Good King Henry,

It pains us to bother you with such irrelevancies as included in this letter, but we are afraid we must. We hope you remain in good health and are glad to have learned that soon we may be family, for while it was agreed to in confidence, we may reveal to you that our daughter is to marry the brother of your prince's future wife. Blessed family indeed.

Regarding this we also write. It is for our other daughters we seek a union which will not only bring them a happy life but also please the Lord. We must, however, act with care to keep safe our small realm among the ambitions of Trastámara, Valois and now Habsburg. To this end we think of princes, suitably prestigious, wealthy and on good ground grown, yet suitably distant and not too inclined to seek power, for a good realm is one where the ruler is not challenged.

The Prince of Carbery must have heard of this somehow and sought us out. Now, we know there is no King of Ireland and that you are by the grace of God and Rome its sovereign Lord. It did not seem us suitable for one of yours to speak with us without your knowing, for it would not do if Kings and Queens went about insulting one another.

We thus inform you and request to be informed, though perhaps on such a matter not by your person, for we wish not to confuse the English matter of state with the Navarrese matter of family. We know not of this Carbery but as a land of pirates and fishermen of which our whalers speak. We know so little, in fact, that we are inclined to decline, though should one suitable among the retainers of the King of England wish to make an attempt at convincing us otherwise, we shall take their word as yours and give it good consideration.

Thanking you for your valued wisdom,

Remain we, Queen Catherine de Navarre and King Jean de Navarre