queen of Auwyland as the second wife of King Henry III. Maria of Hentinbourg was Grand Duchess of Hentinbourg, whose title was succeeded by her son Christian II.

Catherine was raised in Belpha when her father was alive. As the future king’s daughter, she received the best education in Belpha. Her grandfather hired famous teachers to teach her and her siblings. She could speak and write French and Latin fluently, although she couldn’t do the same to English and Spanish, she could understand them roughly. She had engagement with Prince Francis, son and heir of Francis I, King of Caliland, when she was 3 by her grandfather Conan V. Pitifully, Francis died in 1416. Conan V wanted to engaged Catherine with Francis I’s second son Arthur, but Francis I didn’t agree.

In 1417, Catherine’s father, Conan Edward, died leaving his wife and 3 children. The eldest boy Christian II stayed in Belpha to become the new heir of the throne. Maria of Hentinbourg left for Hentinbourg with her second son James and daughter Catherine, to begin her reign in the duchy officially, considering to marry again since she was still young after all. Maria was so busy as a ruler that she couldn’t care her children, so she designated her cousin Fernando I, King of Nyeesa, Viceroy of Canary, as her children’s guardian. Catherine was sent to Ayrouiathen with James, and grew up there. She was taught by Fernando I’s mother, Maria d’ Anattonio, who was recognized as an upright and strict woman. Maria d’ Anattonio admired a simple lifestyle, so she commanded Catherine to live like this, including wearing plain clothes without any patterns, and putting no jewelry on hair, just using hoods. And Maria d’ Anattonio also sent many theological books to read. But Catherine didn’t like Maria d’ Anattonio and her lifestyle and education, she never allowed, and sought for lavish and unlimited lifestyle with some other nobles. When Fernando I sent Catherine back to Hentinbourg in 1423, he wrote in the letter to Maria of Hentinbourg, “Catherine learned nothing good from my mother.”

Marriage negotiation
Catherine was famous for her extreme beauty at that time, and Catherine herself, also treated it as her advantage to seek for good marriage. She primped for almost two hours everyday to ensure she could showed brightly in public. Emulative, if any girl dressed more attractive than her in public, she’d be angry, and obstruct that girl to participate in other banquets, or impose her to leave. Soon she offended many nobles in Hentinbourg, bad reputation following, so many poets refused to write praise poetry for her, even she was elegant and fabulously beautiful. In 1426, her mother died. Her brother, Christian II, current King of Belpha, declared his rightful succession to Grand Duchy of Hentinbourg, while Juan of Hentinbourg, son of Maria of Hentinbourg and her second husband Philip of Seint, also announced that he should be the new Grand Duke of Hentinbourg, on the basis of education which he received from his mother to be taught to be a monarch. In this argument, Catherine and James stood by their full-blooded brother Christian II’s side. In May, Christian and Juan reached an agreement that Christian II would reign Hentinbourg, but Belpha could never annex Hentinbourg, and Juan and his descendants had legitimate rights of inheritance to Hentinbourg. Catherine was unsatisfied with this agreement. She then declared if Juan and his descendants could succeed Hentinbourg, likewise James, herself, and their descendants should had this right. Christian II was annoyed about this problem, who wrathfully complained that his trusted brother and sister betrayed him. Yet James and Catherine didn’t yield to Christian II, they insisted unless either Christian II abolished the agreement with Juan, and arrested him immediately, or gave them and their descendants rights of succession, they’d not recognize his legitimacy to Hentinbourg, and not support him. Christian II finally decided to compromise. He made a new Inheritance Act through Hentinbourg Parliament, and regulated the order of succession to Hentinbourg as follow:

1. Christian II

2. Christian II’s descendants

3. Juan

4. Juan’s descendants

5. James

6. James’s descendants

7. Catherine

8. Catherine’s descendants



But Christian II knew James and Catherine would be unsatisfied still with their rights after Juan’s. Louis Becker, 2nd Marquess of Barlyn, advised Christian II to arrange good marriages for his siblings to allay their angers. Christian II still wanted to arrange marriage between Catherine and Prince Arthur of Caliland, so he sent his chief counselor William Dasrin to Caliland to negotiate with King Francis I. In November, the engagement of Arthur and Eleanor of Angers marked the failure of marriage negotiation. When Christian II was anxious, the chance came in its own way. In January 1427, Henry IV, King of Auwyland, who lost his first wife, Margaret de’ Reims, two years ago, wanted a new wife because of having no son, and he had no willingness to marry an ordinary-looking woman again, after bearing his first wife for 14 years. As a woman with reputation of beauty, Catherine was the best candidate, but problems, Henry IV had already married once, and 15 years older than Catherine. Obviously, Christian II who wanted to find a marriage for his sister as soon as possible didn’t consider those problems, in whose mind, to be a queen was a great arrangement for Catherine, so he agreed Henry IV’s proposal right away. Catherine was a little against it at the first place, but when she met Henry IV on 16 February at Densen Castle, she was attracted by her fiancé, consenting this marriage.

Queen of Auwyland
On 5 June 1427, Catherine wedded Henry IV in St. German Palace, and then was crown Queen of Auwyland on 18 July in Lente Church. The next year, she bore a son, to honor her father Conan Edward, this boy named Edward (future Edward III). She had 5 sons and 1 daughter in this marriage, except Edward III, the second son Henry born in 1429, but died the same year; the third and last sons were stillborn; the fourth son Louis born in 1433, grew up successfully, but died in a plague at the age only 22; her daughter Charlotte, died at the age 3 in 1435. She had many disputes with Henry IV’s mistress Mary Solleia, while the root cause was that she felt to be cheated with Mary Solleia’s existence. She clashed with Mary Solleia. In every banquet and ball, she demanded to dress more gorgeous than Mary Solleia, and she always tries to thwart Mary Solleia to dance, walk, or sit with the king. Henry IV used to comfort Catherine, “Love is love; wife is wife.” But Catherine didn’t want to lose both in state and in the king’s heart. Lady Marie de Baís wrote in her diary, “... in the morning, when the queen with her attendants walked arrogantly in the hall, passing by humbly saluting Mary Solleia, but Mary Solleia took the lead to enter the king’s chamber, the war of a day began.” Catherine’s behaviors were widely criticized. Many nobles said of her, “the queen acts like a mistress, what a shame!” “Queen of Auwyland is not proud anymore.” was also written to criticize her by famous poet Charles Adams. Henry IV gave up stoping Catherine’s behaviors of jealousy because he knew it’s useless. Catherine was still popular and favored in Auwish court. Nobles and royal members were proud they had such a beautiful queen. Even the king, accompanied Mary Solleia less than before to please Catherine. The atmosphere in Auwish court became lavish and dissolute in Catherine’s tenure. There were also some bad rumors spread that Catherine loved to flirt with other men, and took bribes from those who sought power and wealth. Catherine did promote some mediocrities, thus she was warned by the parliament of likely being guilty.

Death
Catherine died on 3 January 1439, at the age 29. Although Henry IV never loved Catherine, he was in great melancholy. She was entombed in St. German Church adjacent to her predecessor Margaret de’ Reims. Her heart was enshrined there, too. Henry IV published obituary to Belpha and Hentinbourg, and sent a ring belonging to Catherine to Christian II. Her accurate death reason was unclear by lacking records. But some scholars guessed she was poisoned dead by her makeup. Makeup at that time had lead and other poisons. To keep beautiful in public, Catherine would use amounts of makeup everyday. Some records even said she wore makeup when slept. Long-time wearing poisonous makeup weaken her body and finally killed her, moreover, her two stillborn sons may die because of this.

Issue
She had 5 sons and a daughter.

1. Edward III, King of Auwyland, born on 22/23 August 1428, died on 19 July 1469.

2. Henry, Duke of Loulande, born on 16 September 1429, died on 13 December 1429.

3. Stillborn son on 20 March 1431

4. Charlotte, born on 10 April 1432, died on 12 September 1435.

5. Louis, born on 13 April 1433, died on 8 October 1455.

6. Stillborn son on 29 December 1434