Following the marriage to James II, Caterina discovered in a few months that she was going to have a baby and this gave her a purpose in life. Six months after her marriage, she suddenly saw in front of her a dusty exhausted man who told her that James was seriously ill and that he was to take her to him at once. Whispers around her were attributing this sudden illness to a cold or stomach problems, but the more forthright were speaking of poison.
Before he died, James had the strength to dictate his last will in front of witnesses. He died on the 10th July 1473. During these tragic days she was living through, she brought her baby into the world on the 6th August 1473. He was a sickly boy who was the last descendant of the Lusignan kings of Cyprus, Jerusalem and Armenia.
On the 28th of September 1473, the baptismal ceremony took place at the Cathedral of Saint Nicholas in Famagusta, with all the magnificence fitting to the heir to the throne, and the baby was proclaimed with the name James III.
During the following months, Caterina was occupied by her deep mourning and absorbed in maternal cares for her sickly baby. It was impossible for her to follow the terrible diplomatic intrigues. But Venice was keeping watch. There were two claims to the throne of Cyprus, the dethroned Charlotte and Venice, who were both working intensely to acquire it, now that James was dead and Caterina was an almost non-existent queen. The third pretender to the throne, was Ferdinand of Naples.
The Venetian fleet was always anchored in the port of Famagusta and on the 4th October 1473, the Admiral Bragadino occupied the castles of Kyreneia, Limassol, Famagusta, Buffavento and Kantara, in the name of Venice, ostensibly, to protect the adopted daughter of Venice who was now Queen of Cyprus.
On the 13th and 14th of November, 1473, a revolt broke out, organised by the Neopolitans and supported by a section of the Cypriot population. That night Caterina's uncle Andrea Cornaro, was killed. The next day, the revolt was bloodily suppressed by the Venetians and it was now evident that they were without disguise masters of the situation and had total control of the queen.
On the 26th of August, 1474, James III, the sickly baby of Caterina and James II, who was the last successor of the Lusignans, died, once again under strange circumstances. Suspicions of murder were again directed at Venice.
Caterina's sorrow was so great that many people thought she had lost her reason. She became introverted, and nothing could console her. This situation, and the queen's distraction was exploited by Venice, the true master of Cyprus.
Caterina sent Philip Podocataro, who was of Greek origin, as an envoy to Venice, to assure the Council of Ten of her devotion towards the Republic. Then the Venetians sent two galleys which anchored in Famagusta harbour. When the Cypriots saw the Lion of Saint Mark fluttering out to sea, they despaired, for they realised that nothing could save the independence of Cyprus.
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