Quick Facts:
Born: December 16th 1485
Died: January 7th 1536 (50 years old)
Reign: June 11th 1509 — May 23rd 1533 (24 years)
Motto: Humble and Loyal
Parents: Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon
Siblings: (in order of birth) Isabella, Juan (John), Juanna (Joanna), and Maria
Appearance:
Catherine in her youth and her prime was said to be very beautiful and very few could compete with her looks, she had reddish gold hair, so long that she could sit on it. Had the prized pink and white coloring. A beautiful complexion and clear blue eyes. She was unusually short and had a promising plump figure, “birthing hips” which is a good sign of being fertile.
But like many women, the constant stress and strain of pregnancies has affected her looks as she aged. Her body thickened with the repeated childbearing. Her once shining hair became more brown and almost a muddy color. But her complexion remained clear, still prized pink and white coloring. Her skin under her gowns however was at times red and raw from her wearing a hair shirt, there would be flea marks as well because of her wearing the shirt. Other than her physical appearance her voice was low but commanding, she had a gentle singing voice that she rarely used.
Personality:
With the changing of time and circumstances, Catherine in her youth was in a way sheltered from unpleasant situations, but quickly the bad compacted molding her to become stronger, and wiser than before. She begins as many youth do, feeling as if she was untouchable and unbreakable. She was confident in her place in the world, she was studious, eager to please her parents (above all her mother) she was obedient to a fault. But she was also joyful, pleasant to be around and soft spoken. She enjoyed the release dancing and performing gave her.
As a wife to Arthur she was still trusting toward her father and Henry VII, she matched ARTHUR’S subdued nature. She performed less and watched more. As ARTHUR’S WIDOW and from being stuck in “limbo” for so long, catherine became more savy in household dealings and more aware of the political tactis of Henry VII and her father. She relied heavier on her faith and more vocal of her wants, needs and for her independence. She became more stubborn and resolute. She lost all of her childhood innocence but not all of her naivete, she would lose that after the constant betrayal of her father.
As HENRY’S WIFE she matched Henry’s outlook, she became more joyful, was able to spend money and enjoy the finer things in life. She rarely performed staying a spectator, she adores Henry with every fiber of her being after being around him and getting to know his gentle character, attentiveness and his passion for her. Her political savvy and her military knowledge was useful to Henry, she loved being useful to him and that her opinion was of value. She was a stern but fair queen, she became charitable.
As the marriage years grow, she became desperate, and obsessed to an unhealthy degree with her mission to have a child. She began praying more which was not a wise decision, meaning that she was spending less time with Henry. She became more stubborn with the advancement of her daughter. She remains kind, always remembering a friend or a foe, she has a flair for the dramatic, skillful in an argument, dutiful towards the poor. Her religion plays a huge role throughout her life.
She always had worries that she was a bit crazy, ever since the rumors of her sister Joanna and reflecting on her mothers personality and her other family members, she thinks there is a touch of madness.
Katherine of Aragon was the final child and daughter of Isabella and Ferdinand, they were the joint monarchs of Spain. Now being the youngest did not mean that she was a spoiled child. Far from it to be precise, yes she was educated by the finest minds the time period had to offer. She learned all the things important as a royal child and a future bride of another kingdom. She learned canon and civil law, classical literature, genealogy, philosophy, theology and more. She also learned the domestic skills of sewing, lace-making, music, dancing, drawing and things of that nature. Horsemanship, and archery were a must as her mother enjoyed those pursuits as well.
Along with the advanced schooling she received for being a girl, she also was taught of course the strict Spanish court etiquette and good manners. She was taught to conceal her feelings and prevent them from appearing on her face. She was very good at giving the blank look while in court functions. She was also taught to be a good Roman Catholic, and her faith would sustain her throughout her entire life. Her fervor for her faith would only grow stronger (and she more stubborn) as she aged and survived through the struggles in her life.
She loved her parents to the point of blindness to their faults. Her mother was a strict and often aloof woman when it came to maternal instincts. She saw her daughters as political pawns and assets to her county, as did her husband. They did not care for relationships or familial love, they expected their daughters to obey them in all things. There are instances though of a soft heart of Isabella and Ferdinand that was directed at their daughters. (The allowing for Isabella to grieve her first husband before marrying her off again quickly, and their worry regarding Juanna and her obsession with her husband) But their hearts belonged to their heir, Juan. When he died they were completely devastated and it was hard for Isabella I to recover. With the death of Juan, the death of his child after its birth, then the loss of Isabella and her child Manuel; Isabella I found it hard to participate in court life and withdrew further. When they shipped Maria to marry Isabella’s widower, Katherine was all that was left. But she was soon to be shipped off to her own marriage, but before then Katherine was given something she didn’t have the first 15 years of her life…a loving and attentive mother. With the months ticking away, Katherine and Isabella found companionship and affection. Something that Katherine never forgot, she knew her mother’s love.
How did Katherine end up in England?
Due to her age and circumstances, Katherine was the best option to tie Spain with England. A very favorable alliance, especially to England. A marriage to Spain would validate the Tudor rule in Europe. But it was not to Henry she was destined to marry, she was betrothed to his older brother Arthur.
As with 95% of all royal marriages the couple did not meet until very close to their wedding day. When Katherine arrived in the country and was making her way to London; she was intercepted by his majesty Henry VII. He met with her (wanted to make sure he “bought” a good prize and not some ugly girl) they spoke a little with help from their servants and eventually had Arthur come in and meet his bride. By all accounts they got along well enough with one another, their meeting was uneventful. They married November 14th 1501, and then they were sent to Ludlow Castle to keep court and have Arthur return to his duty as Prince of Wales. Their marriage was so uneventful, there is no records of how the couple spent their time together. No knowledge of how they passed the time, if they hunted or took a walk it was undocumented. Though it was documented that they spent only seven nights together, and this is where the great debate begins.
Did they or didn’t they?
The seven nights that Katherine and Arthur were together were supposed to be nights where the process of creating a child was to be performed. But Katherine all her life until her death proclaimed that she was a virgin and Arthur was unable to perform the act. The historians and “fans” of the time period and of Katherine herself have debated this over the course of many, many years.
FOR NON-CONSUMATION: The argument here since Katherine swore on her faith that she remained a virgin then she was a virgin during her marriage to Arthur and came to her second Henry “untouched” by man. Their argument is that Katherine was so devout, so God worshipping, that it is completely illogical that she would lie like that. In this period of time, swearing on her faith, testifying before God she came to Henry as a virgin was seen as fact. Most people believe that she was a virgin for that alone. Some people of course mention that Arthur’s comment of “night in Spain” (paraphrasing) was just a way of keeping face of being a regular man who enjoyed the pleasures of a woman. They also say that Arthur was sickly and wasn’t able to perform due to his ill-health. (though there were no reports of any ill health of Arthur before their marriage took place. They said he was healthy though reserved.)
FOR CONSUMATION: The argument here is that Katherine was completely sheltered and it may have been consummated without her really truly knew what went on, especially since Arthur didn’t live as passionately as his brother did. Arthur was considered more of a bookish teen, when compared to his lively and energetic brother. Another argument is that Katherine was told ever since she was a small child that God had a plan for her and that no matter what that his vision of her life will be fulfilled and she must do all that she can to ensure its success. Her mother told her that God had called her to be the Queen of England, and drilled it in her head how important it was. That Katherine must become Queen of England because that is what God wanted and what her mother wanted. It was her destiny. Because of Katherine’s faith, she also strongly believed in this. The argument for consummation also points out that her own mother had doubts about her daughter’s statement regarding their marriage, by arranging the Pope give two dispensations regarding her upcoming marriage to future Henry VIII. Two, one regarding they did not consummate, and the other they DID consummate. If her own mother had doubts, then I do as well. (MY OPINION: Yes they did.)
(NEXT SECTION WILL BE A TON OF PARAPHRASING!!!! JUST A QUICK SYNOPSIS IF YOU WILL)
There are a lot information regarding Katherine of Aragon, feel free to do your own research if you are curious, like I said up above. . . I am paraphrasing, I just wrote quickly of her life, though I omitted a few major things (her fight against Scotland, her many pregnancies, and the tumultuous relationship between Aragon and England) I would recommend Lucy Worsley’s documentaries. David Starkey too, though I hold some issues with him. Youtube seems to have some good documentaries as well. Take your pick!
Books!
Katherine of Aragon — Julia Hamilton
Some Videos:
Image created with the cover art, drawings by Hayes
Click the image to go to her page!
Liz of a Thousand Books 
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