59. Her Tragedies Took a Toll
Like her husband, Catherine did not age well. By her 30s, her famous youthful beauty had withered. Catherine had understandably gained weight and had visible markers of stress from endless failed pregnancies; a Venetian ambassador courteously described her as “somewhat stout.” Less kindly, King Francis I once outright called her “old and deformed.”
60. She Lost Her Crown
In 1533, for all of her valiant fighting, Catherine’s jig was up. That year on May 23, Henry finally got the Archbishop of Canterbury to say their marriage was null and void. Five days later, he was officially declared married to Anne Boleyn shortly after they tied the knot in a secret ceremony. Catherine was now a forgotten Queen.
61. She Had a Public "Bedding"
Oddly enough, Catherine and Arthur’s wedding night was the only public royal bedding of the English in the 16th century, with courtiers following them into the chamber before leaving them alone to do the "deed." An eyewitness also says Arthur boasted the next morning about having been "in the midst of Spain," though this might have been teenage bravado. When it comes to their "consummation," we will probably never know the truth.
The Spanish Princess (2019– ), All3 Media
62. She Debased Herself
Years into their estrangement, Catherine was still sewing Henry’s shirts for him, even though he was now basically living with Anne Boleyn. When Anne found out, she was understandably upset. Henry, however, thought it was NBD because Catherine had always made his shirts. Why let a little thing like emotional adultery stop a good thing like free needlework?
63. She Went to Great Lengths to Please Henry
Catherine had an immense and world-shaking amount of fertility issues, but it might be even worse than we imagined. Debate rages about how many pregnancies and miscarriages Catherine had, but the highest estimations say she could have had up to nine pregnancies, with only one leading to the viable brith of Queen Mary I.
64. She Had Friends in High Places
In case you need any more proof that Henry was totally in the wrong, even his own sister Margaret was on Catherine’s side, and mostly wished her brother would shut up and stop embarrassing himself. Obviously, he did not.
65. She Was a Hero of History
Though Catherine of Aragon wasn’t exactly Henry’s favorite at home, the English people absolutely loved her from the moment they set eyes on her. Even her own enemy, Henry VIII’s courtier Thomas Cromwell, had to once admit, "If not for her sex, she could have defied all the heroes of History." I heartily endorse this fact.
The Tudors (2007–2010), Showtime Networks
66. She Couldn't Physically "Satisfy" Henry
By the early age of 40, Catherine had already gone through menopause. Perhaps if she'd been given a little more time, she could have saved her marriage and her crown.
67. She Was the First and Longest
Married to Henry for 23 years, 11 months, and 19 days, Catherine is ultimately the longest-serving of Henry VIII’s six queens.
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68. She Had Demanding Tastes
In 1519, Henry caused an international scandal thanks to his love for Catherine and a beard-growing pact gone wrong. At the time, Henry and the King of France had an alliance and agreed not to shave until they finally met in person. However, Catherine did not dig her husband’s “au naturel” look and told him to shave it off. Henry obeyed…to his great regret.
The Spanish Princess (2019– ), All3 Media
69. Her Marriage Caused a Scandal
This act became a scandal to the French, since it appeared that Henry symbolically snubbed them for Spanish interests. Fortunately, the ShaveGate drama cooled, and the King of France’s mom publicly assured the two monarchs’ “love is not in their beards, but in their hearts.” If only the other international hoopla between Henry and Catherine had ended so sweetly.
70. Women Tried to Kill for Her
Throughout the "Great Matter," Catherine’s popularity with women was sky-high. Reportedly, an angry mob of “seven to eight thousand women” even tried to seize Anne Boleyn in Catherine’s name. Though probably exaggerated or untrue, the tale’s popularity testifies to Catherine’s appeal as the “spurned woman” against Anne’s “other woman.” They were the Jen and Angelina of their time!
71. She Haunts a Famous Castle
Catherine of Aragon's ghost supposedly haunts Castle Lodge, Ludlow, where the young bride stayed in her first, brief marriage to Arthur, Prince of Wales. Visitors report seeing an apparition of a teenaged girl in Tudor-era clothing. She floats through both the halls and the nursery that she never got to fill, perhaps longing for more hopeful times.
72. She Was a Modern Princess
Catherine was among the most well-educated princesses of Europe. Taught by the famed cleric Alessandro Gerladini, the Spanish Princess mastered multiple languages, from Spanish and Latin to French and Greek. In addition, Catherine was schooled in arithmetic, law, classical literature, genealogy, history, philosophy, and theology.
73. Even Her Servants Were Legendary
When Catherine arrived in London for her first marriage, she did it in legendary—and revolutionary—style. Among her retinue were a group of African attendants, including the famous trumpeter John Blanke. Though grossly considered “luxury servants,” they were nonetheless the first recorded Africans to ever enter London.
The Spanish Princess (2019– ), All3 Media
74. Henry Gave Her a Chilling Send-off
On January 7, 1536, Catherine passed at Kimbolton Castle after a bizarre illness. King Henry’s reaction was legendarily cruel. He and Anne Boleyn dressed up in celebratory yellow, though some claim this was a nod to the Spanish color of mourning and was actually a deferential act. Either way, Catherine wrought one final vengeance on the pair from beyond the grave…
75. Her Ghost Got Back at Anne Boleyn
Fate’s a funny, twisted thing, and Catherine’s rival Anne Boleyn soon found that out. On the day of Catherine’s funeral—which was not fit for a Queen of England but for a mere Dowager—Anne miscarried. In a tragic irony to end all tragic ironies, that stillbirth also ended up being a baby boy. Watch out for karma, it’ll get you.
76. Her Friends Never Forgot Her
The end of Catherine’s life may seem tragic, and it is. But it was also a glorious moment of girl power. Even though King Henry banned any of Catherine’s supporters from seeing her while she was on the brink of death, her best friend Maria de Salinas refused to let her go alone into the dark night—even if it meant risking execution.
77. She Went Surrounded by Friends
Salinas spent her New Year’s in 1536 traveling nearly 60 miles on horseback to make it to her friend’s barred door. Then she came up with an ingenious plan. To get in, Maria lied and told guards she had “lost” the paperwork that gave her permission to enter. It worked, and Maria saw her lifelong buddy into the next life. Get yourself a girlfriend who will commit treason.
78. Her Heart Was Black
Catherine’s demise was utterly mysterious in its time. While preparing her body for burial, her embalmer noticed the corpse was in perfect health—save for her heart, which had turned black. The ghastly and seemingly fatal condition, coupled with Catherine’s premonitions of her own demise, led people to some dark rumors about her end…
79. Henry May Have Offed Her
After witnessing her strange condition, those loyal to Catherine and disloyal to King Henry VIII and Queen Anne started whispering that the Royal Couple 2.0 had poisoned Catherine in a chilling act of self-service, leading the “Dowager” to die poetically of a broken heart. Modern historians, however, believe a much different story.
80. Her Final Moments Were Fitting
Most experts today believe that rather than foul play, Catherine passed of cancer of the heart; sometimes it can turn the heart black. Nonetheless, it's still tragically poetic given the circumstances of Catherine's life and her queenship.
Sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30
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