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England: Portrait of Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), Queen of England from 1509 to 1533 as the first wife of Henry VIII of England. Oil on oak panel, unknown artist, Anglo-Flemish school, early 16th century

England: Portrait of Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), Queen of England from 1509 to 1533 as the first wife of Henry VIII of England. Oil on oak panel, unknown artist, Anglo-Flemish school, early 16th century

Catherine of Aragon (Castilian: Catalina; also spelled Katherine of Aragon, 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was the Queen of England from June 1509 until May 1533 as the first wife of King Henry VIII; she was previously Princess of Wales as the wife of Prince Arthur.

The daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon, Catherine was three years old when she was betrothed to Prince Arthur, heir apparent to the English throne. They married in 1501, and Arthur died five months later. In 1507, she held the position of ambassador for the Spanish Court in England, becoming the first female ambassador in European history. Catherine subsequently married Arthur's younger brother, the recently succeeded Henry VIII, in 1509.

She died at Kimbolton Castle on 7 January 1536.

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