CATHERINE OF BRAGANZA (1638-1705), queen con sort of Charles II. of England, daughter of John IV. of Portugal by Louisa de Gusman, daughter of the duke of Medina Sidonia, was born at Villa Vicosa on Nov. 25, 1638. She was a useful medium for contracting an alliance with England, and negotia tions for a marriage, begun during the reign of Charles I., were renewed immediately after the Restoration. On June 23, 1661, in spite of Spanish opposition, the marriage contract was signed, by which England secured Tangier and Bombay, certain trading privileges, religious and commercial freedom in Portugal, and two million Portuguese crowns (about £300,000), in return for military and naval support to be given to Portugal against Spain, and liberty of worship for Catherine ; in May 1662 she reached England, and the marriage took place in London. Catherine had little personal charm, and Charles's preoccupation with his mis tresses soon led her to withdraw from his society; her intention of returning to Portugal was thwarted by the dismissal of her Portu guese retinue, and she was forced to pass a life of neglect and re tirement in the midst of the debaucheries of the court. As the prospect of her bearing children diminished, schemes were set on foot to procure a divorce on various pretexts. As a Roman Catholic Catherine was attacked by the inventors of the Popish Plot; in 1678 the murder of Sir Edmund Berry Godfrey was as cribed to her servants, and Titus Oates accused her of a design to poison the king. On Nov. 28 Oates brought a charge of high treason against her, the Commons passed an address for her re moval from Whitehall and it was only the king's protection that saved her from having to stand her trial in June 1679. On Nov. 17 in the House of Lords, Shaftesbury moved for a divorce, so that Charles might marry a Protestant, but the bill was opposed by the king. After the Oxford parliament Charles's influence re vived, and the queen's position was no more assailed.
During Charles's last illness in 1685 Catherine did much to assist his reconciliation with the Catholic Church, and she ex hibited great grief at his death. She afterwards resided at Somer set House and at Hammersmith, where she had privately founded a convent. She interceded with great generosity, but ineffectually, for Monmouth the same year. On June io, 1688, she was present at the birth of the prince of Wales and gave evidence before the council in favour of the genuineness of the child. She maintained at first good terms with William and Mary; but the practice of her religion aroused jealousies, while her establishment at Somer set House was said to be the home of cabals against the Govern ment ; and in 1691 she settled for a short time at Euston. She left England finally in March 1692 and arrived at Lisbon in Jan. 1693. She took her residence at the palace of Bemposta, built by herself, near Lisbon. In 1703 she supported the Methuen Treaty, which cemented still further the alliance between Portugal and England, and in 1704 she was appointed regent of Portugal during the illness of her brother, King Pedro II., her administration being distinguished by several successes gained over the Spaniards. She died on Dec. 31, 1705, bequeathing her great wealth, the result of long hoarding, after the payment of divers charitable legacies, to King Pedro; and was buried with great ceremony and splendour at Belem.
See L. C. Davidson, Catherine' of Braganza (1908) .