The Lost Queen: The Surprising Life of Catherine of Braganza, Britain’s Forgotten Monarch
Many people have heard of Charles II’s mistress, Nell Gwynn, and perhaps even of others of his mistresses, but who knows anything about his queen, Catherine of Braganza? Sophie Shorland sets out to remedy this.
Compared to previous biographies – the latest was in 1928 – which portray Catherine as a melancholy victim, this is a very upbeat account of her life. If Catherine had had any children English history would have been different, probably very different, but she was an active and popular queen, despite being a devout Catholic, and a support to her husband in an extremely difficult political environment. She stayed on after the Glorious Revolution of 1688 and even after her return to her native Portugal in 1693, she continued to be persona grata in England. Portugal was always the most important country to her, and she played a significant role in securing its newfound independence from Spain, acting as regent for the last year of her life.
Shorland’s book is a scholarly yet very readable book which retrieves the memory of a queen who was a successful consort in all except becoming a mother.
