It's got quite the claim to being THE Tudor name for Queens. Three of Henry VIII's consorts were called Catherine. They spelled it differently to one another but it's the same name. And there is every chance two of his six wives were only called Catherine because of another of his queens who may well have been given the name because of a scandalous affair that threatened the stability of the monarchy centuries earlier.
Catalina of Lancaster, later Queen of Castile, inspired the name of Henry's first wife called Kate
Until the reign of Henry VIII, Catherine wasn't a popular royal name in England. There had been a few Kates but it wasn't a top pick for royal women. The first Catherine close to the throne was a daughter of Henry III and Eleanor of Provence, born in 1243 on the feast day of St. Catherine of Alexandria. She died in 1257 and her brother, later Edward I, gave one of his daughters the same name although she, too, died young. Fast forward to the 14th century and the name became well known in royal circles again when John of Gaunt, fourth but perhaps most ambitious son of Edward III, fell in love with a woman called Katherine Swynford. She became his mistress but was put aside when he married Constance of Castile in a bid to win a crown for himself. He ultimately failed but he had one daughter with Constance, a girl called Catherine. It's long been speculated as to why this princess ended up with the same name as her father's long time lover. Whatever the reasons, Catalina, as she was called in Castilian, went on to be quite the powerhouse. She married the successful claimant to the title of King of Castile and their granddaughter, Isabella, became Queen in her own right and formed the dominant half of a revolutionary royal relationship with Ferdinand of Aragon. Their youngest child was named after Catalina but the name reverted to its original form when she landed in England in 1501 to marry the son and heir of Henry VII.
Catherine of Aragon, Queen of England 1509 - 1533
Catherine of Aragon, as she is known to history, would become one of the most pivotal women in English royal history. Her first marriage to Arthur, Prince of Wales lasted less than five months with her young husband dying in April 1502. She eventually married his younger brother soon after his accession as Henry VIII in 1509 and for almost two decades, she was the undisputed first lady of the realm. Before Anne Boleyn, before 'The King's Great Matter', before the divorce that would change England forever, Catherine was queen of all she surveyed. And as has happened throughout time, those who wanted the benefit of her influence tried to curry favour with her. And one very easy way to do that was to honour her at the baptismal font.
Catherine Parr, Queen of England, 1543 - 1547
Catherine hadn't been an overly popular name with England's nobility and gentry until 1509 but once Henry had his queen, all that changed. In 1512, when a well to do woman called Maud had her first daughter, she had no doubt about the name she would give her. Maud was from the landed gentry rather than the aristocracy but she was smart, ambitious and had been a friend of Catalina of Aragon for quite a while. It's likely the Queen of England was among the godmothers for the daughter of Thomas and Maud Parr. As often happened at the time, spellings of names changed. This baby girl was called Katherine Parr. Catherine of Aragon would be long dead by the time this other Kate became the sixth wife of Henry VIII but the link between them is intriguing.
Catherine Howard, Queen of England, 1540 - 1541
As is the link between the princess from Aragon and the teenager who won Henry's heart when his own youth and power first seemed to be slipping away from him. Catherine Howard was born around 1523, the second daughter and fifth child of Lord Edmund Howard. Her father was part of the family of the Duke of Norfolk who held high favour with Henry VIII. Edmund was a minor player but connected nonetheless. When his wife, Joyce Culpepper, gave birth to their second girl, the name they chose was, in all likelihood, a nod to Queen Catherine. Just a few years later, Edmund's niece, Anne Boleyn, would bring her tenure as consort to an end.
The King called Henry who had three Queens called Kate
There is something fascinating and yet slightly disarming about two later queens being named after the first wife of the man they married. But it is a good illustration of how long Henry's reign and marital career lasted that women born after he became king could end up keeping the name of his first wife alive in royal circles long after her own passing. Catalina, Catherine and Katherine made an otherwise low key royal name into a Tudor legend.
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