Catherine of Aragon – Historical People

Famous for being a Spanish princess and the wife of Prince Arthur and Henry VIII
Born – 16th December 1485
Parents – King Ferdinand of Aragon, Queen Isabella of Castille
Siblings – Isabella, John, Joanna, Maria
Married – 1. Arthur Prince of Wales 14th November 1501 – Arthur died 1502
2. Henry VIII 11th June 1509 – divorced January 1533
Children – Mary I
Died – 7th January 1536 probably from cancer

Catherine was the youngest daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain and she came to England in 1501 at the age of 16 to marry Henry VII’s eldest son and heir to the throne, Arthur. The two married in 1501 but Arthur died in 1502. Catherine then remained in England because Henry VII did not want to return her dowry but was reluctant to marry her to Henry.

When Henry VIII became King he asked Catherine to marry him and the two were married on 11th June 1509.

By 1527 Henry was having serious doubts about his marriage to Catherine. He believed that he had no sons because God was punishing him for having married his brother’s wife. He had found a passage in the Bible that backed this belief.

He had also fallen for Anne Boleyn, the daughter of Thomas Boleyn, who had recently returned to England from the French court.

Catherine refused to grant Henry a divorce or retire to a convent. Henry therefore began the Reformation in England so that he could divorce Catherine without the Pope’s permission and marry Anne Boleyn.

Catherine was divorced by Henry in 1533 and died in 1536 probably from cancer.