Catherine of Braganza departs from the Palace Square, en route to England, 23 April 1662
Catherine of Braganza, the daughter of King Joao IV of Portugal, lived a very sheltered life up until she was twenty-three years old. But during that time, her mother, Queen Luisa Maria Francisca had worked long and hard to arrange a marriage for Catherine to Charles Stuart. For years, Charles had been in exile while Oliver Cromwell ruled as Protector of England. But after Cromwell’s death, the people of England wanted their king back and he was restored to the throne as King Charles II in the spring of 1660. The plan to marry Catherine and Charles went into over drive and became a reality.
Many preparations were made and by April 23, 1662, everything was ready for Catherine’s departure. The English ship Royal Charles was waiting at the mouth of the Tagus River…
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