Claire | November 9, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 9th November 1518, nine years into her marriage to King Henry VIII, Queen Catherine of Aragon gave birth prematurely to a stillborn daughter at Greenwich Palace. Sadly, this sixth pregnancy would be Catherine’s last. Let me explain exactly what happened on this day in 1518 and what we know […]
Claire | November 9, 2017
On 9th November 1518, the sixth pregnancy of Queen Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s first wife, ended tragically at Greenwich Palace. On 10th November 1518, Sebastian Giustinian, the Venetian ambassador, reported back to the Signory: “In the past night the Queen had been delivered of a daughter, to the vexation of everybody. Never had the […]
Claire | February 22, 2015
On 22 February 1511, Henry, Duke of Corwall, son of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, died at the age of just fifty-two days at Richmond Palace. Chronicler Edward Hall records his death: “After this great joy came sorowfull chaunce, for the young Prince, which was borne upon Neweyeres daye last past, upon the. xxii. […]
Claire | January 31, 2015
On this day in history, 31 January 1510, Queen Catherine of Aragon went into premature labour and gave birth to a still-born daughter. Her confessor, Fray Diego, reported that the birth had occurred “without any other pain except that one knee pained her the night before.” Although she had lost her baby, Catherine’s abdomen stayed […]
Claire | February 18, 2014
On 18th February 1516, in the early hours, Queen Catherine of Aragon’s fifth pregnancy1 ended with the birth of a healthy baby girl. This little girl, the future Queen Mary I, was born at the Palace of Placentia in Greenwich. After nearly seven years of marriage, Henry VIII was disappointed that the baby was just […]
Claire | January 31, 2014
On 31st January 1510, Catherine of Aragon’s first pregnancy ended with her going into premature labour and giving birth to a stillborn daughter. It was obviously a devastating blow to Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon and what made the situation harder was that Catherine’s abdomen continued to swell and her physician advised that she […]
Claire | January 31, 2013
On this day in 1510 disaster struck Catherine of Aragon and her first pregnancy. According to her confessor, Fray Diego, after suffering pain in her knee on the night of 30th January, Catherine “brought forth prematurely a daughter” on the morning of 31st January. Catherine’s biographer, Julia Fox, refers to this pregnancy as “disastrous”, but […]
Claire | November 9, 2012
As today marks the anniversary of Catherine of Aragon giving birth to a daughter, who was either stillborn or did not survive long, in 1518, I thought you might be interested in reading my article on the obstetric histories of Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn. Click here to read the article now. Other articles […]
