2990 x 4502 px | 25,3 x 38,1 cm | 10 x 15 inches | 300dpi
Data acquisizione:
2011
Altre informazioni:
Catherine of Aragon (Spanish: Catalina de Aragón; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536), also known as Katherine or Katharine, was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII of England. She had previously been styled Princess of Wales as the wife of Arthur, Prince of Wales. (Arthur died shortly after their wedding, and Catherine subsequently married Henry, who was Arthur's younger brother.) In 1507, Catherine 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 De institutione feminae christianae (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.
