Person    | Female  Born 16/12/1485  Died 7/1/1536

Catherine of Aragon

Categories: Royalty, Seriously Famous

Countries: Spain

First wife of Henry VIII and married to him for longer (1509 - 1533) than the other five put together. Unlike them she was a powerful royal in her own right. Daughter of Ferdinand and Isabella, born near Madrid, she came to England as a Spanish princess to marry Henry's elder brother, Arthur, but he was dead within 5 months of the wedding. The two 15-year-olds had not managed to conceive (a queen's main function) so what to do with her, that did not involve losing the valuable connection with Spain, nor returning her dowry?

Her miserable 7 years as Arthur's widow, with an uncertain future and little money, brought on anorexia, which may partially explain many failed pregnancies that followed. There was a suggestion that she could marry her father-in-law, Henry VII, but marriage to her brother-in-law was chosen. For the Pope to allow this Catherine had to declare that her marriage to Arthur had never been consummated and was thus null and void. All well and good, but when Henry wanted rid of Catherine to make way for Anne Boleyn, his grounds for divorce rested on his assertion that she had lied then and so his marriage to Catherine should be annulled. The site of the preliminary meetings where this divorce was discussed with the papal delegation seems to be in dispute: Black Friars and/or Bridewell Palace. Henry got his way and Catherine ended up with the title "Dowager, Princess of Wales", i.e. Arthur's widow. Died Kimbolton Castle.

She produced one daughter, who later become Queen Mary I.


In 1507 she was the Spanish Ambassador to England, the first female ambassador in European history. In 1513 while Henry was off fighting the French she was Governor of the Realm and Captain General of the King's Force, with which titles she waged war on Scotland, addressing the army and wearing full armour.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the memorials where the subject on this page is commemorated:
Catherine of Aragon

Commemorated ati

49 Bankside

Here lived Sir Christopher Wren during the building of St Pauls Cathedral. He...

Read More

Black Friar pub

The plaque is a perfectly nice pub plaque but the pub is adorned with many lo...

Read More

Our Lady of Hal

{Next to an image of the Virgin Mary:} Shrine of Our Lady of Hal The catholic...

Read More

Wall of the Ancestors - rightmost

According to the plaque these are, clockwise from top left: Debra Lee, Phinea...

Read More

Other Subjects

Prince Ernest Augustus, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale

Prince Ernest Augustus, 3rd Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale

Born in Hanover as the Crown Prince of the Hanoverian royal family but also related to the British royals. In 1878 he became Duke of Cumberland and Teviotdale on the death of his father, the 2nd Du...

Person, Royalty, Germany

1 memorial
King George II

King George II

Born Hanover, Germany, died Kensington, Palace, London. Reigned: 1727 - 1760. Notable as the last British sovereign to fight alongside his soldiers (in Germany, against the French). Also the king w...

Person, Royalty, Seriously Famous, Germany

8 memorials
Mary Tudor

Mary Tudor

Not to be confused with Queen Mary Tudor, who was named after her. This lady was younger and favoured sister to Henry VIII. Born Sheen Palace. Aged 18 she was married off to the 52 year old King of...

Person, Royalty

1 memorial
King Charles III

King Charles III

One-time patron of the Goon Show Preservation Society. On the death of his mother, Queen Elizabeth II on 8 September 2022, Charles, the longest-serving British heir apparent, went from Prince of W...

Person, Royalty, Seriously Famous

25 memorials
Mary Queen of Scots

Mary Queen of Scots

Mary’s first 20 years were an amazing roller-coaster of a life. She spent the last 20 years imprisoned and was then beheaded. Born in Linlithgow Palace (north east of Edinburgh), only surviving ch...

Person, Royalty, Seriously Famous, Scotland

6 memorials