Catherine of Alençon | |
---|---|
Duchess of Bavaria | |
Born | before 1396 |
Died | 22 June 1462 Paris |
Noble family | House of Valois-Alençon |
Spouse(s) | Peter of Évreux Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria |
Issue
John of Bavaria
unnamed daughter |
|
Father | Peter II of Alençon |
Mother | Marie Chamaillart, Viscountess of Beaumont-au-Maine |
Catherine d'Alençon (bef.1396 – 22 June 1462 in Paris) was a younger daughter of Peter II of Alençon and his wife Marie Chamaillart, Viscountess of Beaumont-au-Maine. Catherine was the second wife of Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria. Catherine was also maid of honour to Louis' sister, Isabeau of Bavaria.
Catherine came from a branch of the French royal family, House of Valois, her family were known as The House of Valois-Alençon. Her brother John I, Duke of Alençon was killed at the Battle of Agincourt against Henry V of England. Catherine married in 1411 to the 30-year-old Peter of Évreux, Count of Mortain. Peter was a brother of Charles III of Navarre. After only one year of marriage, Peter died, the marriage produced no children.
One year after Peter's death, Catherine was betrothed again to Louis VII, Duke of Bavaria, brother of Isabeau, Queen of France. The wedding, however, had to be postponed, as Catherine's future husband was taken prisoner. The wedding took place on Louis' release in early October 1413. Catherine's Dowry covered not only the county of Mortain, 60,000 francs but it also created connections between Bavaria and France.
Louis travelled in early 1415 as head of the French embassy to the Council of Constance. Catherine's husband gave the County of Mortain, from Catherine's dowry to John the Fearless, Duke of Burgundy, to free his wife, during the Armagnac-Burgundian Civil War in 1417, she had been taken prisoner by Bernard VII of Armagnac and did not care for their financial supply.