🇫🇷 Catherine de Valois, Queen of England (1401-1437)

Celebrate the life and legacy of Catherine de Valois (1401–1437), Queen of England, daughter of King Charles VI of France, wife of the legendary King Henry V, and the woman whose second marriage would ultimately give rise to the Tudor dynasty.

Inspired by contemporary fifteenth-century portraiture, this museum-style poster presents Catherine in elegant French-inspired tones of antique gold, royal crimson and soft ivory, adorned with delicate red roses and Tudor roses that symbolise both her French heritage and her lasting influence on English history. Beautifully researched and thoughtfully designed, the artwork honours a queen whose quiet courage reshaped a kingdom.

Poster Features

• Catherine de Valois (1401–1437)

• Queen of England

• Wife of King Henry V

• Mother of the Tudor Dynasty

• Inspired by contemporary fifteenth-century portraiture

• Elegant French medieval colour palette of crimson, antique gold and ivory

• Red Roses and Tudor Rose detailing

• Features Catherine's personal motto: Humblement le requier

• Museum-style historical design

• Perfect for historians, collectors, genealogists, and medieval history enthusiasts

• Ideal for studies, libraries, offices, and historical displays

  
  

Historical Significance

Born on 27 October 1401 in Paris, Catherine was the daughter of King Charles VI of France and Isabeau of Bavaria. Her childhood was overshadowed by her father's severe mental illness, including recurring psychotic episodes and the infamous Glass Delusion, while her mother's frequent absences left Catherine to spend part of her early years in convent care before later returning to the French royal household.

In 1420, Catherine married King Henry V of England as part of the Treaty of Troyes, a political alliance intended to unite the English and French crowns. Their only child, Henry VI, would become King of England before his first birthday.

Widowed at just twenty-one years of age, Catherine's life took an unexpected turn. Despite parliamentary restrictions forbidding a dowager queen from remarrying without royal permission, she secretly married the Welsh courtier Sir Owen Tudor. Their union produced Edmund Tudor, father of King Henry VII, making Catherine the matriarch of England's Tudor dynasty.

Unlike many medieval queens remembered for political influence, Catherine's legacy was built upon quiet resilience, personal conviction, and the courage to choose love over expectation. Through two marriages, she became the remarkable link between the House of Valois, the House of Lancaster, and the future House of Tudor.