Daughters of Spain Katherine of Aragon

Daughters of Spain

Katherine of Aragon was the youngest surviving child of King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile. She was born in December 1485 outside of Madrid and was named after her great-grandmother Katherine of Lancaster.

She was well educated, studying arithmetic, canon and civil law, classical literature, genealogy, heraldry, history, philosophy, religion, and theology. She could speak several languages, Castilian Spanish, Latin French and Greek.

Like many women of her station she was also schooled in domestic skills, such as cooking, embroidery, lace-making, needlepoint, sewing, spinning, and weaving and was also taught music, dancing, drawing, good manners and court etiquette.

At the time the Spanish House of Trastámara was the most prestigious royal house in Europe. Katherine was considered a good match for Arthur Prince of Wales from a very young age. It could be argued that she herself had a closer connection to the English throne than Henry VII at the time. Henry VII was keen to align himself to the throne of Spain and validate his own dynasty with a noble match. They were married by proxy in May 1499 and corresponded in Latin until Arthur turned fifteen, when it was decided that they were old enough to begin their conjugal life.
Katherine left Spain in August 1501 and was met by her husband Arthur at Dogsmersfield in Hampshire. She was described as having long red hair, wide blue eyes, a round face, and a fair complexion. Arthur wrote to his parents that he was very happy with his lovely bride.

In November 1501, they were married at Old St. Paul’s Cathedral, with a dowry of 200,000 ducats agreed upon, half of which was paid shortly after. The young couple were sent to Ludlow Castle on the borders of Wales where both became ill a few months later. The sweating sickness was ravaging the area and it is possible this is what they suffered from.

Katherine recovered from her illness to find herself a widow as Arthur had passed away on 2 April 1502.

Widowhood was not an easy time for Katherine, Henry VII was loathe to return the half of the dowry that had been paid, and which it was custom to do if Katherine returned home.

After the death of her mother in law, there were initial plans for the young widow to marry her own father in law but her father was sternly opposed to such a match. It was agreed that she would marry her deceased husband’s brother Henry who was 5 years her junior, when he came of age. Until then she lived in limbo a virtual prisoner at Durham House in London. She had little money and struggled to provide for herself and her household.

In 1507 she served as the Spanish Ambassador to England, the first ever female ambassador in European history. Henry VII and his advisers thought she would be easy to manipulate but they miscalculated her intelligence and strong will and she proved them very wrong. While waiting for the dispensation from the Pope, Katherine testified that her marriage to Arthur had never been consummated.

She married Henry in 1509, a full 7 years after her first husband had died and not long after he had ascended to the throne.

Henry appointed her regent when he went to France on campaign. While he was away, tensions with the Scots were brewing and despite being heavily pregnant she had Thomas Lovell raise an army and marched north in full armour where she gave a speech rallying the soldiers. Word of the victory and death of James IV of Scotland, who died in battle was sent to Henry in France.
Katherine donated large sums of money to several colleges and championed the education of girls, making it fashionable for women to be highly educated.

During their marriage Katherine had at least 6 babies, a stillborn daughter, Henry who died at a few weeks old, two more sons followed possible one of them lived for a few hours before dying, Mary and finally another stillborn daughter.

With the shadow of the War of the Roses hanging heavy over Henry’s head it was imperative to him that he have a male heir.
When her husband became ennamoured of Anne Boleyn and began to seek an annulment from Katherine she was defiant refusing to retire to a convent declaring “God never called me to a nunnery. I am the King’s true and legitimate wife.” Despite her refusal to step back from the marriage Henry went ahead anyway, breaking with Rome and having the union annulled.

Using her marriage to his brother as proof their marriage was not binding.

Heartbroken Catherine went to live first at The More castle late in 1531, then the Royal Palace of Hatfield , Elsyng Palace, Enfield , Ampthill Castle and Buckden Towers. She was then finally transferred to Kimbolton Castle, where she confined herself to one room, which she left only to attend Mass.

While she was permitted to receive occasional visitors, she was forbidden to see her daughter Mary.

They were also forbidden to communicate in writing, but sympathisers discreetly conveyed letters between the two. Henry offered both mother and daughter better quarters and permission to see each other if they would acknowledge Anne Boleyn as the new queen; both refused.

Until the end of her life, Katherine would refer to herself as Henry’s only lawful wedded wife and England’s only rightful queen, and her servants continued to address her as such. Henry refused her right to any title but “Dowager Princess of Wales”.

In late December 1535 sensing her end was near, Katherine made her last will and wrote two letters one to her nephew, Charles the Holy Roman Emperor, imploring him to look out for her daughter Mary, and one final letter to Henry, which she ended with “I make this vow, that mine eyes desire you above all things.”

Catherine died at Kimbolton Castle on 7 January 1536 and was buried in Peterborough Cathedral with the ceremony due to her position as a Dowager Princess of Wales, and not a queen. Henry did not attend the funeral and he refused to grant permission to Mary to attend.

Portrait of Katherine of Aragon.

Sources:
The Wives of Henry VIII, Antonia Fraser
Lives of England’s Reigning and Consort Queens, Eugene H. Lehman
Calender of State Papers, Spanish IV, 1533 Eustace Chapuys

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Kinggram

FREE
VIEW