History

Princess Katherine, daughter of King Henry III and his queen Eleanor of Provence, is buried in Westminster Abbey. She was born at Westminster Palace on 25 November 1253 and died at Windsor Castle on 3 May 1257. Her parents were grief stricken at her death and erected a tomb for her in the Abbey with two images in gilt bronze and silver (one was probably of St Catherine). It seems she was moved from her first tomb to the present Purbeck marble altar tomb with remains of the original Cosmati (mosaic) work decoration. This tomb was at one time in St Edward the Confessor's chapel but was displaced when the tomb of Anne of Bohemia was erected there (she died 1394). The tomb was moved to the south ambulatory between the chapels of St Edmund and St Benedict. It was commissioned in 1273 to take the coffins of Katherine and her three young brothers Richard born about 1247, John born about 1250, both of whom died before 1256, and Henry died 1274 (the tomb was opened to add his coffin). The back of the recess was originally painted with four kneeling figures. Katherine's brother succeeded as King Edward I and another brother, Edmund Crouchback, Earl of Lancaster is also buried at the Abbey.

Five young children of Edward I were later buried in the same tomb - John, Henry, Alphonso, Berengaria and Joan.

A photo of the tomb can be purchased from Westminster Abbey Library.