Catherine of Aragon was England's King Henry VIII's first queen. In movies and novels she is often portrayed as something of a spoilsport, the stubborn queen who wouldn't let her husband get on with the English Reformation and all the excitement of a new wife. Catherine was much more than this.

To begin with, she was the youngest daughter of the famous King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. She was born practically on a battlefield, where her parents were battling the Islamic Moors from overtaking more Spanish territory. She was exceptionally well educated. Her mother, who had been denied an education and learned Latin on her own, saw to it that her daughters received an education equal to that of a high-born male.

When Catherine arrived in England, at age sixteen, she was regarded as better educated than Henry VIII. She knew Latin, Greek, English, Italian, French, and Spanish. She studied rhetoric and mathematics, as well as traditional feminine pursuits of needlework, dancing, music, and cooking. While she was provided with an education at the behest of her mother, there was also statecraft involved.

When Catherine was three she was betrothed to Prince Arthur, son of Henry VII and older brother to Henry VIII. She and Arthur were married once she came to England, but the prince was sickly and lived less than one year following the wedding. Eager to maintain the Spanish alliance, as well as Catherine's considerable dowry, Henry VII pushed for a betrothal between Catherine and Prince Henry, who was six years younger than Catherine. He was too young to marry, and so the wait began. When he reached an age suitable for marriage, his father had changed his mind about the Spanish alliance, and continued to postpone the marriage.

Life became very difficult for Catherine, she had little money at her disposal, and counted on the now-stingy English court for her support and maintenance. Her fighting spirit revealed itself for the first time. She dug her heels in and refused to return to Spain. When Henry VII died at a relatively young age, one of the first things his heir did was marry Catherine. He was seventeen, she was twenty-three, and for years he had longed for her from a distance. Catherine was short and plump, but she was beautiful, with red-gold hair so long she could sit on it. She was regarded as one of the most beautiful women in the realm. At long last, she was Henry's.

The couple was happy for a number of years. A series of pregnancies resulted in stillbirths, miscarriages, and babies that lived only a matter of weeks or months. They did have one surviving child; a daughter, Mary, who would later rule as queen and be known to history as "Bloody Mary." But the Tudor dynasty was young and poorly established. Henry needed a male heir to ensure his family would maintain control over the country. England had endured a bloody, contentious civil war, culminating in the ascension of his father to the throne. After nearly twenty years of marriage, and still no son, Henry became ever more anxious of securing his family's rule of England. Henry had long had affairs and at least two mistresses, with whom he had healthy, surviving children. He began to blame Catherine, and through Bible study determined that his marriage was cursed since he had technically married his brother's wife.

When Henry met Anne Boleyn, who was a lady-in-waiting to the queen, he was instantly attracted and attempted to make her his mistress. She refused, and told him she would be a wife, but never a mistress. She also began to educate Henry in reform Christianity; through which it might be possible to obtain a divorce, allowing him to remarry and produce a legal male heir. Henry, who was desperate to possess Anne, was easily convinced. However, they did not count on Catherine's connections within the Catholic Church, and from other Catholic countries, including Spain and France. She repeatedly begged and pleaded with Henry to abandon his divorce quest and protect her position as rightful queen and their daughter's rightful place as Henry's sole heir. Henry turned a deaf ear and continued to pursue a divorce. Eventually he obtained it, but before that happened he left the palace with his entire court and entourage (and Anne Boleyn), essentially abandoning Catherine and her retinue. He did not see her again until her day in court, where she eloquently spoke of what she believed was right, and how she had been a good and loyal wife and mother, undeserving of Henry's callous treatment.

Catherine was always and remained very popular with the English people, who resented Henry's actions and despised Anne Boleyn. Henry's divorce was granted, but he was excommunicated from the Catholic Church, which made his relations with a number of countries problematic. Catherine was sent away to live alone, far from the court, and in greatly reduced circumstances. She was not allowed to see her daughter, whom she called out to in her final moments.