What If Catherine of Aragon Had Gone to a Nunnery?

What if Catherine of Aragon had stepped aside and entered a nunnery? Could it have saved her daughter Mary’s legitimacy? Would Anne Boleyn have had a son? And most importantly—would England have remained Catholic?
 
In this video, we explore a fascinating Tudor ‘What If’—how history might have changed if Catherine had accepted Henry VIII’s demands. Would the Reformation still have happened? Would Henry have still married six wives? And what about the dissolution of the monasteries?
 
Thank you to Charliebeth for this thought-provoking question! 
 
#TudorHistory #CatherineOfAragon #HenryVIII #AnneBoleyn #WhatIfHistory #AlternateHistory #EnglishReformation #RoyalHistory #16thCentury #HistoryDebate 

Catherine of Aragon – The Warrior Queen

Did Catherine of Aragon really ride into battle at Flodden, dressed in armour, leading her troops to victory? 
 
It’s a thrilling image—one even some 16th-century sources suggest! But the truth? Catherine wasn’t at Flodden… yet her role in England’s victory was still crucial.
 
As regent in Henry VIII’s absence, she was no passive queen. She rallied troops, arranged for supplies, and even wanted to send Henry a gruesome trophy—King James IV’s body!
 
So, was she a warrior queen in the traditional sense? Or does her real power lie in her sharp political mind and strong leadership? Let’s uncover the truth behind the myth! Was Catherine England’s greatest warrior queen? 
 
#TudorHistory #CatherineOfAragon #Flodden #WarriorQueen #HenryVIII #OnThisDay #TudorTrivia #HistoryRevealed

Catherine of Aragon at the Heart of Scandal

When we think of Catherine of Aragon, we think of a pious and dignified queen—but did you know that, before she even married Henry VIII, she was at the centre of a royal scandal?
- Her confessor, Fray Diego Fernández, became more than just her spiritual advisor.- His influence over her raised eyebrows, sparked gossip, and even angered kings.- Was Catherine blindly loyal, or was there more to their relationship than meets the eye?
This is a fascinating and rarely told chapter in Catherine’s life—one that shaped her future in the treacherous world of Tudor politics.
Listen now to uncover the full story!
#TudorHistory #CatherineOfAragon #HenryVIII #Scandal #HistoryMystery #OnThisDay #TudorSecrets

Could Catherine of Aragon’s religious practices have caused her stillbirths?

Catherine of Aragon's deep faith shaped many aspects of her life, including her practice of fasting. But could her religious devotion have impacted her ability to carry healthy pregnancies to term? 📿 Join me as I explore the fascinating theory that Catherine’s fasting and the immense pressure to produce a male heir may have contributed to her tragic history of stillbirths. What does modern research say about nutrition, fasting, and fertility? Let's find out! 👶✨
🔔 Don’t miss this thought-provoking dive into Tudor history!
Book recommendation: Catherine of Aragon: Henry's Spanish Queen by Giles Tremlett
#TudorHistory #CatherineOfAragon #TudorMysteries #HistoryUncovered #TudorQueens

A Royal Union - The Marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon Part 1

Henry VIII's great matter, his quest for an annulment of his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, caused him to break with Rome and was the beginning of the English Reformation. However, Henry chose to marry Catherine and their marriage was happy for many years.
In this talk, Claire Ridgway explores how they came to be married, the early years of their marriage, and how and when it began to go wrong.

The Tudors in their own words - Queen Catherine of Aragon to her husband, King Henry VIII

Today's Tudor quote is taken from a letter Queen Catherine of Aragon wrote to her husband, King Henry VIII, while she was Regent of England and he was in France.
Historian and author Claire Ridgway shares Catherine's good news to Henry.

Did Catherine of Aragon and Arthur Tudor consummate their marriage?

Catherine of Aragon and Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, were married from 14th November 1501 until Arthur's death on 2nd April 1502, but did they consummate their marriage? They certainly slept in the same bed, but did Catherine of Aragon and Arthur Tudor have sex?
 
Find out what people said at the Legatine court hearing in 1529 and the Zaragoza hearing in 1531, and what Catherine claimed, in this talk from historian Claire Ridgway.
 
Huge thanks to Lucy from the UK for asking such a wonderful question.
 
Further reading:
 
Sister Queens by Julia Fox
Catherine of Aragon, Henry’s Spanish Queen by Giles Tremlett
Tudor by Leanda de Lisle
Catherine of Aragon by Patrick Williams
The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Antonia Fraser
Six Wives by David Starkey
Catherine of Aragon by Garrett Mattingly
Did Arthur Tudor consummate his marriage by Kyra Kramer - http://www.kyrackramer.com/2020/01/26/did-arthur-tudor-consummate-his-marriage/
Catherine of Aragon: Spain’s Virgin queen? - https://www.historyextra.com/period/tudor/catherine-aragon-katherine-henry-viii-wife-queen-facts-virgin-sex-arthur-divorce-rome-how-why/ 

25 June - Catherine of Aragon and Prince Henry are betrothed

On 25th June 1503, the widowed Catherine of Aragon got betrothed to Prince Henry, second son of King Henry VII.
Find out more about this, the plans for their marriage, and what happened, in this edition of #TudorHistoryShorts from historian Claire Ridgway. You can see this podcast as a video at the following link:
https://youtu.be/kRs2BF0iI0g
Claire is the founder of the Tudor Society, an online membership site for those who love Tudor history. There, you can learn from Claire and many other expert historians and authors, enjoy Tudor-focused magazines and live Q&A sessions with experts, and have access to all kinds of talks, articles, quizzes, virtual tours and more. Try it with a 14-day free trial - https://www.tudorsociety.com/signup/
 
Claire has written some bestselling Tudor history books:
 
On This Day in Tudor History - https://amzn.to/3oceahH
The Fall of Anne Boleyn: A Countdown - https://amzn.to/3m8KaSi
George Boleyn: Tudor Poet, Courtier and Diplomat - https://amzn.to/2TdwyZr
The Anne Boleyn Collection - https://amzn.to/3kiQc1T
The Anne Boleyn Collection II - https://amzn.to/3o9LUwi
The Anne Boleyn Collection III - https://amzn.to/3kiQc1T
The Life of Anne Boleyn Colouring Books - https://amzn.to/3jkJ5Vz
 
Claire has also done an online history course, The Life of Anne Boleyn, for MedievalCourses.com - https://medievalcourses.com/overview/life-anne-boleyn-mc06/
 
You can find Claire at:
https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com 
https://www.tudorsociety.com
https://www.facebook.com/theanneboleynfiles/
https://www.facebook.com/tudorsociety/
https://twitter.com/AnneBoleynFiles 
https://twitter.com/thetudorsociety 
https://www.instagram.com/tudor.society/ 
https://www.instagram.com/anneboleynfiles/