Catherine of Lancaster

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

English Royalty
House of Plantagenet

Armorial of Plantagenet
Edward III
   Edward, Prince of Wales
   Lionel, Duke of Clarence
   John, Duke of Lancaster
   Edmund, Duke of York
   Thomas, Duke of Gloucester
   Joan of England
   Isabella, Countess of Bedford
Grandchildren
    Richard II
    Philippa, Countess of Ulster
    Philippa, Queen of Portugal
    Elizabeth, Baroness Fanhope and Milbroke
    Henry IV
    Catherine, Queen of Castile
    Edward, Duke of York
    Richard, Earl of Cambridge
    Constance of York
    Anne, Countess of Eu

Katherine of Lancaster (also known as Catherine Plantagenet and as Queen Catalina of Castile and Leon) (1372/13732 June 1418) was the daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and his second wife, Constance of Castile.

She married Enrique III of Castile in 1393 at Burgos. As her mother was daughter of Pedro of Castile, the marriage helped to restore a semblance of legitimacy to the Trastamara line.

The couple had three children:

  • Maria of Castile (1401-1458), who married Alfonso V "the Magnanimous", King of Aragon and Naples,
  • Catharina of Castile, who wed Enrique of Aragón, Duque de Villena,
  • Juan II (1405-1454), who succeeded his father as King of Castile . His mother Katherine and his uncle, Ferdinand, served as co-regents during his minority, and Katherine alone was regent after Ferdinand's death in 1406.

Queen Catalina died at Valladolid of a stroke, possibly precipitated by her great obesity, leaving her thirteen year-old son at the mercy of self-interested courtiers.


Preceded by:
Beatrice of Portugal
Queen Consort of Castile and Leon
1393–1406
Succeeded by:
Maria of Aragon
the second wife of her husband
In other languages