Wives of Henry VIII – Katharine of Aragon

The Early Life of The First Wife of Henry VIII,1485-1516

Sep 8, 2009

Although originally married to his brother Arthur, the marriage between Henry VIII and Katharine of Aragon was to be one of the most important in British history.

As the youngest surviving child of "the Catholic Kings" (King Ferdinand II of Aragon and Queen Isabella I of Castile), Katharine of Aragon was born with a subtle grace and steely determination.

Early Years of Katharine of Aragon

Katharine was born on 16th December 1485, the youngest of five children (with three sisters and one brother) at Alcala de Henares in Madrid, Spain. Katharine's mother Isabella, who was known for her intellect and piety, ensured that all of her children were provided with an excellent education as well as a strong Catholic faith.

At the age of 3, Katharine was betrothed to Arthur, Prince of Wales, the oldest son of Henry VII of England and the couple were married by proxy (where neither were actually present) on 19th May 1499. The two corresponded in Latin until Katharine arrived in England two years later in 1501.

Marriage to Arthur and Widowhood

After a massive celebration of their marriage in London, Katharine and Arthur left for Ludlow Castle, Shropshire, (the seat of the Prince of Wales). Before their wedding, Arthur had written to his future in laws, promising to "be a true and loving husband" and that he was pleased with his "lovely bride". The pair seemed happy with each other. Sadly, six months into the marriage, Arthur died of what was known as "sweating sickness" (a mysterious viral infection which infected most of England and Europe between 1485 and 1551).

Katharine returned to London after the death of her husband. Letters written to her father indicate that she wanted to return home and described the deplorable conditions that she found herself in. Having little money she was unable to pay her servants and became extremely ill, even declaring "I shall soon die".

Soon after the death of her husband, the betrothal between Katharine and Arthur's younger brother Henry was proposed. Henry was six years younger then Katharine and a papal dispensation was required for the marriage to take place. Katharine and her maid both testified that her first marriage was never consummated.

Despite this, her father in law had his son repudiate the betrothal for political reasons. However, Katharine stayed in England, enduring seven years of hardship and uncertainty until her second marriage.

Following the death of Henry VII, the wedding between Henry VIII of England and Katharine of Aragon took place in 1509. The marriage seemed one of mutual respect, with the pair frequently making public displays of affection and declarations of love.

Katharine even served as a political advisor to the King and supported her husband against her father during a time of immense political strife between the two nations. However, her principal duty was to produce an heir to continue the Tudor name.

Katharine was pregnant a total of six times, giving birth to three stillborn children and two sons who died shortly after birth. Her one surviving child, Mary, was born on 10th November 1516 and Katharine ensured she was educated and brought up to be the heir to the throne of England.

Katharine's failure to produce a healthy son was not, initially, held against her, but after Henry fathered a son with his mistress, it became clear to both him and the court that the fault lay with the Queen.

The Six Wives of Henry VIII, Antonia Fraser, (Phoenix; New Ed edition, Aug 2002)

Six Wive: The Wives of Henry VIII, David Starkey, (Vintage; New edition edition, Mar 2004)

Letters of the Queens of England, ed. Anne Crawford, (Sutton Publishing Ltd; New edition edition,Aug 2002)

The copyright of the article Wives of Henry VIII – Katharine of Aragon in Monarchs is owned by Graidi Taylor-Rose. Permission to republish Wives of Henry VIII – Katharine of Aragon in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.