Black Hills Doll Designs

Black Hills Doll Designs
Presents:
Catherine of Aragon

1st in the series:
Henry VIII and His Six Wives

Catherine of Aragon was Henry's first wife. She was born in Spain, and originally married to Henry's older brother Arthur. Arthur died young, and left Catherine a widow within months of the marriage. After Arthur's death, and the death of Henry's father, Henry married Catherine and she stayed on in England.
Catherine and Henry were crowned together as king and queen in June of 1509.
Catherine became pregnant a number of times, but only one pregnancy resulted in a surviving child, Mary, who later became queen of England.
In 1526, after 17 years of marriage, Henry became frustrated with the lack of a male heir, and had turned his attentions towards Anne Boleyn.
Henry began a divorce against Catherine in 1526, as Catherine was older than Henry, and beyond the age of childbearing.
The pope was not willing to permit a divorce, and neither was Catherine. A divorce would mean the loss of their daughter's position in the succession.
Because of Catherine's unwillingness to allow the divorce, along with the pope's refusal to grant it,

Henry finally out of frustration and because Anne Boleyn was now pregnant, chose to break with the Catholic church and demanded Archbishop Cranmer annul his marriage to Catherine. Catherine was banished from the castle and was not allowed to see their daughter again. Catherine was much loved by her people, and they saw her as their only queen, even after the annulment and Anne's rise to power.
Catherine was shuffled from dank, dark castle to another, and she refused to accept that she was no longer queen and Henry's wife. She died in January of 1536, after Henry and Anne had been married for a time, and Henry was actually at the point of wanting to be rid of Anne.
Catherine was buried in a ceremony for a Princess Dowager, not a queen, at Peterborough Abbey.

Catherine's gown is made of a soft black dupioni silk, beaded at the neckline and front. It is fully lined and snaps at the back. The sleeves of the gown and underskirt are both made of a soft beige fabric with black dot embroidery. The skirt is fully lined and snaps at the back. The belt is made of soft white satin. Her cuffs are made of black dupioni, and beaded with tiny faux pearls in white. her chemise is made of soft cotton and embroidered in black. Her headpiece is called a Gabled Hood. It is covered in white and black silk, and beaded in tiny antique gold beads. Her necklace is made of gunmetal black chain. Her prayer book is made of felt.

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