History Is Present

Letter from a Queen

Bermondsey Abbey

31^st December 1436

Catherine in The Hollow Crown, Henry V  

Bonjour, mon ami. When I decided to enter the Abbey it was for the birth of my child; a girl which I named Margaret who died. I fear that my time is coming to an end so I wish to remise about my life as a neglected Valois Princess of France, bride of the King of England, young widow and the wife of a welsh servant for my sons so they will know who their mother was.

I was born at Hôtel Saint-Pol in Paris on 27^th October 1401 as the youngest daughter of King Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria. My parents were rarely seen with me or my siblings. My father the King was ill or mad, I don’t know which, but he didn’t know who any of us were while my mother the Queen had a reputation of having men of the court visit her bed; she was not a woman to cross and I would not do so.

My older sister Isabella had been the second wife of Richard II of England before his was opposed by Henry Bolingbroke of the House of Lancaster. My other older sister Joan became Duchess of Brittany through her marriage to John VI. Marie, another sister, was the Prioress of Poissy while my dearest sister Michelle, who was six years older than me, become the Duchess of Burgundy. I had two older brothers, Louis and John, who died young and a young brother Charles.

Though the King and Queen neglected us physically and emotionally; toys were bought befitting my position as Royal Princess of France and religious texts were available for me to read as part of my education. I was sent to Poissy Convent under my Great-Aunt Marie for my religious education.

After the Battle of Agincourt, I was sent to my mother who had a plan to marry me to Henry V of England to end the war between France and England. I was 14 at the time and Henry had been refused by Isabella and Joan and he had refused my hand because my dowry was not as large as he wished.

So what was different this time? This marriage would stop any more blood being spilt; French or English.

Henry and Katherine's Wedding

We met at Meulan-en-Yvelines in 1419. He was everything I imagined and more; he was tall, fair and handsome.  In May 1420 my father declared that Henry would be his heir when he married me and then he did.

We married on the 2^nd June at Troyes Cathedral. Instead of spending our honeymoon period together as newlyweds should we spent the time on one of Henry’s campaign in France.

Henry took me to England to be crowned Queen at Westminster Abbey on the 23^rd February 1421. England was such a strange country and so cold. I had to learn how to speak, read and write the language and Henry praised me on how quickly I learnt to do it that I could speak and write in English as if it were my mother tongue.

I soon became quick with child. Soon Henry had to go to France to deal with my brother Charles. While he was away I gave birth to son called Henry on the 6^th December at Windsor Castle. Who would of known at time that my son would never meet his father.

At the Siege of Meaux, Henry fell ill and died on the 31^st August 1422. On his death bed at Château de Vincennes, he was surrounded by his advisors: Bedford, Gloucester, Warwick, but not at any point did he talk about me or given summon me to his side. Actually I only he was ill after he was dead. He was 36 at the time and he was brought home to be buried with his ancestors at Westminster.

Did he love me? I don’t know. I loved him but who can really tell what a man feels in his heart.

My son had become King of England at 8 months old and shortly afterwards became the King of France; ruling the English occupied region of the country in the north. During his childhood I doted on him, accompanying him to Royal affairs where he had to be seen by the people.

At 26,I was young and marriageable. I longed to be loved by a man and I thought I found that in Edmund Beaufort, my late husband’s cousin. He had promised me that he would marry me within the year but it was not to be. Parliament passed a bill which set the rules for the remarriage of any Queen Dowager; stated that if the Queen Dowager remarried without the King's consent, her husband would lose everything of value, but any children would not suffer punishment. But the King's permission could only be granted once he had reached his majority at 16 and at the time of the bill my son was only six years old.

Edmund called of the wedding to me afraid that he would lose everything. He never loved me. I was heartbroken that no one would hold me and love me for me.  

I stayed in my son’s household so I could care for him but I knew that I was watched day and night by the council.

I fell in love once more with a Welshman called Owen Tudor. He was the master of my household so it was a usual relationship; a Queen Dowager and her servant. We both couldn’t hide our love for each other and began our love affair.

I soon became quick with child and we decided to marry so that our son or daughter wouldn’t be called a bastard and because we loved each other. We were married at Windsor as soon as we could. He called me his fy nghariad, fy gariad and I called him l'amour de ma vie.

The council soon discovered our secret wedding and called us to trial. There we stood our ground and won the right to live together as husband and wife.

Tom McKay as Jasper in The White Queen

I gave birth to our firstborn son at Much Hadham Palace in Hertfordshire in 1430 who we named Edmund and he was shortly joined by a brother the following year who we named Jasper. I loved all of my sons and my husband so much that I had to make a stand to change the law in the year of 1432

At the time I was pregnant with our third child and Owen would not allow me to go to Westminster when I was near my time but I insisted that I had to do it for him, Edmund, Jasper and the child that I carried.

The law stated that any Welshman cannot wear a sword or own any weapons in fear that he may rebel against the King. This was unfair. I and Owen stood before the council once more to change this in despicable law.

Owen won the rights of an Englishman and our sons were the sons of a free man. I gave birth to our third son, Owen, in sanctuary of the Abbey. He was healthy and so beautiful. It was sure that he would be a monk or if he did want to take that path a military man like his father.

We were blessed with more children; Tacinda in 1433 and Katherine in 1435.

As my time comes to a close I would like my sons to know that I loved them and if I could I would never have left them and that I will always love Owen and I will meet him once more in heaven.

Adieu mes chers.