Here some of the key facts about Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII.
- Catherine of Aragon was born in Madrid, Spain in 1485. Her father was Ferdinand II of Aragon and her mother was Isabella I of Castille.
- Catherine was married to Arthur Tudor, Henry VIII’s older brother. When Arthur died and Henry VIII became King of England, Henry and Catherine married.
- Catherine was thought to have long red hair and blue eyes. She was apparently very beautiful.
- Catherine was 23 when she married Henry VIII. Henry was nearly 18.
- During her marriage to Henry VIII, Catherine was pregnant six times. Unfortunately, only one of these pregnancies resulted in a child who survived beyond infancy (Mary I).
- Henry VIII became attracted to Anne Boleyn, one of Catherine’s ladies-in-waiting. He set about trying to get the marriage annulled. The Pope refused to annul the marriage and this led to the break from the Roman Catholic Church. Archbishop Cranmer ruled the marriage between Henry and Catherine to be null and void in 1533.
- Catherine was sent away from the Royal Court. Her rooms were given to Anne Boleyn, and Catherine lived out the rest of her life in The More castle and then Kimbolton Castle.
- Catherine died on 7th January 1536. She was buried in Peterborough Cathederal. Henry VIII did not attend and their daughter, Mary (later Mary I) was prevented from attending.
Find out more about Henry VIII other wives by following this link.
Click here to view more of our Tudor resources.
