Who was Catherine of Aragon?

Catherine of Aragon was a Spanish princess who became the first wife of King Henry VIII and Queen of England. Her marriage ended in annulment when Henry sought a male heir and became infatuated with Anne Boleyn, setting off the English Reformation. Despite being banished from court, she remained widely respected by the English people until her death in 1536.

What we know

• Catherine of Aragon was born on December 16, 1485, as the youngest child of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. [2]
• She was first married to Arthur, Prince of Wales, who died five months after their marriage in 1501. [2]
• In 1507, Catherine served as the ambassador of the Aragonese crown to England, becoming the first known female ambassador in European history. [2]
• Henry VIII's desire to annul his marriage to Catherine after it failed to produce surviving sons led to England's schism from the Catholic Church. [2, 3]

Still open

• Sources note that Catherine probably died of cancer at Kimbolton Castle in January 1536, though absolute medical certainty is not stated.

Where to go next

• what caused itHow did the annulment cause the English Reformation?
• a case in pointWhat was the Battle of Flodden?
• whoWho was Henry VIII?
• whereWhat role did Kimbolton Castle play in her final years?
• the bigger pictureHow did her descendants shape European monarchies?
• an unexpected connectionHow did a medieval queen become Europe's first female ambassador?Before her reign as Queen of England, Catherine spent years in diplomatic limbo serving as the Aragonese crown's ambassador to England in 1507.

Sources

• [1]Catherine of Aragon (Wikidata Q162819) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Catherine of Aragon · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Wives of Henry VIII · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Ferdinand I of Aragon · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Descendants of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile · CC BY-SA 4.0