Who was Catherine of Aragon?
Catherine of Aragon (16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) also known as Katherine or Katharine; (Spanish Infanta Catalina de Aragón y Castilla or Catalina de Trastámara y Trastámara) was the Queen of England as the first wife of Henry VIII of England, and Princess of Wales by her first marriage to Arthur, Prince of Wales. She was also an Infanta of Castille and Aragon. Henry’s attempt to have their 24-year marriage annulled set in motion a chain of events that led to England’s break with the Roman Catholic Church. Henry was dissatisfied because their sons died in infancy, leaving only one of their six children, Princess Mary (later Queen Mary I) as heiress presumptive, at a time when there was no established precedent for a woman on the throne. When Pope Clement VII refused to annul the marriage, Henry defied him by assuming supremacy over religious matters. This allowed him to marry Anne Boleyn on the judgment of clergy in England, without reference to the Pope. He was motivated by the
The first wife of King Henry VIII of England was the Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon. Although their marriage is believed to have been a happy one at first, Henry’s attempts to divorce Catherine after 24 years of marriage left them bitter enemies, and left the country forever altered. Catherine of Aragon is believed to have been brilliant, brave and stubborn, refusing even in death to accept the betrayal of her husband as just.
