Catherine of Alençon facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Catherine of Alençon |
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| Spouse(s) | Peter of Évreux Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria |
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| John of Bavaria unnamed daughter |
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| Noble family | Valois-Alençon |
| Father | Peter II of Alençon |
| Mother | Marie Chamaillart, Viscountess of Beaumont-au-Maine |
| Born | before 1396 |
| Died | 22 June 1462 Paris |
Catherine d'Alençon (born before 1396 – died June 22, 1462 in Paris) was a noblewoman from France. She was the younger daughter of Peter II of Alençon and Marie Chamaillart. Catherine became the second wife of Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria. She also worked as a maid of honour for Louis' sister, Isabeau of Bavaria, who was the Queen of France.
Life of Catherine
Catherine belonged to a branch of the French royal family called the House of Valois. Her specific family line was known as the House of Valois-Alençon. Her brother, John I, Duke of Alençon, sadly died in the Battle of Agincourt. This battle was fought against Henry V of England.
In 1411, Catherine married Peter of Évreux, who was the Count of Mortain. Peter was 30 years old at the time. He was also the brother of Charles III of Navarre. Sadly, Peter died after only one year of marriage. They did not have any children together.
One year after Peter's death, Catherine was set to marry again. Her new fiancé was Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria. Louis was the brother of Isabeau, Queen of France. Their wedding had to be put off for a while. This was because Catherine's future husband, Louis, was taken prisoner.
The wedding finally happened in early October 1413, after Louis was set free. Catherine brought a large dowry to the marriage. A dowry was money or property a bride brought to her husband. Her dowry included the County of Mortain and 60,000 francs. This marriage also helped create important connections between Bavaria and France.
In early 1415, Louis traveled to the Council of Constance. He went as the leader of the French group. During the Armagnac-Burgundian Civil War in 1417, Catherine was taken prisoner. She was captured by Bernard VII of Armagnac. To free his wife, Louis gave the County of Mortain to John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy. This county was part of Catherine's dowry.
Catherine lost all her income when Henry V of England successfully invaded. Henry took the County of Mortain. He also took over her family's lands in Normandy. Even valuable items, documents, and money records were taken by the English.
Help for Catherine came from an unexpected place: the English king. Henry V made an agreement with the French King. This agreement was called the Treaty of Troyes. It gave Catherine 2,000 francs each year to make up for her losses. In 1421, Catherine even traveled to England. She served as a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine of Valois. This Queen was Catherine's niece. Catherine even helped when Queen Catherine gave birth to her child, Henry VI of England.
Catherine's second husband, Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria, died on May 1, 1447. He passed away in Burghausen.
After Louis's death, Catherine joined the household of her sister-in-law, Isabeau. Catherine died in 1462 in Paris. She was buried in the Abbey of Sainte-Geneviève. Today, she rests next to her first husband, Peter.
Catherine's Children
Catherine and Louis had two children:
- John of Bavaria (born February 6, 1415), who died when he was very young.
- An unnamed daughter, who also died young.
Catherine did not have any children who lived to adulthood.
See also
In Spanish: Catalina de Alençon para niños
