atherine of Aragon is well known as the first of Henry VIII's six wives but she was first married to Henry's elder brother Arthur. The marriage between Catherine and Arthur was arranged by Arthur's father Henry VII, King of England as part of a campaign of securing peace in Europe. As the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Aragon, the marriage would secure trust between the two countries. Catherine arrived in England in 1501 and in the November was married to Arthur then heir to the English throne. Within months Arthur had fallen ill and died. Arrangements were then made to marry Catherine and Henry, now heir to the English throne. Henry and Catherine were married at Greenwich in 1509 a month before they were both crowned at Westminster Abbey. Catherine was five years older than Henry. She gave birth to a baby boy in January of 1511, but unfortunately the child died a few weeks later. Catherine had several more babies but all died in infancy until Mary was born in February of 1516. Mary was healthy and Henry now had an heir to the throne but he really wanted a son. Henry began to believe that the marriage to Catherine was wrong because she was his late brother's wife and this was why they were not having the son that Henry needed. Henry needed the marriage to be declared invalid so he could marry again.Biography
Biography
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Catherine (of Aragon)
| Born | 15 December 1485 | Born At | |
| Died | January 1536 | Buried At | |
| Father | Ferdinand (II, King of Aragon 1479-1516) | Mother | Isabella (of Castile) |
| Born | 15 December 1485 / |
| Died | January 1536 / |
atherine of Aragon is well known as the first of Henry VIII's six wives but she was first married to Henry's elder brother Arthur. The marriage between Catherine and Arthur was arranged by Arthur's father Henry VII, King of England as part of a campaign of securing peace in Europe. As the daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella of Aragon, the marriage would secure trust between the two countries. Catherine arrived in England in 1501 and in the November was married to Arthur then heir to the English throne. Within months Arthur had fallen ill and died. Arrangements were then made to marry Catherine and Henry, now heir to the English throne. Henry and Catherine were married at Greenwich in 1509 a month before they were both crowned at Westminster Abbey. Catherine was five years older than Henry. She gave birth to a baby boy in January of 1511, but unfortunately the child died a few weeks later. Catherine had several more babies but all died in infancy until Mary was born in February of 1516. Mary was healthy and Henry now had an heir to the throne but he really wanted a son. Henry began to believe that the marriage to Catherine was wrong because she was his late brother's wife and this was why they were not having the son that Henry needed. Henry needed the marriage to be declared invalid so he could marry again.Related Episodes
Henry VIII and his Six Wives (click here)
Henry VIII and his Six Wives (click here)
Event Location Map (click image to explore)
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Catherine (of Aragon) (b.1485 - d.1536)
+Arthur (Prince of Wales) (b.1486 - d.1502)
+Henry (VIII, King of England 1509-1547) (b.1491 - d.1547)
= Mary (I, Queen of England 1553-1558, Bloody Mary, Mary Tudor) (b.1516 - d.1558)
+Philip (II, King of Spain 1556-1598) (b.1527 - d.1598)
+Arthur (Prince of Wales) (b.1486 - d.1502)
+Henry (VIII, King of England 1509-1547) (b.1491 - d.1547)
= Mary (I, Queen of England 1553-1558, Bloody Mary, Mary Tudor) (b.1516 - d.1558)
+Philip (II, King of Spain 1556-1598) (b.1527 - d.1598)
Catherine (of Aragon) (b.1485 - d.1536)
+Arthur (Prince of Wales) (b.1486 - d.1502)
+Henry (VIII, King of England 1509-1547) (b.1491 - d.1547)
= Mary (I, Queen of England 1553-1558, Bloody Mary, Mary Tudor) (b.1516 - d.1558)
+Philip (II, King of Spain 1556-1598) (b.1527 - d.1598)
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Timeline
1485
Catherine of Aragon is born at Alcala de Henares, Madrid, Spain. Her father and mother were Ferdinand and Isabella of Aragon.
1501 (Age: 16yrs)
At a meeting at Calais the terms of the marriage bewteen Arthur, Prince of Wales and Catherine of Aragon were finally agreed.
Catherine of Aragon finally arrived at Plymouth in preparation for her marriage to Prince Arthur after several months of travelling.
After several days of celebration and reception Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon were married at St. Paul's Cathedral.
1502 (Age: 17yrs)
Prince Arthur took up his position as governor of the Welsh Marches and moved to Ludlow Castle. He was accompanied by his wife Catherine of Aragon.
1503 (Age: 18yrs)
After the death of Prince Arthur, Catherine of Aragon was now a widow and on the 23rd of June the marriage was arranged between her and Prince Henry. Being the widow of Henry's brother special dispensation was required from the Pope for the marriage to be lawful.
1505 (Age: 20yrs)
Pope Julius II gave permission for the marriage between Catherine of Aragon and Henry VIII. The legality of the marriage was in question because Catherine had been married to Henry's elder brother Arthur.
1509 (Age: 24yrs)
King Henry VIII married Catherine of Aragon at Greenwich Palace. Catherine was the wife of Henry's elder brother, Arthur, who had died in 1502. Henry had to obtain permission from the Pope for the marriage, but not everyone agreed that is was lawful.
Henry and Catherine of Aragaon were crowned at Westminster Abbey.
1511 (Age: 26yrs)
Catherine gave birth to a boy on the first of January but the child did not live long and died in February of the same year.
1516 (Age: 31yrs)
Feb 18
All of Catherine of Aragon's children died in infancy until Princess Mary was born in February of 1516. Mary was healthy and King Henry VIII was happy to have an heir. But Henry would have been happier to have a son.
1527 (Age: 42yrs)
Anne Boleyn came to the attention of Henry VIII. Anne was a lady-in-waiting for Queen Catherine and the sister of Mary Boleyn who was at the time the mistress of Henry VIII. Henry became besotted by Anne.
To end the marriage between King Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, Thomas Wolsey set up a secret tribunal where Henry had to answer charges of having a illegal marriage. The court was held in secret so Catherine did not know. The plan was to present the facts to the Pope who would annul the marriage. Problems occurred when Rome was attacked by Catherine's nephew Charles V the Holy Roman Emperor and the Pope was captured. Any chance of the Pope annulling the marriage was now gone.
Henry VIII told Catherine of Aragon that their marriage was invalid because she had earlier been married to his brother Arthur. Anne Boleyn, who Henry had become besotted with, wanted Henry to divorce Catherine and to marry her.
1532 (Age: 47yrs)
Parliament passed a law which prevented the Pope receiving Annates. Annates was the income received by bishop in the first year after his appointment. But a clause was added that allowed the King to postpone the act being but into force. King Henry prevented the act being being enacted, hoping that this would persuade the Pope to annul his marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
1533 (Age: 48yrs)
Thomas Cranmer declared that the marriage between Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon was illegal and was annulled. The marriage between Henry and Anne Boleyn could then be formalised.
1534 (Age: 49yrs)
A statute passed by Parliament called the 'Act of Succession' declared that Mary Tudor was illegitimate and not the heir of King Henry VIII because the marriage between Henry and Catherine of Aragon was void. This meant that children of Henry and Anne Boleyn would be the true heirs to the English throne.
Traditionally when an ecclesiastical poition was filled the first year's income and a tenth of the income from then on had to be paid to the papacy. Henry VIII had a statute passed that meant the payments went to the English Crown instead. This was probably done to force the Pope to annul Henry's marriage to Catherine of Aragon.
1536 (Age: 51yrs)
Catherine of Aragon died. It was believed that she had been poisoned but it is possible that she died of cancer. Catherine died at Kimbolton Castle. Her body was moved to Peterborough Cathedral where she was buried on the 29th of the month.
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