Therefore a happy wife this was, a happy mother pure. Thrice happy child, but grand dame she, more than thrice happy sure !
- Epitaph.

Additional Information on
Katherine of France (1401-1437)

The daughter of the mad Charles VI, King of France, Katherine was terribly neglected as a child and was brought up in relative poverty but when Henry V wanted a French bride to strengthen his claim to the French throne, and after Agincourt in 1415, he was in a strong position to press his suit for her. After negotiations had broken down several times due to Henry's demands for an excessive dowry of 2 million crowns, the arguments were settled when he accepted the French offer of their crown for Henry and his heirs with him as regent to Charles VI during Charles' lifetime. Henry and Katherine were married immediately afterwards in France. The Plantagenet kings had now achieved their dreams of sitting on the thrones of both France and England.

They entered Paris in triumph and settled in the Louvre Palace, however two months later it became necessary for Henry to return to England and soon after they arrived, Katherine was crowned in Westminster Abbey followed by a coronation banquet of great splendour in Westminster Hall. But after making a royal progress around the kingdom, Henry was required to return to France to rescue a worsening military situation. Katherine was now pregnant and a delighted Henry had her join him in France after the birth of Prince Henry (later Henry VI). But within a few months Henry V was dead.