This day in Tudor history 1536 marks the death of Katharine of Aragon, first wife of Henry VIII and mother to Mary I. The following day, news of her death reached the king. At the time, there were rumors that she was poisoned possibly by Anne, one of her kinsmen, or even Henry himself as all had threatened her life. According to the Tudor chronicler Edward Hall, Anne Boleyn wore yellow for the mourning, which has been interpreted in various ways; Polydore Vergil interpreted Anne's reaction mean that she was happy the aging queen was finally dead. In direct contrast to Vergil's idea though is Eustace Chapuys' report that it was actually King Henry who decked himself in yellow, celebrating the news and making a great show of his and Anne's daughter, Elizabeth, to his courtiers. Another prevailing historical theory is that the dressing in yellow was out of respect for the late princess dowager (or queen, depending on your views) as yellow was said to be the Spanish color of mourning. With Chapuys' intense dislike of Anne it is unlikely he would fail to report her wearing yellow and celebrating. Either way, the royal couple's reaction to Katharine's passing was seen as distasteful and vulgar by many.
Gossip regarding the cause of Katharine's death continued to swirl, but exploded when it was discovered during her embalming that there was a black growth on her heart that may have been the result of poisoning. Modern medical experts are in agreement that her heart's discoloration was due not to poisoning, but to cancer (probably cardiac sarcoma) a medical illness not known or understood at the time.
Katharine was buried in Peterborough Cathedral with the ceremony due to a Dowager Princess of Wales, not a queen. Henry did not attend the funeral and forbade Mary to attend for fear that her presence would cause uprisings supportive of her position as heir apparent. The lay people of England were saddened by Katharine's passing and many entered periods of morning for the late, beloved queen.
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Katharine painted as a young woman
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| Katharine in her later years |
C'mon, we all know she wore yellow and danced on Catherine's grave. Her death finally legitimized Henry and Anne's marriage.
ReplyDeleteIf I were Anne I would have wore yellow for the dual reasons of it being both the Spanish colour of mourning and celebratory in England...just to keep everyone guessing for the next five hundred years :)
ReplyDeleteHer death was sad; she was alone and neglected. She deserved better.
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