Katherine of England

Nun

**Katherine of England** (C. 1178 - 1213) was the 8th child of John I of England and Isabella I, Countess of Auvergne, when she was 7, she and her younger sister Matilda of England, her younger sister was betrothed to the Earl of Ormond, and Katherine was betrothed to the Earl of Desmond even though the betrothal was soon broken off. When she was 14, her younger sister was murdered and Katherine was betrothed to her sisters fiancee, but when Katherine turned 17 in 1195, she decided against the marriage which made her father rather upset, but he allowed Katherine to become a nun at Reading Abbey, when she was 35, she died during the reign of her older half-brother Henry III of England, she was at first buried in Reading Abbey, but reburied 4 years after her death in Westminister Abbey.

## Early Life

### Childhood

Katherine of England was born in Windsor Castle in England to John I of England, and his second wife Isabella I, Countess of Auvergne. She was raised in Buckingham Castle and she was indeed a favorite of her mother, when she was 7 she and her sister traveled to Wales to be betrothed to the Earls of Desmond and Ormond, Katherine was betrothed to the Earl of Desmond, while her younger sister Matilda "Maudiana" of England was betrothed to Henry, 3rd Earl of Desmond. Katherine was not actually suppose to marry him until she was 15, so she remained in Buckingham Castle with her parents. Her father adored her and called her "Princess Kitty."

### Education

Katherine was educated by Jacqueline d'Ailly who was a strict teacher, Jacqueline d'Ailly was also mean, harsh and abusive twords Katherine and often called her names to make Katherine do more work, Katherine though learned, English, French, German, Greek and Latin and Math, Reading, Writing. Archery, Religion and dance. When Jacqueline d'Ailly died in childbirth, Katherine was educated by Catherine de Reims, a former French governess to the children of Louis VIII of France, Catherine was the exact opposite of Jacqueline d'Ailly, she was kind and paticent and Katherine certainly loved her, when Katherine was 11, her betrothal broke off from the Earl of Desmond for Joan of Zupthen. Katherine did not like the Earl of Desmond anyway so she was not upset at all. When she was 13, her father sent her 7,000 pounds to live a more independent life in Anjou with Catherine de Reims and Katherine's younger sister Mary of England, Katherine who had never been to France, accepted this offer and she her sister, governess and herself moved to the Château d'Angers in Anjou, Katherine described the years there in her chronicle as the best years of her life, Katherine met her older step-brother Henry of England in Anjou, she described him as the most haughty, Arrogont, Rude, cruel, blood thirsty, evil man in England, Henry and Katherine hated each other and Henry stated that sense he was born from John's first wife Marie of Provence, that he was the only legitimate child, along with his 2 sister Eleanor of England, and Joan whom were also there in Anjou. Katherine wen't as far to dismiss her older-half siblings from the Château d'Angers.

### Life in Anjou

Though Katherine had to deal with her older half-siblings constantly bullying her, Katherine and her little sister Mary had a comfortable life in the Château d'Angers. Though a comfortable life, her older-half-sister Eleanor attempted to blow Katherine up by ordering 17 men to put gun powder under-neath her house, luckily they were caught, but Katherine did not feel safe and begged her father to take he her home, which he agreed and sent her a ship to England, though the plot happened, she still wrote of France as a beautiful place.

## Second Betrothal

When Katherine was 15, her mother and younger sister Maudiana (Matilda of England) were murdered on orders of King John, Matilda's betrothed, the Earl of Ormond was now free to be betrothed again, Katherine was considered the best option for the Earl who was only 3 years older then Katherine. They were betrothed in the Château De Regnéville, Katherine was not happy being betrothed to her sisters fiancee and tried to find her way out of the marriage, Katherine tried to bribe her father into breaking off the betrothal, but he untimatley refused the bribe. Katherine only had once choice, and that choice was to become a nun. So that was what she did.

## Nunnery

Her father disaproved of the idea of his daughter becoming a nun, he wanted Plantagenet blood to flow into the Ormond Family, but Katherine certainly did not as she found her finacee to he utterly stupid and Arragont. Her father was forced to accept the fact later on that her daughter would become a nun even if he said no, and wrote to his daughter saying, "You are indeed out of your mind, but I certainly cannot stop you!" John then rode with his daughter to reading abbey with tears in his eyes knowing he won't see his daughter ever again, he hugged her one last time before she entered reading abbey, Katherine broke off her own betrothal and took the veil. Katherine became a very pious woman and helped the poor.

## Death

Katherine's father died in 1206 when Katherine was 29, she attended her father's funeral and laid a golden rose on his grave, Katherine spent another 14 years in the convent, she died in when she was 35 of unknown causes, she was initially buried in Reading Abbey, but her older-half siblings did not wan't Katherine to chose her burial place and they believed Reading Abbey was way to beautiful to have Katherine's body buried there, many nun's had to be fought from taking Katherine's body, her body was reburied in Westminister Abbey. In 1917 she Blessed by the Pope.