KATHERINE OF ARAGON, FIRST OF THE SIX WIVES OF HENRY VIII.Katherine of Aragon, was the first of Henry VIII's six wives. Out of six Pregnancies, only one, the future Queen Mary I England, who was born at Greenwich Palace, survived infancy.
ABOVE: A PORTRAIT OF GREENWICH PALACE VIEWED FROM THE RIVER THAMES As was the custom of the age, soon after her birth, a suitable future husband was sought. Prince Arthur, the eldest son of King Henry VII of England was chosen. Katherine was considered to be a most suitable prospective wife due to her English ancestry on her mother's side. A marriage between Arthur and Katherine would strengthen the Tudor claim to the English throne because of her ancestry. Through her mother, Katherine had a much stronger and legitimate claim to the throne than did the Tudors, through the first two wives of John of Gaunt.
Arthur's father, Henry VII was the descendent of John of Gaunt,(the third surviving son of King Edward III) but it was via his mistress, Katherine Swynford and although their children had been legitimized by both Papal and Royal decrees after they married in 1396, they were barred from ever having a claim to the throne. It was because of this that the Tudor monarchy was not accepted everywhere in Europe, so the marriage of Katherine and Arthur, besides strengthening the Tudor claim because of Katherine's ancestry, would also satisfactorally validate the Tudor claim in the eyes of European royalty. On 4th November 1501 the couple met. They had been married by proxy on 19th May 1499 and communicated in Latin for two years, until it was decided that they were old enough to be married. The wedding took place at Old St.Paul's Cathedral.
ABOVE: A PORTRAIT OF KATHERINE OF ARAGON. Their marriage was but a short one however, at the young age of fifteen Arthur died suddenly. It is not known how this came about, but it has been speculated that it was due to a mysterious illness common at that time called the Sweating Sickness. They were both sick, but unlike her husband Katherine survived. Prince Arthur was buried at Worcestor Cathedral, the funeral unattended by both his mother and father, for reasons unknown. Arthur's brother Henry was not made Prince of Wales until it was certain that Katherine was not pregnant. The question as to whether the marriage was consummated or not was the subject of boundless controversy, the repercussions of which, have had an enormous influence on the history of the English speaking world and wherever the ouposts of empire reached. GO TO NEXT PAGE Return To King Henry VIII's Wives Return from Katherine of Aragon To A-London-Tourist-Guide Home Page
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