Catherine Henrietta of Bradanza

  Noted events in her life were:

• fact. She was married by proxy in Lisbon on 23 April 1662. After her arrival at Portsmouth on 14th May 1662, the couple were married in two more ceremonies \endash a Catholic one conducted in secret, followed by a public Anglican service \endash on 21st May.
Her large dowry brought the port cities of Tangier and Bombay to British control. The former had only a transitory significance, but the latter had a major lasting influence on both the development of the British Empire and the History of India, as the British would develop Bombay - which had only 10,000 inhabitants under the Portuguese - into a major centre of commerce.
At the time, she was not a particularly popular choice of queen, being a Roman Catholic, and her religion prevented her from ever being crowned, since Roman Catholics were forbidden to take part in Anglican services. She initially faced hardships due to the language barrier, the king's infidelities and the political conflicts between Roman Catholics and Anglicans. Over time, her quiet decorum, loyalty and genuine affection for Charles changed the public's perception of her.
Catherine became pregnant and miscarried at least twice, and during a severe illness in 1663 she thought for a time she had given birth. Charles comforted her by telling her she had indeed given birth to two sons and a daughter. Her position was a difficult one, as Charles continued to have children by his many mistresses, but he insisted that she be treated with respect, and sided with her over his mistresses in those cases where he felt she was not receiving the respect she was due. Throughout his reign, he firmly dismissed the idea of divorcing Catherine, even when Parliament exerted pressure on him to beget or declare a Protestant successor.
Though known to keep her faith a private matter, her religion and proximity to the king made her the target of Anti-Catholic sentiment. In 1678, the murder of Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey was ascribed to several of her servants. In November of the same year she was accused by Titus Oates, an instigator of the " Popish Plot", of being part of a conspiracy to poison the king, even though Charles himself disbelieved the entirety of the plot. Although both the evidence in her case and the Popish Plot were later discovered to be fabrications, the House of Commons voted unsuccessfully for an address calling for the Queen and her household to be banished from the Palace of Whitehall. In 1679 she was defended against the allegations by the king himself.
At Charles' final illness in 1685 she showed anxiety for his reconciliation with the Roman Catholic faith, and exhibited great grief at his death. Later in the same year, she unsuccessfully interceded with James II of England for the life of James Scott, First Duke of Monmouth, Charles's illegitimate son and leader of the Monmouth Rebellion. Catherine remained in England, living at Somerset House, through the reign of James and his deposition in the Glorious Revolution by William III of England and Mary II. Initially on good 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 returned to Portugal in March 1692.
Catherine introduced the custom of drinking tea to England.

Catherine married Charles II Darnley, son of Charles I Darnley and Princess Henrietta Maria of France Queen Consort of England, on 23 Apr 1662 in by proxy in Lisbon Portugal. (Charles II Darnley was born on 29 May 1630 in St James Palace, London England and died on 6 Feb 1685 in Whitehall Palace, London England.)