Given how perfectly it encapsulates her personality, the powerful image of Catherine wearing armor ahead of battle ultimately serves as the main poster image for season 2 of The Spanish Princess. In addition it is quite curious why Catherine prayed for hours, practiced penance and wore a hair shirt as a form of self-punishment. Updates? The book also offers a new perspective on why Henry VIII, constantly threatened by treachery, real or imagined, and desperate to secure his power with a male heir, became a tyrant. She was also concerned about the impact the annulment would have on their only living child, Mary. Catherine admits her own letters are equally as passionate as Prince Arthurs. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). She had been ill for a few months but felt worse after drinking a draught of Welsh beer in December 1535 and this, combined with the embalmers report that all of her organs were healthy apart from her heart, which was quit black and hideous to look at, gave rise to rumours that Catherine had been poisoned. Secondly, she was a crowned and anointed queen. According to 17th-century chronicler William Drummond, the pregnant Scottish queen pleaded with her husband to desist, noting that he was poised to fight a mighty people, now turned insolent by their riches at home and power abroad. But James, buoyed by the possibility of conquest (and of dealing a blow to his egotistical brother-in-law), refused. She emphasizes, Pregnancy is stressful enough as is, but then to have that on top of it, you know, it's a lot. Charlotte points to a scene where Catherine miscarries and as she begs for it not to happen, it is not even about her pain anymore. Alone, Catherine warms herself by the fire and retrieves a gold compass. Unable to get unbiased counsel, she is appealing to the king as the head of justice in England. Catherine reluctantly allows Lina to dry and dress her. Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students. She reminds him of what hes written, including saying he wanted to hold her in his arms. Leading up to the much-anticipated meeting of Prince Arthur and Princess Catherine, the future King and Queen of England have been exchanging love letters. She ruled as, November 9-10, 1518: daughter, stillborn or died shortly after birth. Files Welcome Pack of 5 goodies, 7th January 1536 Death of Catherine of Aragon, 7 January 1536 Death of Catherine of Aragon, Catherine of Aragons Funeral 29 January 1536, 7 January 1536 The Death of Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIIIs first wife, 7 January 1536 Catherine of Aragon dies at Kimbolton Castle, The Katherine of Aragon Festival 2011 webpage, Catherine of Aragon: The Spanish Queen of Henry VIII, The Tudors Season 4 on BBC UK This Month January 2011, Henry VIII Books livestream YouTube 18 February 2023, February 13 A queen and her lady-in-waiting are beheaded. Prince Henry was by her side escorting her. King Henry explains he simply wants to lay eyes on her after waiting so long for her arrival. She wants Catherine to meet Prince Arthur immediately after she changes her clothes. Catherine barely acknowledges his greeting, wanting only to enter the house and get out of her wet clothes. He takes a shot and likes how it feels, commanding Oviedo to teach him how to use it. Charlotte says, I wanted to make sure that we were telling a story about Catherine, that was about a woman in Tudor England, but was also as much a study of the modern female condition because the stuff that she's going through is still stuff that we're going through today., And that stuff that she is talking about is infertility, pregnancy loss, and the blaming and shaming of women when it comes to reproduction. Then an impressionable 6-year-old, Catherine witnessed the Moors surrender, as well as her mothers leading role in the military crusade. Catherine of Aragon, (born December 16, 1485, Alcal de Henares, Spaindied January 7, 1536, Kimbolton, Huntingdon, England), first wife of King Henry VIII of England (reigned 150947). Advertising Notice When the mayor and sheriffs of Gloucester failed to respond in a timely fashion, she gave them a deadline of 15 days and emphasized that writing and news from the Borders show that the King of Scots means war.. There's a common misconception that the marriage went south almost immediately. When he asks where shes off to, Rosa explains and then heads with Edward into the shadows to make out. One part of lore The Spanish Princess skips over? Henry VIII, her husband of four years, had led a huge army across the Channel to attack the French king Louis XII. There is something beautiful, yet complicated trying to mesh the past with the present and noticing how many parallels still exist between women in the 16th century and women today. In actuality, Catherine only made it as far as Buckingham, 60 miles north of London, before hearing of the victory on the field in Northumberland, the northernmost county of England. It is unclear exactly why Katherine lost so many of her children. When Maggie demurs, Elizabeth gets to the point she demands to know if Maggies heard of any traitors rising up against King Henry. Cookies collect information about your preferences and your devices and are used to make the site work as you expect it to, to understand how you interact with the site, and to show advertisements that are targeted to your interests. Catherine of Aragon refuses to believe this was done at her mothers request. Omissions? Charlotte explains, Its not just about Catherine cant produce an heir and that's devastating for her, it's also devastating for Henry and ultimately what tears apart these two people who completely love each other. (2020, August 26). When Catherine failed to produce a male heir, Henry divorced her against the. These were the questions preying on her mind during her last days. Our editors handpick the products that we feature. Known for: first queen consort of Henry VIII; mother of Mary I of England; Catherine's refusal to be put aside for a new queenand the Pope's support of her positionled to Henry's separating the Church of England from the Church of Rome, Occupation: queen consort of Henry VIII of England. Princess Catherine must give birth to sons to continue their hold on the Crown. More recently, Henry VIIIs grandmother Margaret Beaufortan uncrowned queen, in the words of historian Nicola Tallishad acted as regent in the brief period before the young king came of age. Henry had another reason for wishing to end his marriage to Catherine of Aragon: he had fallen in love. He then reveals hell be leading her up the aisle for her wedding. She had died not in some sumptuous palace surrounded by her loved ones, but in a small, dark, cold castle with her faithful staff in attendance. Today, historians debate whether Catherine was really pregnant during the battle, butfor reasons of sheer narrative potentialThe Spanish Princess goes with the legend. .css-ssumvd{display:block;font-family:Gilroy,Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif;font-size:1.0625rem;font-weight:bold;line-height:1.25;margin-bottom:0;margin-top:0;-webkit-text-decoration:none;text-decoration:none;}@media (any-hover: hover){.css-ssumvd:hover{color:link-hover;}}@media(min-width: 40.625rem){.css-ssumvd{letter-spacing:0rem;margin-top:0.9375rem;}}Gayle King Interviews Angela Bassett, Dwyane Wades Daughter Granted Legal Name Change, Gayle Says March Is a Good Month for TV Lovers, The "Friends" Women Reunite to Celebrate Courteney, The Reason Hoda Kotb Hasn't Been on the Today Show, Keke Palmer Is a New Mom! In the mid-1520s, when Henry first raised the question of divorcing his wife, he found that public opinion was firmly on the queens side. Terms of Use Prior to Cunninghams find, historians had only known that Catherine was in Buckingham, around 60 miles north of London, when she received word of Surreys victory. Catherine of Aragon is portrayed on screen by actress Charlotte Hope in historical drama The Spanish Princess Why did Henry VIII 'divorce' Catherine of Aragon? The seas are rough as Catherine of Aragon continues her trip to meet her betrothed. Catherine asks the location of the church and is told its nearby. "Facts About Catherine of Aragon." She was betrothed since she was about four years old to the future king of England. (Catherine and Arthur walk a few paces ahead, getting to know each other.) Richard reminds her Queen Elizabeth wants them to put their past behind them. ), Combined with the example set by Isabella and other relatives, says Tremlett, Catherine had some very strong role models for women who could rule, for women who could fight.. But by 1527, Henry had a big problem: His first marriage, to Catherine of Aragon, had failed to produce a son and male heir to the throne. Rosa and Lina help Catherine from her clothes as a forlorn Catherine asks, Where is the light? Lina says Catherine is the light. As Prince Arthur prepares for his trip, Queen Elizabeth asks what he and Aunt Maggie discuss. However, on the night of the 6th January, Catherine became fidgety and in the early hours of the 7th she asked to take communion. Margaret admits to her husband she misses their children and doesnt like Dogmersfield House. The couples loving relationship, however, eventually deteriorated due to a lack of a male heir and the kings infatuation with Anne Boleyn. Background, Family of Catherine of Aragon. The fact that James was married to Henrys older sister, Margaret, did little to dissuade either him or Catherine from entering the fray. Lewis, Jone Johnson. The new details involve the queen more deeply as a director of events rather than a passive figurehead managed by those of Henrys counselors left in England, Sean Cunningham, the archivist who discovered the papers, told the Times Mark Bridges in May. The English customs are different, and Catherine continues to prove shes fierce and unafraid of speaking her mind. Shed sent her husband a piece of the Scottish kings bloodied surcoat (for your banners) but lamented that shed originally hoped to send a much more macabre trophy: the embalmed body of James himself. There is nothing I wont do to save my boys or to save my love. She seals her words with a kiss and departs, leaving Catherine alone to consider what shes learned. Keep in mind that James had been married to Henry's sister, Margaret Tudorso he was technically Catherine's brother-in-law. Lewis, Jone Johnson. Queen Catherine of Aragon, played by Charlotte. Princess Catherine and her ladies, along with Lady Margaret and the Poles, take a walk around the grounds. Catherine won and lost her case. While very rare, recurrent pregnancy loss is incredibly tragic and traumatic for pregnant people. Between 1510 and 1518 Catherine gave birth to six children, including two sons, but all except Mary (later queen of England, 155358) either were stillborn or died in early infancy. The group is attacked by Moors whove vowed to die fighting for their beliefs. In 1501 she married Prince Arthur, eldest son of King Henry VII of England. Catherine was the youngest daughter of the Spanish rulers Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. When Lady Margaret requests they speak in Latin because isnt proficient in Spanish, Catherine assures her shes not a child and can speak English perfectly well. Privacy Statement Also known as: Katherine, Katharine, Katherina, Katharina, Kateryn, Catalina, Infanta Catalina de Aragn y Castilla, Infanta Catalina de Trastmara y Trastmara, Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Countess of Chester, Queen of England, Dowager Princess of Wales. As Antonia Fraser writes in The Wives of Henry VIII, [T]he Scottish threat was removed for a generation by the slaughter of its leaders. Breaking a peace treaty signed with England in 1502, James IV of Scotland traveled south to the English border with an army of 30,000 men. She was older and sassier than Henry. Queen Elizabeth, obviously not one to hold her tongue with her mother-in-law, believes those are perfect qualities for a queen just not qualities Lady Margaret approves of. At the same time, she says, she went through an existential process because of the job and thinking and reading about these themes so much. She also reads a letter from Prince Arthur who says he longs to embrace her. Queen Isabella (Alicia Borrachero) and members of the Spanish army accompany Princess Catherine on the first part of her perilous journey. The English wielded the bill, a simple hooked weapon derived from an agricultural tool, while the Scots opted for the longer, steel-tipped pike. After a few hurried moments of preparing Catherine to greet King Henry, the ruler of England enters and is immediately dressed down by Princess Catherine. She refused to acknowledge Anne's place in the monarchy, going so far as to refuse to send the crown jewels to Henry's second wife. They walk down the aisle as Catherine quietly recites, Daughter of Spain, wife to Prince Arthur. The episode ends as she adds, and soon, Queen of England.. They believe God is keeping Princess Catherine away. Shes not taking refuge. She's both warrior and queen, fulfilling her desire to be a military leader and her duty to bear an heir. As Catherines leaving, Prince Harry confesses he wrote the love letters. See below for a timeline of her life: To learn more, click here for our comprehensive guide to The Tudors. Lina and Rosa talk about Edward, and Lina reminds her its an honor to attend Princess Catherine. Facts About Catherine of Aragon. Prince Harry joins her at the door and removes her shoes. According to Fox, the Battle of Flodden (which draws its name from nearby Flodden Edge) left Scotland in a powerless situation. She adds, Not only have you just defeated them in a spectacular way, but [the kingdom is] in disarray. As far as Katherine had happily noticed, most of the tension had dissolved between her sisters. The marriage had been meant to solidify the alliance of the ruling families of Spain and England. Queen Isabella and her men emerge from the battle victorious. After more than a decade of marriage negotiations, Catherine was to marry Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, eldest son of Henry . Neither her former husband, Henry VIII, nor her daughter, Mary, attended the funeral. As devout as Catherine was, her refusal to go into a nunnery, shows her greater attachment to her position as Queen than to a religious life. Catherine matched the breadth of her husbands intellectual interests, and she was a competent regent while he was campaigning against the French (151214). King Henry VIII of England marries Catherine of Aragon, the first of six wives he will have in his lifetime. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Charlotte says Catherines entire identity then becomes whether or not she can carry a child to term. Ferdinand and Isabellas reconquest of Spain culminated in the January 2, 1492, fall of Granada, which marked the end of 780 years of Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula. ||sitemap_index.xml King Henry asks that she come and meet his son and let him also lay his eyes upon her. She really is out on the road.. The season focuses on Catherine of Aragon (Charlotte Hope) and Henry VIII's (Ruari O'Connor) marriage and struggle to have children. She was also concerned about the impact the annulment would have on their only living child, Mary. Through Catherine, Spanish Princess creators Emma Frost and Matthew Graham could explore a woman who straddled multiple identitiesall of which come to the forefront during the Battle of Flodden in the show, and in real life. (Years after Catherines death, her beloved daughter, Mary I, followed in her mothers footsteps by rallying troops to her cause and seizing the throne from those who had sought to thwart her. Many a queen would have quite simply hotfooted it to the Tower of London, pulled up the drawbridge and sat there fairly safely, says Fox.