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

King Charles II was married to Queen Catherine of Braganza, about whom little has been written. Instead, more attention has been devoted to King Charles II and even his mistresses, like Nell Gwyn and Barbara Villiers. However, Shorland, a scholar of early modern English literature, focuses fully on the queen in this book. She shows that Queen Catherine (1638–1705) was influential in introducing new customs such as tea drinking, new fashions of the time, art, and music. This book covers Catherine’s background, including details about her parents (John IV, who became Portugal’s king in 1640, and Luisa de Guzmán, an influential force herself). The book gives plenty of details about the dowry negotiations before Catherine’s wedding to Charles in 1662 and the type of relationship they had afterward, including Catherine’s three pregnancies, which ended in miscarriage. Despite societal expectations to produce an heir to the throne, King Charles II staunchly refused to divorce Catherine. After his death in 1685, Catherine remained in England until returning to Portugal in 1692, where she died in 1705.