Wie trouwde met Henry V of England?

Henry V (16 September 1386 – 31 August 1422), also called Henry of Monmouth, was King of England from 1413 until his death in 1422. Despite his relatively short reign, Henry's outstanding military successes in the Hundred Years' War against France made England one of the strongest military powers in Europe. Immortalised in Shakespeare's Henriad plays, Henry is known and celebrated as one of the greatest warrior-kings of medieval England.

Henry of Monmouth, the eldest son of Henry IV, became heir apparent and Prince of Wales after his father seized the throne in 1399. During the reign of his father, the young Prince Henry gained early military experience in Wales during the Glyndŵr rebellion, and by fighting against the powerful Percy family of Northumberland. He played a central part at the Battle of Shrewsbury despite being just sixteen years of age. As he entered adulthood, Henry played an increasingly central role in England's government due to the declining health of his father, but disagreements between Henry and his father led to political conflict between the two. After his father's death in March 1413, Henry ascended to the throne of England and assumed complete control of the country, also reviving the historic English claim to the French throne.

In 1415, Henry followed in the wake of his great-grandfather, Edward III, by renewing the Hundred Years' War with France, beginning the Lancastrian phase of the conflict (1415–1453). His first military campaign included capturing the port of Harfleur and a famous victory at the Battle of Agincourt, which inspired a proto-nationalistic fervour in England and Wales. During his second campaign (1417–1420), his armies captured Paris and conquered most of northern France, including the formerly English-held Duchy of Normandy. Taking advantage of political divisions within France, Henry put unparalleled pressure on Charles VI of France ("the Mad"), resulting in the largest holding of French territory by an English king since the Angevin Empire. The Treaty of Troyes (1420) recognised Henry V as regent of France and heir apparent to the French throne, disinheriting Charles's own son, the Dauphin Charles. Henry was subsequently married to Charles VI's daughter, Catherine of Valois. The treaty ratified the unprecedented formation of a union between the kingdoms of England and France, in the person of Henry, upon the death of the ailing Charles. However, Henry died in August 1422, less than two months before his father-in-law, and was succeeded by his only son and heir, the infant Henry VI.

Analyses of Henry's reign are varied. According to Charles Ross, he was widely praised for his personal piety, bravery, and military genius; Henry was admired even by contemporary French chroniclers. However, his occasionally cruel temperament and lack of focus regarding domestic affairs have made him the subject of criticism. Nonetheless, Adrian Hastings believes his militaristic pursuits during the Hundred Years' War fostered a strong sense of English nationalism and set the stage for the rise of England (later Great Britain) to prominence as a dominant global power.

Catharina van Valois (Parijs, 27 oktober 1401 — Londen, 3 januari 1437) was de dochter van Karel VI van Frankrijk. In 1420 werd ze uitgehuwelijkt aan Hendrik V van Engeland als gevolg van het Verdrag van Troyes, een regeling na de Slag bij Azincourt (1415).

Na de plotselinge dood van Hendrik V in 1422 werd Catharina verbannen uit het hof. De regenten hielden haar weg van haar negen maanden oude zoontje, die als Hendrik VI zijn vader was opgevolgd.

Ze troostte zich bij Owen Tudor, een Welshe hofmeester die later de stichter van het Huis Tudor zou gaan worden. Hoewel Catharina officieel verboden werd om opnieuw te trouwen was de Engelse overheid niet geïnteresseerd in het opleggen van deze regel aan haar en waarschijnlijk is ze in het geheim getrouwd met Owen Tudor, van wie ze minstens vier kinderen kreeg.

Hun dochter stierf jong en zoon Owen werd monnik. De andere twee zonen, Edmund en Jasper Tudor, zouden een grote rol spelen in de toekomst van de Engelse monarchie.

Catherine stierf, 35 jaar oud, in het kraambed op 3 januari 1437 in Londen, en werd begraven in de abdij van Westminster.

Haar man Owen Tudor leefde tot in 1461, toen hij werd geëxecuteerd door de Yorkisten na de Slag van Mortimer's Cross. Hun zoon Edmund zou de vader van de toekomstige koning Hendrik VII van Engeland worden.