Figure 1.-- This wonderful portrait of Katherine was painted by Michel Sittow about 1503. It was after she had come to England and married Arthur. She almost died wsith him. She looks fully recivered. It was a few years before she married Henry. She is still a teenager about 18 years old.

Katherine/Catherine was known as Katheine of Aragon. She was born at Alcala de Henares, Madrid (1485). She was her parents fifth and youngest child. Catherine was a devoted Catholic and extremely pious. Which does not mean that Catherine's court was dull. She like her mother loved fashionable clothes and jewlry and delighted in playing cards and gambled--for modest stakes. She also was both pious and devoutly Catholic. She selected fashionable accomplished young women to attend her. She was bethrowed to Prince Arthur of England and married him (1501). After only a few months, Prince Arthur died and Katherine almost did as well. She remained in England. Arthur's brother Prince Henry married Arthur's new bride (1509). By all accounts for several years it was a happy marriage. There was real affection between the two. Henry was romantically involved with Catherine. And Catherine for her part was a dutiful wife. She tried very hard to produce an heir. Catherine had several pregnancies, but only produced one child, the futyre Mary I. After Henry became king, there were a few indescretions, including one with Anne Boleyn's older sister Mary. Surprising given his subsequent behavior there were fewer such indiscretions than were common at the time. And Henry out of respect for Catherine was very discreet. One of these indecretions produced a boy, pehaps confirming in Henry's mind that the problem with an heir was with Katherine and not him and that another partner would result in the son that he craved. [Lofts, p. 41.] His divore of Katherine was arguavly the most significant divirce in history. It dramatically changed English history and wider European history. Katherine died at Kimbolton Castle, probably of cancer. She is interred at Peterborough Cathedral (1536). Katherine is today an interesting, but minor figure in English history. It would hsve been very different if her daughter Mary had produced an heir.

Created: 5:51 PM 10/15/2009
Last updated: 5:51 PM 10/15/2009