The Washington herald., 1916-05-20
YOUR WEDDING DAY
AND
The Famous Men and Women Who
Have Shared 1t.
May 20-Charles II and Catherine of
Braganza.
By MARY MARSHALL,

BY MARY MARSHALL.
THE talk of the towne now Is who
the king is to have for his queene,"
wrote Pepys, the famous diarist, on st.
Valentines day, 1861. There had been
some talk of a German union but the
gay king objected. He refused fatty to
marry a German woman, who he said
was sure to be "foggy and dull" BY the
spring of 1862 the question had been set
tied and on May 20, 1862. Catherine,
daughter OF John of Braganza, became
Charles's consort, bringing with her as
part Of her portion the first parcel OF
Indian territory ever gained by Great
Britain-Tangier and Bombay.
For week before the wedding the
bells had been ringing and the lights in
the London houses had been lighted
| every night. The night when Charles
went to meet his bride at Portsmouth
there was but one house in London un-
Illuminated, and that was the house OF
Barbara, Lady Castlemaine, who enjoyed
| the doubtful honor. OF being the kings
most influential mistress at that time.
AS this charming lady feared, Charles
was quite capable of falling in love even
with his own wife for he was OF a par
tlcularly susceptible nature and good
reason she had to be Jealous.
And Charles did fall In love with
Catherine II for no other reason than in
sheer gratitude to her for not being posi-
lively ugly
Her face Is not SO exact as to be call
ed beauty" he wrote to a friend a few
hours after he had seen her for the first
time, tho her eyes are excellent good and
not anything in her face that in the least
degree can shoque one. On the contrary
she hath as much agreeableness in her
looks altogether as ever I saw and II
have any skill in visiognimy, which l
think have. she must be as good a
woman as ever was borne" A day or
so later he was still enthusiastic. "I
must be the worst man living, which 1
think I am not" he wrote, 'if I be not
good husband"
As soon as enough carts could be as
sembled to transfer the baggage Of Cath
crime and her Portuguese household from
Portsmouth. the wedding party proceed
ed to London, and there a second mar
rtage ceremony took place for the ben
eft Of the London populace. According
to the ancient custom the ribbons worn
by the bride were ripped from her dress
and cut into small pieces" and as far
as they would go every one had some"
Unfortunately Charless infatuation
for Catherine was. like most of his at
tachments, of only fleeting nature and
by June OF the same year his devotion
had been won back by Barbara, duchess
Of Castlemaine, who was much more
beautiful and measUrably more clever
than the good queen. Then trouble be-
gan. The king wanted to have his charm
ing Barbara made first lady Of the bed
chamber, and Catherine, having got wind
Of this lady's relationship with the king.
struck the name from the list But
finally the lonely little queen had to sub
NIT and before a year was out she
found herself actually making friends
with her rival and accepting the kings
ickleness as did every one else Of the
court.
But Barbara had her day and other
beautiful and clever women took her
place in the estimation OF the fckle king
And then not long before his death It
was noticed by members OF the court
with no end Of surprise that the king
was actually devoted to his own wife
Nell Gwynn. Barbara Viliers, the Ouch
ess OF Portsmouth, Louise QuerouaIlle
Mary Davies and a half dozen more of
the most beautiful women Of the day
had found royal favor but still the
queen. bowling to the fate that So many
queens have had to accept, occupied a
place more enviable than any of them.
The queen was too i'll to visit Charles
on his death bed, so she sent word and
asked his forgiveness for whatever she
had done in their married life to dis
please him.
Alas. poor woman" said the dying
king Does she beg my pardon? 1 beg
hers with all my heart. Take back that
answer to her"
CCopyrisht laAl