Catalina Ibanez was a beautiful Spanish woman, and the mistress of Don Alejandro de Recalde, a highly ranked Spanish nobleman who was part of the Spanish army which occupied England. She came to London in 1598 at his invitation, but soon lost interest in the stodgy de Recalde and took up with Lope de Vega, whom she had met while playing Isabella of Castille in de Vega's El Mejor Mozo de España. de Recalde challenged de Vega to a duel in a park in London known as Scotland, and in the ensuing duel de Vega killed de Recalde, much impressing Catalina.