Person

Catherine of Braganza

1638–1705 · 17th century

Catherine of Braganza was a Portuguese princess who became queen of England, Scotland and Ireland as the wife of Charles II from 1662 to 1685. Her dowry included Tangier and Bombay, giving England its first footholds in North Africa and India. She is credited with popularising tea at the English court. Childless, she returned to Portugal in 1692 and served as regent there in 1704–1705.

Catherine of Braganza
Image: Peter Lely · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 2 state histories

English TangierBombay Presidency

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Catherine of Braganza. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/catherine-of-braganza
MLA
“Catherine of Braganza.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/catherine-of-braganza. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Catherine of Braganza.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/catherine-of-braganza.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Catherine of Braganza’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/catherine-of-braganza (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻