Catharineof Braganza

Catharine of Braganza, the daughter of John, Duke of Braganza, and afterwards King of Portugal, was born at Villa Viciosa in 1638. Before the Restoration, her marriage with Charles II. had been arranged in the hope of securing the aid of England against Spain. The marriage was celebrated at Plymouth, in 1663, the bride bringing as dowry half-a-million of money, and the towns of Tangier and Bombay. Her inexperience and want of tact, combined with her adherence to Roman Catholicism, made her unpopular in England, and her husband's infidelities broke her spirit. She bore her trials with some dignity, and lived in England very quietly until 1692. Returning to Portugal, she showed great ability as regent for her brother, Don Pedro, and died in 1705.