7 January 1536 A.D. Death of Queen Catherine of Aragon—Buried
at Peterborough Cathedral
Mann, Stephanie. “The Death of Katherine of
Aragon.” Supremacy and Survival: the English Reformation. 7 Jan 2012. http://supremacyandsurvival.blogspot.com/2011/01/death-of-katherine-of-aragon.html.
Accessed 7 Jan 2015.
The Death of Katherine of Aragon
In the months before the death of
Katherine of Aragon on January 7, 1536, both she and Mary her daughter had been
very ill. They were both feeling the pressure of Henry VIII's anger and
frustration with them because they were not cooperating with him. Cromwell told
Mary that the very fact that she and Katherine of Aragon were alive was
detrimental to Henry's relationships to foreign princes. She and Katherine were
warned constantly against using the titles Princess or Queen for one
another--the Princess Elizabeth and Queen Anne Boleyn owned those titles.
News of the executions of both John
Fisher and Thomas More in June and July 1535 led mother and daughter to write
to the Holy Father and the Holy Roman Emperor respectively, imploring them to
do something about the religious changes Henry was making.
When Mary became so ill that Henry
sent his own physician to care for her, Katherine begged him to send Mary to
her, so she could care for her daughter--after all, they shared some of the
same symptoms, sorrow and heartache. Henry refused.
When it became clear that Katherine was also very ill, perhaps near death, Katherine again begged him to let her see Mary one last time. Again, Henry refused.
Katherine died after speaking with Eustace Chapuys, Charles V's ambassador and delivering a heartfelt letter of love to her estranged husband. Henry and Anne responded by at first rejoicing at her death, wearing yellow, dining and dancing. He was relieved that the threat of war was lessened with her death.
Mary was not told of her mother's death until four days had passed. Katherine was buried in Peterborough Cathedral with a service befitting a Dowager Princess of Wales. Henry did not allow Mary to attend the funeral Mass either. Her tomb was upgraded with the marker "Katherine Queen of England" during the reign of George V.
May she rest in peace.
Peterborough Cathedral is planning its annual Katherine of Aragon Festival, to be held at the end of this month--more information here.
When it became clear that Katherine was also very ill, perhaps near death, Katherine again begged him to let her see Mary one last time. Again, Henry refused.
Katherine died after speaking with Eustace Chapuys, Charles V's ambassador and delivering a heartfelt letter of love to her estranged husband. Henry and Anne responded by at first rejoicing at her death, wearing yellow, dining and dancing. He was relieved that the threat of war was lessened with her death.
Mary was not told of her mother's death until four days had passed. Katherine was buried in Peterborough Cathedral with a service befitting a Dowager Princess of Wales. Henry did not allow Mary to attend the funeral Mass either. Her tomb was upgraded with the marker "Katherine Queen of England" during the reign of George V.
May she rest in peace.
Peterborough Cathedral is planning its annual Katherine of Aragon Festival, to be held at the end of this month--more information here.
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