Catherine of Aragon, also known as
Katherine or
Katharine, was
Queen consort of England as the
first wife of King
Henry VIII of England and
Princess of Wales as the wife to
Arthur, Prince of Wales. In 1507, she also held the position of
Ambassador for the Spanish Court in
England when her father found himself without one, becoming the first female ambassador in European history.
For six months, she served as
regent of England while Henry VIII was in France. During that time the English won the
Battle of Flodden, an event in which Catherine played an important part. The controversial book "The Education of Christian Women" by
Juan Luis Vives, which claimed women have the right to an education, was dedicated to and commissioned by her. Such was Catherine's impression on people, that even her enemy,
Thomas Cromwell, said of her "If not for her sex, she could have defied all the heroes of History."
William Shakespeare described her as "The Queen of Earthly Queens",
and during her early years as queen consort she was described as "The most beautiful creature in the world."
She successfully appealed for the lives of the rebels involved in the
Evil May Day for the sake of their families.
Furthermore, Catherine won widespread admiration by starting an extensive programme for the relief of the poor.
She was also a patron of
Renaissance humanism, and a friend of the great scholars
Erasmus of Rotterdam and
Saint Thomas More.