edwardslovelyelizabeth: On this day in history, 14th August 1479, birth of Katherine of York at Elth
edwardslovelyelizabeth:On this day in history, 14th August 1479, birth of Katherine of York at Eltham Palace, 9th child and 6th daughter of King Edward IV and his wife Elizabeth Woodville. Edward IV hastened to seek a marriage contract for his youngest daughter. On 28 August 1479, a marriage contract was concluded. The contract promised Catherine to John, Prince of Asturias, eldest son of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. The alliance was still being negotiated when her father died on 9 April 1483. This marriage was never concluded. In 1483 Catherine joined her mother and her other sisters in the Westminster sanctuary, aged only 4 years.When Henry Tudor became king and married her sister Elizabeth of York he negotiated with James III of Scotland to obtain a possible husband for her. According to an agreement drawn up in November 1487, Catherine would marry James Stewart, Duke of Ross, second son of James III. The same agreement promised the hand of her mother Elizabeth Woodville to James III and the hand of one of her sisters to the future James IV of Scotland. James III was killed in the Battle of Sauchieburn (11 June 1488). His son and successor, James IV, never pursued this agreement. Catherine is mentioned among the attendants at her mother’s, Elizabeth Woodville, funeral procession in 1492.In 1495, Catherine was already married to William Courtenay (born 1475), created Earl of Devon in 1511. He was the eldest son and heir-apparent of Edward Courtenay, 1st Earl of Devon, and his wife and distant cousin Elizabeth Courtenay. They were parents to three children (Henry, Edward and Margaret). Her husband was attainted in 1504 and was thus not able to succeed his father on 28 May 1509. Her nephew Henry VIII apparently had greater trust for William and created him Earl of Devon on 10 May 1511. However William died on 9 June 1511. He was Earl for less than a full month. Their son Henry succeeded his father, later being created Marquess of Exeter.Catherine was still only 31 years old and would be expected to marry again. However she took a voluntary vow of chastity in the presence of Richard FitzJames, Bishop of London, on 13 July 1511.As a widow, Catherine reportedly went through periods of both “wealth” and “adversity” (according to Holinshed) but was reportedly favoured by her nephew Henry VIII who “brought her into a sure estate”. She survived her husband by sixteen years. She was buried in Tiverton.She was the last of Edward IV’s children to die.Pictured: The five daughters of King Edward IV (1461–1483) and Elizabeth Woodville, (left to right): Elizabeth, Cecily, Anne, Catherine, and Mary, all “Princesses of York”. Royal Window (15th century), Northwest Transept, Canterbury Cathedral -- source link
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