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. By Elena Nicolaou Published: Oct 11, 2020. 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. I entreat you also, on behalf of my maids, to give them marriage portions, which is not much, they being but three. 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. Instead, she assumed an active role in the governingand protectionof England. Wedding of Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon - History Today Catherine settled her affairs, giving instructions on what she wanted done with her worldy goods and her burial she wanted to be buried in a chapel of Observant Friars (Franciscans). King Henrys beside himself with worry over Englands finances. This article was most recently revised and updated by, Behind the Scenes: 12 Historical Figures in, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Catherine-of-Aragon, Catherine of Aragon - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11), Catherine of Aragon - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up). In 1513, the queen, then 27 years old, was entrusted with command of the kingdom while her 22-year-old husband waged war against Frances Francis I. Henry left behind a small group of advisors, but as newly discovered documents demonstrate, Catherine didnt simply defer to these elderly mens counsel. My heart is very good to it," Catherine wrote in an 1813 letter to Thomas Wolsey, who was with Henry VIII in France at the time. Catherine of Aragon - Marriage to Henry VIII - ThoughtCo Elizabeth asks if Catherines as attractive as her portrait, and King Henry stammers when he says she is. Henrys desire for a legitimate male heir prompted him in 1527 to appeal to Rome for an annulment on the grounds that the marriage had violated the biblical prohibition against a union between a man and his brothers widow. Catherine of Aragon's marriage to Henry VIII lasted for 24 years. For Queen Catherine, her identity and power dynamics shift substantially as her infertility and inability to produce an heir to the throne take center stage.
