Did Princess Katherine remember fleeing to sanctuary at
Westminster Abbey at the tender age of four when her uncle, Richard, claimed
the throne? Was she haunted by the disappearance of her brothers, the ‘Princes
of the Tower’? It must have been a
traumatic childhood for the young girl, the youngest daughter of King Edward
IV. Luckily, she would have a happier life in later years.
Born in 1479, Princess Katherine Plantagenet may have
married a king if her brother had taken his rightful place on the throne, but
it was not to be. The family were lucky to be let out of sanctuary by her
uncle, King Richard III, who promised to arrange suitable marriages for
Katherine and her sisters and give them each a valuable estate if they accepted
his rule and guidance. She was only five when they left the Abbey to live at
court.
Edward IV had arranged for Katherine to the son of Isabella
and Ferdinand of Spain, Juan, but Edward died before it could take place, and
the marriage was cancelled. A later marriage was arranged by Henry VII with the
son of the Scottish King, but this fell through as well. Even though she was stunningly beautiful,
according to legend, Katherine could not marry for love, but had to wait for
her elders to find her a suitable marriage partner. They eventually made a good
choice, although the marriage was not especially prestigious.
Marriage
When she was sixteen, Katherine married William Courtenay, a
man from a powerful Lancastrian Devon family, who Polydore Vergil described as
‘intelligent and virile.’ The family
owned several estates in Devon and Katherine and William probably enjoyed a
luxurious country lifestyle. They had three children, Edward, Henry and
Margaret. Katherine’s sister Elizabeth of York became Queen to Henry VII, so
the couple also spent much time at court.
Unfortunately, trouble lay ahead. When Henry VII discovered that William was
corresponding with Edmund de la Pole, who claimed the throne, he threw him into
the Tower of London. Katherine’s sister helped her during William’s time in
prison, but William’s title as Earl of Devon was taken away from him. Katherine probably feared for her husband’s
life and relied heavily on her sister’s influence with the King.
There is a tale that Katherine was Henry VIII’s favourite
aunt because he remembered playing with her when he was little, and she was
kind to him. He was also extremely fond
of his mother. He returned the couple to
favour and began the process of formally restoring the earldom. William was so
highly regarded by the King that he even carried the sword of state at his
coronation. He tragically died a month after this, however, before the
investiture of the title. However, he was buried with the full honours of an
earl by the King’s orders.
Widowhood
Katherine was left a widow at only thirty-two, but she had
no desire to marry again. Soon after William died, she took a vow of chastity
before the Bishop of London. This seems an odd thing to do today, but there may
have been pressure on her to marry someone unsuitable, otherwise, and thoughts
of protecting the children’s inheritance probably crossed her mind as
well. She led a busy life attending to
her several estates, including the castle at Tiverton and estates in Devon and
Topsham, with the help of her large staff. Pious and kind, she distributed alms
and she helped her servants. For example, she paid for her maid’s wedding and
even her wedding dress and ring. The Devon princess owned many books, including
four printed mass books, a Book of Matins, a law book and a Latin/ English
dictionary.
Much loved by the Devon people, Katherine had an elaborate
funeral in St Peter’s at Tiverton. Her coffin was covered in cloth of gold with
a cross and coat of arms of silver tissue. Brought to the church in procession,
it lay in state overnight. The next morning a requiem mass was sung for her by
the Abbot of Montacute. Several dignitaries attended, including the Mayor of
Exeter.
This daughter of a king, sister of a king, and aunt of a
king still has a special place in the hearts of the Devon people.
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