Catherine of Braganza (25 November 1638-31 December 1705) was Queen consort of England, Scotland, and Ireland from 23 April 1662 to 6 February 1685 as the wife of King Charles II of England.
Biography[]
Catherine of Braganza was born in Vila Vicosa, Portugal on 25 November 1638, the daughter of Joao IV of Portugal and Luisa de Guzman. On 21 May 1662, she was wed to King Charles II of England as a way to continue the ages-old alliance between England and Portugal, but she was an unpopular consort due to her devoted Catholic beliefs. The people accused her of murder and treason, and she was hated by the English people and courts; however, she introduced tea to the English court, and the future New York City borough of Queens was named after her in the Thirteen Colonies. Catherine had three miscarriages and produced no heirs, and she returned to Portugal after her husband's death in 1685. Catherine served as regent of Portugal in 1701 and from 1704 until her death in Lisbon in 1705.