In this ngày and age, there has been so much written on the six wives of Henry VIII, and many thêm that declare Anne Boleyn as the greatest of them all, while the others have been neglected. Indeed, Tremlett's biography was the first since the early seventies to focus solely on Henry's first Queen. And it proved long overdue. Tremlett gives us the portrait of a woman who was not merely a matronly wife who defied a king; she was a strong willed and highly intelligent woman who survived many hardships thrown at her bởi the people she was raised to đệ trình to unquestionably.
Katherine of Aragon was the youngest child of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabel of Castile, two of the most powerful monarchs of medieval Europe; not to mention unique for they both governed with equal authority - Isabel ruling Castile in her own right while Ferdinand ruled over Aragon. Indeed, with a mother with such unprecedented power Katherine later came to believe that her own daughter was capable of such authority in her own right, even if Henry didn't agree.
Princess of Wales:
In 1500 16 năm old Katherine sailed to England to marry the heir to the throne, Arthur Tudor, only for him to die within months of their wedding. After this, she became a pawn in the power play between Henry VII and her parents. She could not even trust her own ladies, including her indomitable Lady in waiting Elvira Manuel who manipulated Katherine in order to bring a union between Henry VII and Philip of Burgundy, husband of Katherine's sister Juana la Loca (Joan the mad).
In 1504 Isabel of Castile died. Her eldest surviving child, Juana, was now the Queen. However, Juana did not have the mental stability hoặc strength of her mother and the rule of Castile became a battle of wills between her husband Phillip and her father with Katherine a means to an end in securing the victor.
As Katherine's most trusted adviser, Elvira manipulated Katherine to urge Henry VII into an alliance with Phillip in order to gain Castile for himself. Once she learned the truth Katherine worked to ensure the interests of her father above anything else. Tremlett states that this event shaped a large part of Katherine's personality. She learned the hard way that bạn cannot trust those closest to you, a lesson that would come in useful in the future.
Queen of England:
When Henry VII died, he was succeeded bởi his son as King Henry VIII with Katherine crowned as Queen bởi his side. bởi 1511 she and Henry were blessed with a baby boy, but he was dead within a month. This was the first in a long line of tragic death that would plague her for the rest of her days.
In 1513 Henry went to war with France, leaving Katherine as regent in his absence. Although he gained small victories they would pale in comparison with Katherine's own triumph over the Scots. When Henry left for France, the French King turned to their ally James IV of Scotland who retaliated bởi attacking the English borders. Upon hearing of the Scots army approaching Katherine didn't hesitate to gather troops and have them sent to face the Scots with Scottish King perishing on the battlefield, leaving behind his 13 tháng old son, who became King James V, and his widow Margaret Tudor, Henry VIII's sister.
Upon this victory Katherine had the Scottish King's áo, áo khoác sent on to France to celebrate, she had proved herself a loyal and trustworthy regent for her husband. She even acted as an unofficial ambassador for her father, urging her husband to favour Spanish interests. During Henry's campaign with France, Ferdinand signed a secret treaty with the French King, forcing Katherine to choose between her husband and her father. It was an easy decision as her father had failed her time and time again and this time she had had enough.
Motherhood:
In the meantime Katherine focused on conceiving the longed for son that she knew Henry desperately wanted. An all consuming desire that would push the once loving couple further away from each other and push Katherine closer to God.
In total Catherine was pregnant at least six times. Her first pregnancy resulted in a stillborn daughter on 31st January 1510. This was followed bởi the couple's son Henry, Duke of Cornwall born on 1st January 1511; he sadly passed on 22nd February that same năm while his parents celebrated his birth. This was followed bởi two stillborn sons in 1513 and 1514 before their only surviving daughter was born.
God finally answered her prayers on 18th February 1516 when she delivered a healthy girl into the world. Despite the joy of a healthy baby, the fact that she was a girl did not bode well for the Tudor dynasty. Katherine's last reported pregnancy was in 1518 with another still born baby, this time a girl born on 10th November. Eventually Henry grew tired of Katherine and although they kept up appearances, he neither sought her giường nor her council either, preferring the Lời khuyên of Cardinal Wolsey. Slowly, Katherine became isolated within the royal court, spied on bởi her own servants and with little joy except for her daughter Mary.
The Secret Matter:
After 1525, everything changed. Katherine's marriage and her own personal history were called into câu hỏi when Henry applied to the Pope for an annulment on the grounds that his marriage to Katherine had never been valid due to her trước đó marriage to Henry's brother. His argument was based around a passage from the Old Testament that declared it a sin to marry your brother's wife, and that 'he hath uncovered his brother's nakedness; they shall be childless.' Yet, Katherine stood firm. She declared her marriage to be true and lawful - a statement that she would stand bởi to her dying days.
Around the time of the divorce proceedings Henry had began courting the infamous Anne Boleyn who would be blamed bởi so many for what was to come. Yet, it would be unfair to blame Anne for Henry had already carried these doubts about his marriage before Anne ever entered the picture. But it is the age old patriarchal view that when a marriage breaks up it is the fault of the wife hoặc the mistress, never the husband. Especially if he also happens to be the King. Anne may not have been the initial cause for Henry's annulment, but she certainly took advantage of the situation, likely encouraged bởi her father and uncle, both hungry for power as well as her own desire for power.
The one mistake all the players made however was that they underestimated their opponent. Katherine discovered Henry's plans, knew of his secret meetings and wrote to her nephew, the powerful Holy Roman Emperor Charles, son of her sister Juana. Katherine made sure that all the major players knew what was happening in England; and even Henry was at a loss when Charles invaded Rome, taking the Pope prisoner, leaving him in limbo over his divorce.
Trial & Disgrace:
Throughout the whole proceeding Katherine proved time and time again to be a better fighter than her husband. Even Anne Boleyn warned him not to argue with the Queen for she was 'sure to have the upper hand'. Alas, she was right. Even when the divorce proceedings opened in Blackfriars Katherine managed to manipulate the situation in her favour, getting down on her knees, submitting to her husband like any dutiful wife and asking Henry that she be allowed to consult Rome, to which he agreed. Could he publically refuse?
It must be remembered that Katherine fought not only for her right as Queen but also for her daughter's right as heir to the throne. Even forced separation couldn't stop Katherine and Mary from standing bởi each other.
Henry of course grew impatient waiting for Rome's verdict and eventually tore England away from Rome, creating the Church of England thus leaving the decision of his marriage in the hands of an English verdict. Katherine was banished from court, stripped of much of her surroundings, her jewels being được trao to Anne who wore them at her own coronation. In spite of these humiliations Katherine remained obstinate and stood her ground. She would willingly die for her cause.
The Dowager Princess:
Sadly, she did die on 7th January 1536, alone and destitute. Abandoned bởi her husband, deprived of her only child, and forgotten bởi the Emperor, Katherine died at Kimbolton Castle, after a long and serious illness. Yet, she remained constant in her argument that she was the true Queen of England.
Upon her death, she was buried at St. Peterborough Cathedral. On the ngày she was buried Anne Boleyn miscarried for what was believed a một giây time. Mary was kept a prisoner, forced to be a servant waiting on Anne Boleyn's daughter, Elizabeth. Within five months of Katherine's death Anne Boleyn was sent to the Scaffold and executed on Tower Green.
After so many long years of fighting, both women in the end Mất tích their lives in vain. Neither produced the male heir Henry desired, but they both left behind two strong willed daughters who would both become Queen in their own right, remembered to this day.
Katherine of Aragon herself has been cast into the mold of the long suffering wife rejected bởi her husband. Yet, this is only one aspect of a fascinating and complex woman who was a born fighter enduring thêm hardships than most and never crumbled under the pressure. Even when faced with the prospect of death she stuck bởi her beliefs, proving a thêm challenging adversary to the King and his council than any army ever could. Even her enemies couldn't doubt her strength, Thomas Cromwell declaring 'but not for her sex, she would have surpassed all the Giải cứu thế giới of history.'
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