Catherine Aragon First wife of King HENRY VIII of England (from 1509). Date of Birth: 16.12.1485 Country: Great Britain

1. Biography of Catherine of Aragon
2. Early Life and Marriage
3. Marriage to Henry VIII
4. Difficulties and Divorce
5. Later Life and Death

Biography of Catherine of Aragon

Catherine of Aragon (Catalina de Aragón in Spanish, Caterina d'Aragó in Catalan, and Catherine of Aragon in English) was the first wife of King Henry VIII of England. She was born in 1485, the daughter of the founders of the Spanish state, Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile. Catherine was brought to England in 1501 to marry Prince Arthur, the heir to the English throne. However, Arthur died shortly after their marriage, and Catherine remained in England as a widow.

Early Life and Marriage

Catherine was the youngest daughter of King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I of Spain. Her marriage to Arthur was arranged as a way to strengthen the alliance between Spain and England. However, Arthur was sickly and died a year after their marriage, leaving Catherine a young widow at the age of 16.

For the next eight years, Catherine lived in England with little financial support. She was essentially treated as a hostage, as her father had not paid her full dowry and showed no intention of doing so. During this time, she lived a modest lifestyle and relied on the support of her Spanish attendants.

Marriage to Henry VIII

In 1509, Catherine married Arthur's younger brother, Henry VIII, who had ascended to the throne of England. Their marriage had been arranged years earlier, and negotiations continued even after the death of Henry VII. Before their wedding, Henry had to obtain a special dispensation from the Pope, as Catherine had previously been married to his older brother. The dispensation was granted, and Catherine became queen two months after Henry's coronation.

Difficulties and Divorce

Catherine's marriage to Henry was initially happy, but they faced difficulties in producing a male heir. Catherine had several pregnancies, but only one surviving child, a daughter named Mary. The lack of a male heir led Henry to seek an annulment of their marriage in order to marry Anne Boleyn.

The annulment process became a major point of conflict between Henry and the Pope, leading to the break with the Catholic Church and the English Reformation. Despite Catherine's refusal to consent to the annulment, Henry divorced her in 1533 and married Anne Boleyn.

Later Life and Death

After her divorce, Catherine lived in relative obscurity. She was separated from her daughter and stripped of her title as queen. She spent her remaining years in various castles and estates, often under close surveillance. Catherine maintained her stance that she was the rightful queen, referring to herself as such in her correspondence.

Catherine's health began to decline, and she fell into ill health in 1535. She died on January 7, 1536, at the age of 50. Catherine wished to be buried in a Franciscan monastery but was denied due to the dissolution of the monasteries. Her funeral took place two weeks after her death, and she was buried at the Abbey of St. Peter ad Vincula.

Despite the challenges she faced in her life, Catherine of Aragon is remembered as a steadfast and resilient queen who fought for her rights until the end.