Catherine of Aragon

Catherine of Aragon, born in the Archiepiscopal Palace of Alcalá de Henares in Spain, was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII and the daughter of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon. Initially married to Arthur, Prince of Wales, she became a widow after his early death. Subsequently, she married King Henry VIII and was crowned Queen consort on 24 June 1509. During her marriage, she served as the ambassador of the Aragonese crown to England in 1507, marking her as the first known female ambassador in European history. She played a significant role as regent in 1513, notably during the Battle of Flodden. Catherine’s marriage to Henry VIII was annulled in 1533 after a lengthy political and religious dispute, which ultimately led to England’s break with the Catholic Church.

Despite her marriage’s annulment and Henry VIII’s efforts to exclude her from power, Catherine maintained her claim as his rightful wife and queen. She lived her final years at Kimbolton Castle, where she died of cancer at the age of 50 and was buried in Peterborough Cathedral. Catherine commissioned ‘The Education of a Christian Woman’ by Juan Luis Vives and was a patron of Renaissance humanism, counting Erasmus of Rotterdam and Thomas More among her friends. She was known for her charitable works and advocacy for the poor and the unjustly condemned.