Katherine of Lancaster

Katherine of Lancaster (also known as Katherine Plantagenet and as Queen Catalina of Castile and Leon) (1372-1418) – was the daughter of John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster, and his second wife, Constance of Castile who was the daughter and rightful heir of Pedro I of Castille, who died at the hands of his half brother Enrique II. She was born in Hertford Castle, her father's chief country home.

She married Enrique III of Castile in 1393 at Burgos. As her mother was daughter of Pedro of Castile, and had been a claimant to the Castilian throne herself, 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 (1403-1439), who wed Enrique of Aragón, Duque de Villena,
* Juan II (1405-1454), who succeeded his father as King of Castile.

Enrique III died in 1406 and according to his will, his widow Catherine and his brother Ferdinand I of Aragon served as co-regents during the minority of Juan II. He ordered Mudejars (peasants, carpenters, seaman, and shipbuilders) to wear a symbol; a blue moon on their clothing. They were not allowed to leave their home. They were not allowed to work or trade, as well as the Jewish, with Christians. They were under the mercy of the Christians. This was an attempt by Juan II to suppress religious minority and with the attempts of Queen Catalina, this attempt only lasted until her death and tensions between the regents led to a division of rule and in 1418 tolerance returned.

Queen Catherine 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. She is the namesake of her great granddaughter Katherine of Aragon, first of the six wives of Henry VIII of England.

Ancestors

Katherine's ancestors in three generationsahnentafel4
Katherine of Lancaster
John of Gaunt, 1st Duke of Lancaster
Constance of Castile
Edward III of England
Philippa of Hainault
Pedro I of Castile
María de Padilla
Edward II of England
Isabella of France
Willem I, Count of Hainaut
Jeanne of Valois
Alfonso XI of Castile
Maria of Portugal
Juan García de Padilla
María Fernández de Henestrosa

References

succession box
before=Beatrice of Portugal
title=Queen consort of Castile and Leon
years=1393–1406
after=Maria of Aragon