The Lost Queen: The Surprising Life of Catherine of Braganza—the Forgotten Queen Who Bridged Two Worlds

by Sophie Shorland

An enthralling and vivid portrait of Queen Catherine of Braganza, wife of Charles II, that reveals her forgotten place in history.

A long-overlooked figure in history, Catherine has a crucial place in the history of the British she may have failed to produce an heir to the throne, but her marriage to Charles in 1662 marked a key turning point in Britain’s imperial ascendancy, for part of her dowry was Bombay, Britain’s first territory of the Indian subcontinent. Catherine also was highly influential in the worlds of fashion, Baroque art and music, and food and culture. She popularized tea drinking, bringing England’s national drink into fashion for the first time. Her life was at the nexus of Old and New worlds, war and exploration, frivolity and scientific enquiry.

Noteworthy in its scope and approach to sources, The Lost Queen combines personal and political accounts, offering a lively portrait of Catherine’s life, and the wider politics and explorations of her time.

Genres: History, Biography, Nonfiction, Royalty, British Literature, Audiobook, Stuart

337 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2024

Reviews

[History Today]

Charles II’s Restoration court has long been associated with hedonism and frivolity. Lurking in the shadows – at least in history books – was his long-suffering wife, Catherine of Braganza, often remembered (if remembered) for being forced to put up with her husband’s many mistresses. In the title of Sophie Shorland’s new biography she is described as a queen both ‘lost’ and ‘forgotten’ – an accurate statement, even if it is strangely reiterated.

Born in Portugal in 1638 as a member of the influential Braganza family which seized back the throne from the Spanish Habsburgs in 1640, Catherine spent 30 years in England. Married to Charles II in 1662, their reign bore witness to major scientific and medical developments alongside Britain’s overseas expansionist activities, aided by the lucrative trade links that the kingdom inherited through the Anglo-Portuguese Alliance of 1661, confirmed by their marriage treaty. In The Lost Queen Shorland seeks to redress Catherine’s absence from Restoration history by giving her an up-to-date biography, building on recent research by scholars including Peter Leech, Edward Corp, Adam Morton and Lorraine Madway.

What we get is a vivid picture of how, as queen consort, Catherine bore the rebuffs she received politically and socially among certain factions of the court, and how she ultimately rose to become a prominent figure in her own right, independent from the satellite courts that functioned around Charles’ mistresses: the impetuous Barbara Palmer, née Villiers, Lady Castlemaine; the actresses Nell Gwynn and Moll Davis; and Louise de Kéroualle, duchess of Portsmouth. Catherine achieved this through her patronage of musicians and of the Flemish artist Jacob Huysmans, who depicted the queen as her namesake St Catherine of Alexandria in a portrait that was duplicated by other prominent female courtiers, including Barbara Palmer, Lady Castlemaine. Interestingly, given that Castlemaine has long been considered Catherine’s nemesis, Shorland argues that this was in fact intended as a mark of respect and friendship with the queen, but more work is needed to discern the extent to which this is true, especially given the lack of written evidence by either woman. Nevertheless, The Lost Queen raises questions about how we should think about the relationship between queens consort and royal mistresses in the early modern period. Were those relationships always a straightforward rivalry? How did queens assert their authority? Could a cordial compromise be reached for harmony between both parties?

Read the rest of the review at https://www.historytoday.com/archive/...

Eilish Gregory is the Little Company of Mary Fellow in the Centre for Catholic Studies at Durham University and the author of Later Stuart Queens, 1660-1735: Religion, Political Culture, and Patronage (Palgrave Macmillan, 2024).

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

She introduced tea to Britain — that’s practically 80% of the national identity. Why isn’t she on the citizenship test?

I really liked how this book brings Catherine of Braganza into the spotlight. It doesn’t try to turn her into an icon, just gives her the space she’s long been denied. Overshadowed by Charles II’s many mistresses, it’s easy to forget just how much she contributed.

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars rounded down.

I enjoyed this, but more as a history of the restoration (an era of England I know very little about) than the specifics of Catherine’s life.

I was not left super convinced about Catherine’s impact on history, which is the very premise of the book. As a tastemaker, certainly — tea-drinking, baroque music/art/architecture, shorter skirts and masculine riding dress. Her devout Catholicism was a factor in inciting mob paranoia in the short term, but I don’t see the long-term impact there. Not having an heir was certainly impactful, but what does that say about her as a person?

The one thing that I feel was truly the most impactful — rule of Bombay being part of her dowry — was hardly mentioned at all. Included in the introduction and epilogue, but hardly touched in the book itself. We learn far more about the short-lived colonial control in North Africa she brought with her than the colony they would rule for nearly 300 years.

So, overall, it was fine. I enjoyed listening to it. It moved apace and held my attention. But I’m not sure I’m taking much away from it.

[Inês · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't think we will ever truly grasp who Catarina was, since most of her voice was lost with her letters. And it's a shame, because I really had a difficult time remembering that this was about her and not just the context she was in. She pops up every so often, but she doesn't feel tangible as a person, though the glimpses we get of her are bright and so decidedly portuguese (to my great joy).
I think time is still unkind to her, if we cannot get a very detailed book of her life and her person.
At least, it didn't sound unkind while she was alive, being so loved at home and in England, being cared and respected, being a symbol for both portuguese and english people.
And really, that's all that matters.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Terrific narrative, I had almost no idea who Catherine really was until reading this.

[Angus Quinn · Rating 2 out of 5]

While it is an interesting hypothesis and I am generally intrigued by efforts to challenge our assumptions about Queens of England, beyond tea drinking I'm not sure there's much of note here? Perhaps more focus on her later years might have yielded a more intriguing book.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Stuart dynasty tends to get short changed by historians, seen as a stepping stone from the glorious Tudors to the constitutional monarchs of the Hanovers. The drama of Elizabeth I, Mary, and James I leads to the execution of Charles I and Cromwell. Charles II gets some attention as the restored king but it mostly focuses on his mistresses before James II loses it all. If Charles's queen is mentioned at all, the focus is on the lack of heirs and fights with mistresses.

Shorland turns the spotlight back to the queen, focusing on Catherine of Braganza from the perspective of her power as a living link in the Anglo-Portuguese alliance. Catherine never lost sight of her birth country and it and her religion were the main pillars of her life. It is rare to see an author acknowledge the level of importance people, especially rulers, placed on religion during the time they lived. We might see the anti-Catholic backlash England experienced during the Restoration as excessive or unnecessary, but it was a vitally important aspect of life and Shorland makes sure it stays in its proper place in the story of Catherine's life.

This is a good introduction to Catherine's life. Shorland backs up a bit to discuss how the Braganzas gained the throne and showed how important Catherine's marriage was to Portuguese independence. She does skim some once Catherine becomes queen - I would have liked more details on the court and relationship there. Some important people, like future queens Mary and Anne, are barely mentioned - Shorland says they all had a good relationship but she doesn't show it in text. Shorland is also very dismissive of Catherine's medical issues and the medicines available to her. I could do without the asides about how it looks odd to our modern eyes. I read history to learn how people were in their lives and times, not to pass judgement on them.

[Hallie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the first few chapters about Portugal and the background of the Braganza family and Catherine's childhood. The middle was fine for the parts about Catherine, but it felt kind of rushed.

[TJ West · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review first appeared on my Substack newsletter, Omnivorous.

It probably comes as no surprise that I’m a voracious reader of books about the British monarchy (or English, if the monarch in question ruled before Queen Anne), and so when I saw Sophie Shorland’s new biography The Lost Queen: The Surprising Life of Catherine of Braganza, I knew that it was going to be a book I must read. I must confess that before reading this book I knew almost nothing about Charles II’s queen, other than that she was Portuguese and that their lack of an heir meant that the throne ended up passing to James II, Charles’ younger brother.

Indeed, I’m not alone in not knowing a great deal about Charles II’s consort. Catherine of Braganza has had rather a rough time of it, both during her own reign and afterward. When you think of noteworthy queens consort, you’re probably more likely to think of Henry VIII’s unfortunate wives, or perhaps Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the mother of Queen Elizabeth II. You might even think of Isabella of France, wife of Edward II, or Margaret of Anjou, the indefatigable wife of Henry VI. Catherine, however, has largely been relegated to being little more than a historical footnote, partly because she didn’t produce an heir and partly because she was subjected, in her lifetime at least, to a great deal of opprobrium from Charles’ devoutly Protestant subjects.

As Shorland shows in her new biography, however, Catherine of Braganza deserves a lot more recognition than she usually gets and that, far from being a forgettable monarch, she was remarkably influential in her own way. In addition to enduring a great deal of heartbreak at the court, she was also subjected to numerous conspiracies and was frequently scapegoated and targeted by those who loathed her Catholicism and wanted to bring an end to her marriage. She endured all of this and still managed to maintain both her marriage and her faith. As Shorland also astutely observes, the marriage of Catherine and Charles not only helped to solidify Portugal’s monarchy; it also helped to establish Britain as a true imperial power.

Unfortunately, it remains true that Catherine ended up leading a very unhappy marital life, thanks in large part to the fact that her husband was a notorious womanizer, with over half a dozen mistresses and numerous bastard children. Charles was obviously far from the first English king to take women other than his wife to his bed, but even so, the sheer number of lovers and the flagrant way in which he flaunted were startling. A woman like Catherine, however, was raised to tolerate a great deal, and her loyalty to her very disloyal husband rarely ever wavered, no matter how much heartbreak she endured.

However, it wasn’t just Charles’ unfaithfulness that was a challenge. As a Catholic, Catherine was automatically suspect in the eyes of many of her subjects, and their hostility–and their determination to pressure the king into divorcing his wife–only grew more acute when it became clear that she was never going to give birth to an heir. Unlike, say, Henry VIII, however, Charles remained mostly resolute in his devotion to his wife, and he refused to set her aside, even when doing so might have allowed him to produce an heir of his body rather than depending on his younger brother James as a potential heir. The fact that Catherine endured several miscarriages–while many of Charles’ mistresses were conspicuously fertile–just rubbed salt in the wound.

This isn’t to say that his loyalty wasn’t tested, however, particularly when it came to the Popish Plot, in which Catherine was believed by many of Charles’ powerful Protestant subjects to be involved in scheming against the throne. Shorland’s attention to the particulars of the plot and those who were involved in it is useful both for showing us Catherine’s resilience in the face of adversity–for all that she was prone to phantom medical ailments and bouts of severe depression–but also just how much anti-Catholic sentiment played a role in English political and social life in the 17th century.

It is perhaps fitting, then, that Catherine of Braganza ended up outliving Charles and, after his death and after the short and disastrous reign of her brother-in-law James II–as well as the subsequent elevation of her niece Mary II and her husband, William III to the throne–returning to her native Portugal. However, she returned to her home to find that the country had changed a great deal since she left. Like so many of us who spend their lives dreaming of something, she found that the reality very rarely ever measures up to the fantasy.

As Shorland demonstrates, however, this wasn’t the end for our intrepid queen. Once back in Portugal she continued to be a player in the world of politics, even going so far as to serve as regent for her nephew. This little aspect of her biography comes very late in the book, and sadly Shorland gives it short shrift. While I understand that every book has to draw its boundaries somewhere, I would have liked to hear more about this particular period in Catherine’s life even if, as Shorland also observes, it was short, coming right before her own abrupt death.

I particularly enjoyed the way that Shorland managed to find the human beneath all of the panoply and hedonism associated with the Restoration and Charles II. Obviously it’s impossible to really recapture what a woman of Catherine’s station thought and felt–particularly since so much of her correspondence has been destroyed–Shorland makes abundant use of the letters and other correspondence of those who knew and interacted with her. As a result, we also get a sense of Catherine’s political importance and her place in the 17th century political scene.

The Lost Queen is a valuable addition to the enormous bibliography on England’s many queens. While Catherine of Braganza may not have been a woman of intense political aspirations she was, nevertheless, a survivor, someone who weathered more than her fair share of political turmoil and political upset to live a life at least somewhat on her own terms. Moreover, as Shorland also repeatedly reminds us, she ended up having a remarkably powerful impact on British society as a whole, even introducing tea to England. For this, and for so many other reasons, she deserves to be remembered and even celebrated.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Lost Queen by Sophie Shorland is a wonderful nonfiction and biography on the fascinating, but sometimes overlooked, Queen Consort Catherine of Braganza.

I loved learning more of Catherine who was much more than just the Queen Consort to Charles II King of Wngland.

I admire her for her personal faith, piety, loyalty, and the staunch support fhat she had for the Catholic faith during her entire life. Though she was consistently ostracized, bullied, mocked, and threatened for her religious devotion, it seems she did not waiver. I could only hope to be that confident and bold. While she did not have any successful pregnancies, she still tried to be the Queen Consort that she could, despite not being able to officially claim the crown due to her religion. Her support also helped found what is now known as The Friary.

This book is fascinating and I am now digging further into her life.

5/5 stars

Thank you EW and Pegasus Books/Simon & Schuster for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 10/1/24.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was thrilled when I saw that there was a new biography of Catherine of Braganza. I think each of the women who sat beside their husbands on the throne is worthy of a book of their own. This lady is no exception.

In this book, we learn of Catherine's birth and early life in Portugal, her subsequent marriage to Charles II of England, the heartbreak of her fertility issues, the scary possibility that she could be implicated in the "Popish Plot", the death of her husband, her return to Portugal, and eventual rise to become Regent of Portugal in her brother's name. It's quite a story, and one that deserves telling.

However, I have a few quibbles. The first is the title "The Lost Queen". Catherine was certainly never lost...forgotten maybe...but never lost. Second, within the prologue, the author actually references Wikipedia as a source. This is unforgiveable when it comes to biography, all the more so because a search of the article cited contains absolutely no mention of the sentence noted. Erased. I looked this up in January 2025, just a few months after the book's publication.

Another thing I didn't appreciate was found in the epilogue. In it, the author states that we don't have that many letters written by Catherine. She tells us that this is probably for the best, because Catherine probably espoused ideas and views that would not have been tasteful to a modern audience. I don't see how missing letters is a good thing. If anything, it would give us a fuller picture of the lady, something that would only enhance our view of her. Even if we disagreed with her views, it's not right to judge a person of the past by the standards of today.

Still, this book is a good look at a lady who receives negligible attention today.

[Moonlight Missions · Rating 3 out of 5]

When you hear about Charles II, you hear about his mistresses, and about the Restoration court. You might hear about his father, or even his mother. You’ll eventually get to his brother, who succeeded him but was overthrown by his own daughters. Yet Charles II also had a wife you’ll almost never hear much about—Catherine of Braganza.

That is why I decided to read this book. Overall, I quite enjoyed it. I got to learn a bit about Portuguese history, and this combined nicely with my recent visit to Lisbon. I even got the chance to visit Catharine's grave, and to see a bit of the country she longed for her whole life.

The book is well-written and easy to read. However, I generally wanted to learn a bit more about Catherine. It seems that even in a book that is supposed to be all about her, she gets sidelined a bit. For example, I’d have loved to hear more about how she popularized tea drinking in England, but all we got is one line about it.

I’d even have liked to learn a bit more about her fertility issues, especially since I believe this is why she is not as remembered as some other wives—she did not give birth to an heir in a time period when this would have been considered her duty and responsibility. I wonder how that might have affected her, especially given how the book often mentions that her position as Queen Consort was uncertain without an heir, and that there were many rumours about Charles II considering divorce. However, as with a lot of women, some things we’ll never know because they were not recorded. Maybe this is the closest we can get to knowing?

I certainly have some additional reading on this time period and these historical figures in mind, so maybe I’ll get to learn more from some other author.

All this being said, I would recommend it to those looking to learn a bit more about this period in English history, and those who would like the focus to be on Catherine, but be prepared to have some questions left hanging at the end.

You can also read my whole review on my blog.

[David Dunlap · Rating 4 out of 5]

The wife of Charles II has been in the shadows of history for the most part. This well-written book attempts to redress that imbalance. Catherine of Braganza emerges as a strong character -- brave in leaving her homeland (Portugal) when completely ignorant of the language or customs of England, brave in maintaining her position as Queen Consort in the light of her husband's numerous infidelities and the ever-surging anti-Catholic feelings throughout the realm. We see Catherine as a woman who enjoyed company, especially games of cards, who was kind to those around her, fiercely loyal to her homeland -- and her husband. The fact that much of her correspondence has been lost (whether it be due to the Great Fire of London in 1666 or the Great Lisbon Earthquake of 1755) means that Catherine remains in many ways a shadowy figure. The author's graceful prose -- with little flashes of humor here and there -- does a yeoman's job of bringing her subject to life, but the last little bit of historical evidence that would make Catherine spring to life is lacking. Still, a recommended biography of an interesting woman...

[Sara Piteira · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall it’s a very solid book and I enjoyed it quite a lot. there are however a few ( understandable) mistakes - Beira Alta is a northern region of Portugal not southern and Evora is not a border town.
There’s also the inaccuracy repeated several times throughout that Catherine was godmother to her niece Isabel Luisa, princesa da Beira and heir to the throne until the birth of her brother Joao. Catherine was indeed invited to the role but refused, largely due to her discomfort with the deposition and imprisonment of her brother Afonso. Luis XIV was the child godfather and she didn’t have a godmother as related in several historic accounts of her baptism.

[Ebirdy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 - this was excellent. The writing is lively and moves along but you don't feel like it's just a surface look at Catherine. There are 30+ pages of references and bibliography, so clearly Shorland did her research. I loved how much effort she made to show the "soft" (and sometimes, not so soft) power of women at this time in history. I didn't know that queens were often the diplomats, holding meetings with many foreign dignitaries and influential people of the time - many times in the bedchamber. She is also the one who popularized drinking tea in Britain.
Definitely recommend this slim volume (274 pages) filled with interesting facts and history.

[Alexandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wanted to get a little royal European Baroque history when I was strolling through my local library, and this book did not disappoint. I am ashamed to say that I knew very little about Catherine of Braganza, but it seems I am not alone in this. Sophie Shorland aims to remedy that with this book, and she paints a rich and fascinating picture full of intrigue, plots, culture, fashion, historic events, war, and even a good bit of gossip. It's a really satisfying read, and I'm very happy Shorland has given this important woman her story back in history.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of my “course” on the queens consort. Catherine of Braganza (Portugal’s Royal house) was more interesting, complicated, and tortured than you may think. Married to Charles II, who puts kings like Juan Carlos to shame in his debauchery, profligacy, and lust for power. Catherine may be one of the few British consorts who not only returned to her home country in widowhood, but also became the regent of her home country - Portugal.

[Keith Johnstone · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read about a woman who seems hard not to like. During extremely challenging times Catherine of Braganza seems to have played it just right, which is no small thing. Sophie Shorland does a great job building a narrative and delivering key points with what must have been a huge amount of information available in this period and it certainly stimulates you into wanting to know more

[Suzanne Mccandless · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It taught me so much history of the England, Portugal, Spain and France, European history that I have missed. I was able to sort out the British kings following Queen Elizabeth I and after the Reformation. Queen Catherine, the wife of King Charles II of Great Britain, was a remarkable woman.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

She's definitely a forgotten Queen, I'm pleased to have found out more about her particularly her life in Portugal before and after her time as Queen of England. However there are clearly few sources for her early years in England, a lot of the information is generic, but the author covers it well. It was great to finally hear her voice in the few surviving letters.

[Diana Coleman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I knew nothing about this Queen and found this book really interesting. It was written in a very readable style, giving life to the characters, and especially to Queen Catherine. Such a determined woman, and she had a lot to put up with.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent history to a figure who is not well-known. It does fall into the same space as many others like it - there just isn't a lot of textual material available directly by or about Catherine. So the book ends up being more about the events around her than about her directly.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting account of Queen Catherine of Portugal

[Michell Karnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have always been interested in the life of Catherine. The author gives a wonderful account of this some what unknown Queen.

[Mary Fitzgerald · Rating 5 out of 5]

This biography of Queen Ann, wife of King Charles Ii, fills in many gaps of history concerneing Portugal.

[Angela Stillson · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a really interesting book about a woman who has been forgotten by history, but it was too drawn out, and at times, I found myself skimming over things.

[Lou Chodosh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Worth reading ; fills in some gaps in my learning about British history.

[JP · Rating 4 out of 5]

Accurately named book as while she was an incredibly interesting queen little is broadly known or written about her. Well done very engaging.

[Rox · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite finding Catherine to not be a very interesting historical personage when all was said and done (aside from her loyalty to Portugal, I felt that her role in history was not of much consequence, at least not enough for a full-length book), I really enjoyed the writing itself, especially the author's use of humour.