Catherine of Aragon's position as Queen of England for over 20 years, and the hidden facts we have taken for granted.
On December 16, 1485, Catherine was born to the Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella, the youngest of their children. Catherine received an education that included Latin, French and Philosophy, along with more "feminine" pursuits such as embroidery and music.
Catherine inherited many of her traits from her mother, Isabella, who was known as the "warrior queen" throughout Europe after leading her armies from the front. She was said to be feisty, pious and resilient to all that was thrown her way, with her low and resounding voice and her long locks of strawberry-blonde hair.
She had been engaged to Prince Arthur, heir to the English throne, since her childhood, and in 1501 she travelled to England to marry him at the age of 15. Unfortunately, the young Prince died on April 2nd 1502, and Catherine was left a widow at 16, just five months after her lavish wedding had taken place. Henry VII and Catherine's parents negotiated another marriage for Catherine, one to her late husband's younger brother, Prince Henry, Duke of York and now heir to the throne. Though the marriage was delayed due to Henry's young age and Henry VII's apprehension as to whether he himself should wed the young girl, they wed in 1509, just a month after Henry VIII's coronation.
She was a dutiful and strong Queen, and Thomas More remarked "There were few women who could compete with the Queen in her prime," - Catherine was truly what the country needed, she even took the place of Regent when Henry was away trying to gain control over France in 1513. (Even managing to push the Scots back and killing James IV at the Battle of Flodden in September; where it is rumoured her first reaction after receiving the Scottish King's head was to send it to her husband in France - instead opting to send just the bloodied coat "for fear of His Grace's stomach")
Though Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII had a surprisingly happy marriage, in the later years she was resigned to domestic chores and responsibilities, the main one being to bear children for her husband. Upon first glance, it seems Catherine failed, having only one surviving child, Mary, however with her having “several miscarriages, three infants who were either stillborn or died immediately after birth (two of them males), two infants who died within a few weeks of birth (one of them a boy) and one girl, Princess Mary" she was certainly more successful than some give her credit for (namely her own husband) .However it was in 1527, after nearly 20 years of marriage, that Henry started to look at his wife differently. Catherine had produced no male heirs - something that would plague his reign, his obsession slowly increasing as the years went by - and Henry became convinced that it was his marriage to Catherine that was the root of this torment. Henry had found his proof in Leviticus 18:16 "Thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brother's wife: it is thy brother's nakedness." and Leviticus 20:21"If a man shall take his brother's wife, it is an unclean thing...they shall be childless." (referring to Catherine's previous short-lived marriage to Prince Arthur.)
This revelation resulted in a seven year struggle to divorce Catherine of Aragon and instead marry Anne Boleyn - a younger and more fertile bride, so when the Pope refused, Henry's counsellors did anything possible to get Henry what he wanted. However popular support for Catherine was rife and Henry struggled for many years to convince his Queen to agree to a divorce. It is suggested that Anne Boleyn was actually the one to advise Henry VIII to break with the Rome and the Pope, and though it is possible, there is little proof. Instead of adhering to the Catholic faith, he would become the head of the church in England, able to make his own decisions, and most importantly, divorce Catherine of Aragon. On May 23, 1533, Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury, granted the annulment.
Henry VIII had already been married to his second wife, Anne Boleyn for seven months, however, Henry did not view his actions as a bigamist, his reasoning was that his marriage to Catherine had never been valid, and along with this claim, he then made Mary Tudor, his eldest daughter and future Queen of England, illegitimate. Although Catherine's reaction to the divorce is not recorded, we do know that refused to send the crown jewels to Anne and told Henry his new wife was "the scandal of Christendom and a disgrace to you."
It is thought that Henry had at least four mistresses during their 24 years of marriage, however given Catherine's strong sense of duty and her resilient piety, it is unlikely she ever had any affairs, instead remaining loyal to her King and husband (perhaps this is also backed up by the charges of treason if a Queen was found guilty of adultery - for which the penalty was death.)
Henry's love affairs:
Lady Elizabeth FitzWalter:
Henry's eyes landed first on Lady FitzWalter when Catherine was pregnant with her second child in 1510. The Lady Elizabeth was in her mid twenties and lived at court with her husband, she was also second cousin to the King. Her sister was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine of Aragon, placing her with close relations to the Queen ad her husband, the person of her interest. When rumour spread of Lady Elizabeth's affairs, she was banished to a convent to become a nun.
Bessie Blount:
A spritely and excitable girl, Elizabeth Blount was a maid-of-honour to the Queen, who went on to bear the son that Henry (7 years her elder) desired in 1519, however he was of course, illegitimate. Interestingly, Catherine was at the christening of the baby, "Henry Fitzroy" - Fitzroy meaning the son of the king. When he was born, he was given the highest ranking title in the Kingdom, Duke of Richmond, and he was expected to be named the king's heir. Later, he would be proposed as a possible husband for his half-sister, Princess Mary. However, Fitzroy, after a brief time on earth, died at the age of 17 at Richmond Palace - most likely from tuberculosis.
Mary Boleyn: The eldest daughter of Sir Thomas Boleyn, Mary Boleyn was infamous for her rumoured promiscuity. Francis of France once boasted that he had "ridden" her and nicknamed her his "English mare" and a papal representative called her "a very great and infamous whore." Being a maid-in-waiting for Catherine, Mary soon caught the notice of Henry VIII. Their affair began some time around 1520, after her marriage to William Carey, and it is thought Henry and Catherine's marriage was rapidly declining as at 35-year-old Catherine was approaching an age when birthing a male heir was even more unlikely than before. However, when she was found pregnant for the second time, possibly by the king himself, Mary Boleyn was tossed aside and never profited from her relations with the king. Her younger sister, Anne Boleyn, took note of this, and persistently refused to become Henry's mistress after he fell for her.
Some dispute whether Anne Boleyn really did have an affair with Henry before he divorced Catherine, however it is my belief she did not, Anne being, like Catherine, a very pious and intelligent woman, she was far from what society portrays her as today.
Catherine retired to a variety of castles and estates after her divorce from the king, and she spent her last days at Kimbolton Castle in Huntingdonshire. She refused her new title of Dowager Princess of Wales, and instead ignored all those who refused to use her previous title. It is reported she once said "I am Queen and Queen I will die,"
Unfortunately, Henry was bitter towards Catherine and refused her access to her now bastard daughter Mary, and the last time they spoke was briefly before Catherine's death, in which the caring mother advised the Princess to "speak few words and meddle nothing."
Catherine of Aragon, Princess of Spain and Queen of England died on the January 7, 1536, aged 51. Rumour swirled that Henry had poisoned her, however, a detailed autopsy revealed a black tumour near her heart believed today to be related to cancer. The former Queen is buried at Peterborough Cathedral, after Henry spent no more than necessary on the funeral for the much loved Queen.
Further research on Catherine of Aragon:
Catherine of Aragon - Amy License
The True Queen - Alison Weir
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