Editing Catherine of Valois (section)

==Relationship with Owen Tudor==<!-- A link in the infobox links to this heading -->
Catherine was still young and marriageable, a source of concern to her brother-in-law [[Humphrey, Duke of Gloucester]], the guardian of her son. Rumours abounded that Catherine planned to marry [[Edmund Beaufort, 2nd Duke of Somerset|Edmund Beaufort, Count of Mortain]], her late husband's cousin. The Duke of Gloucester was strongly against the match, however, and the Parliament of 1427–8 passed a bill which set forth the provision that if the queen dowager remarried without the king's consent, her husband would forfeit his lands and possessions, although any children of the marriage would not suffer punishment. The king's consent was contingent upon his having attained his majority. At that time, the king was only six years old.

Catherine lived in the king's household, presumably so she could care for her young son, but the arrangement also enabled the councillors to watch over the queen dowager herself. Nevertheless, Catherine entered into a sexual relationship with [[Wales|Welshman]] [[Owen Tudor|Owen Maredudd Tudor]], who, in 1421, in France, had been in the service of Henry V's steward Sir [[Walter Hungerford, 1st Baron Hungerford|Walter Hungerford]]. Tudor was probably appointed keeper of Catherine's household or wardrobe. The relationship began when Catherine lived at [[Windsor Castle]], and she became pregnant with their first child there. At some point, she stopped living in the King's household, and in May 1432, Parliament granted Owen the [[Rights of Englishmen|rights of an Englishman]]. This was important because of Henry IV's laws limiting the rights of Welshmen.

[[Image:Arms of Catherine of Valois.svg|thumb|right|upright|Catherine of Valois's arms as queen consort. Her arms as princess of France impaled with the arms of the Plantagenet English kings, claimants for the French throne]]

There is no known date of Catherine's marriage to Owen,{{sfn|Griffiths|Thomas|2005|p=35}} and yet there is no contemporaneous evidence that the validity of the marriage and the legitimacy of her children were questioned in secular or canon law.{{sfn|Chrimes|1980|pp=320–333}} From the relationship of Owen Tudor and Queen Catherine descended the [[Tudor dynasty]] of England, starting with [[King Henry VII]]. Tudor historians asserted that Owen and Catherine had been married, for their lawful marriage would add respectability and stronger royal ties to the claims of the Tudor dynasty.

Owen and Catherine had at least six children. [[Edmund Tudor, 1st Earl of Richmond|Edmund]], [[Jasper Tudor|Jasper]] and Edward (who became a monk and died young)<ref>{{cite journal|last=Payne|first=Matthew|title=The lost Tudor|journal=[[History Today]]|volume=73|issue=3|date=March 2023|pages=62–7}}</ref> were all born away from court. They had one daughter, Margaret, who became a nun and also died young.