She was born on 25 November 1274, the only daughter and heir of the titular
Emperor of Constantinople,
Philip of Courtenay, by
Beatrice of Sicily. Upon her father's death on 15 December 1283, Catherine inherited his claims to the Latin throne of Constantinople and was recognized as empress by the
Latin states in Greece, despite the city having been re-taken by the
Empire of Nicaea in 1261. Catherine was betrothed three times before her marriage: —Firstly, in 1288, with
Michael IX Palaiologos, co-Byzantine Emperor; this union was proposed by the intended groom's father Emperor
Andronikos II Palaiologos in the hope of reducing the threat of restoring the power of the Latins in the Byzantine Empire and reconciling with both the
Holy See and the European monarchs, who frightened Constantinople with a new
Crusade; however, after several years of fruitless negotiations and the decisive objection from the French king, the purposed union was abandoned by 1295, when Michael IX was already married. —Secondly, in June 1295, with Infante
Frederick of Aragon, son of King
Peter III. As a condition of this betrothal, the intended groom promised to renounce his rights to the
Kingdom of Sicily and give help to reconquer the Latin Empire of Constantinople, but this proposal was opposed by the French king and the betrothal was terminated. —Thirdly, on 24 January 1299 to Infante
James of Majorca, son of King
James II. Since the couple were too closely related, the condition for the marriage was dispensation from
Pope Boniface VIII, which was never granted. Instead, James decided to remove himself from the line of succession of the
Kingdom of Majorca and take the habit. Finally, on 28 February 1301 at the Priory of St. Cloud near Paris, Catherine became in the second wife of Count
Charles of Valois, son of King
Philip III of France. On 23 April 1301, Charles became titular Latin Emperor with Catherine until her death in Paris on 11 October 1307 at the age of 32. She was buried at the
abbey of Maubuisson the following day, 12 October.
Jacques de Molay,
Grand Master of the
Knights Templar served as one of her pallbearers. ==Issue==