Catherine of Valois: Life and Afterlife

It’s like you defend a thesis in every video, which are addictive in the best way. 👸

Catherine’s life is so interesting, but it is horrible how she was not able to rest after her death.

Dr. Kat’s work is consistently academically interesting, but also has this casual, conversational tone that makes it feel like your exceptionally well-read friend is just relating something interesting they’ve discovered. I love every single one of these videos!!😊

Thanks for another fascinating Friday. Had never connected the mental illness dots between Charles VI of France and Henry VI....Yeah, and you can always rely on Pepys to keep things interesting!👑

I share these with my Mom weekly and we both adore them. I have a feeling she is going to really enjoy this one. Thank you Dr. Kat for allowing me to share a great 30-60 minutes with my Mom.

In Kenneth Branaugh's Henry V, Catherine is played by Emma Thompson, then his wife.

So glad you did this video! I always think of her as the grandmother of the Tudor dynasty. I literally live for Friday afternoons because of your videos! You rock Dr Kat!

Catherine de Valois played the long game, breeding against France's enemies the Plantagenets. She was the mother of Henry VI, the mental weakling who was the end of the Hundred Years War and, thus, of the House of Lancaster. She was then the grandmother of Henry VII, who finished off the House of York. England never recovered her French prizes.

When you mentioned a diarist in the beginning, I was thinking, "Wait, could it be 'Naughty Sammy'?" But then I saw the dates & no, of course not... only to have him appear after all. 🤣 Her life was rather interesting. I hope she managed to find some happiness in all of that.

Thanks for a clear and concise canter through the life of Catherine. And best of all, a quotation from my very favourite 17th century writer, the glorious Samuel. What a man.

Every time — EVERY TIME — you blow me away. I always learn something and I always want more! ❤

Why would anybody just go and kiss a corpse for a birthday present?? It's wild and disturbing. Poor woman 👸🏼

Another fabulous video, you can do nothing poorly, Dr. Kat, your brilliance always shows through!❤

I really enjoyed this talk. This is a great story by any standards and youve got to admit,it has a definite Mills & Boon take to it. I learned this story from the Jean Plaidy novel covering it. Her books are really well researched and that author also had a knack of making the minor characters interesting too,all the Isabellas,and Joans,and Blanches. I love that Catherine found a good man and went ahead. Poor little baby,ill starred child. Even a strong character like William the Conqueror or Louis the Sun King wouid have struggied with a start like that,and indeed they did,but being arrogant and bloody minded has always been a good survival technique. Ive always felt that poor Henry VI would have been so happy living a simple life in a village or maybe as a monk.

I have only just discovered these wonderful videos- hooked already! Just wondered if Dr Kat might like to comment on the story that Catherine de Valois either saw Owain swimming naked in a river as she was crossing a bridge or that he fell into her lap whilst dancing? Also, it is rather amusing to consider that we name Owain's descendants by using his grandfather'n name Tudur (English Tudor) rather than the name of his father Maredudd (English Meredith). The Royal House of Meredith doesn't have quite the same ring to it, does it?

Interesting life she lived. I become very thankful for the time and place I live in when I think of the restrictions she was subject to as a Dowager Queen (and restrictions for women in general in her lifetime). 👸🏰

Poor Catherine! She had a rough way to go before and after she died!😢😢

know so much more about this remarkable woman now than i did 30mins ago

We definitely need a Dr Kat’s video on Margaret Beaufort 👑👸🏻

I had heard about the desecration of her body before but your discussion has helped me a great more to understand her role in history. My question is, did she finally come to love her first husband, and was her second marriage one in her mind, of protection from other factions that would do her harm? Her life must have seemed so precarious to her. A real pawn used by so many other people. Poor girl.