8-2QueenBeforeElizabeth

WHO WAS QUEEN BEFORE ELIZABETH? WHAT IS HER LEGACY?
//Prepared by Fady.// In 1485 Katherine of Aragon was born in Spain to King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella. She was given a good education as being the king’s and queen’s daughter. She was married to King Henry the seventh’s eldest son, Arthur, Prince of Wales. He died just six months after they were married. Following tradition, she was instructed to be marry King Henry’s second son, Henry. The catholic pope had to be consulted because the family was unsure if Katherine would be allowed to get engaged to the deceased’s brother. She was married to King Henry VIII, being his first wife in 1503. There was a five year age difference between the King and Queen. Katherine of Aragon’s reign over the country lasted only 30 years. In the years she was married to King Henry she was forced to bear a child. King Henry wanted an heir to the throne. Katherine was under a lot of pressure to get pregnant. She had many miscarriages and a fair amount of still born babies. Finally she bore a prince and baptized him. The prince died at the very young age of 52 days, causing the family great sorrow. King Henry VIII was looking through the Catholic bible book of Leviticus when he read, “If a man shall take his brother's wife it is an unclean thing... they shall be childless.(Leviticus, 21)”. With that cemented into his brain he divorced her in 1533. Even though Katherine denied that she was divorced and her new title being a Princess Dowager. The Princess Dowager died in 1536 at the age of 51. King Henry ordered her body to be buried in the Peterborough Cathedral. While Katherine was still queen, she bore King Henry one child, a daughter called Mary. The King was furious that she wasn’t able to bring a male heir to the family but was happy that now there wouldn’t be a war between England and Spain.

Kathrine’s daughter was the next heir to the throne. Her name was Mary. When she was just one year old she was crowned Queen of Scots. When Mary was just fifteen years old she was married to the fourteen year old dauphin of France, Francis. Two years later she was crowned queen of France and her husband who was a year younger than her was crowned the king of France. In a very short span of two years her husband and the Queen of Scottland pass away. So she moved Queen Elizabeth wasn’t going to give up the throne to Mary because Mary had continued attacks against Protestants. In 1568 Elizabeth is holding Mary in captivity at Fotheringay Castle. The duke of Norfolk is also being imprisoned for preparing to marry Mary. In 1586 she is convicted of involvement in the Babbington plot. For the last year of Mary’s life she was living under house arrest. Now Mary was Queen Elizabeth’s cousin so she tried keeping friendly relations between each other. Many people thought that if Mary was condemned to death her cousin should also be executed. On February 8, 1587 Elizabeth signed the order for the execution of Mary. Works Cited Alchin, L.K.. "Kathrine of Aragon." Elizabethan Era. 20 MAR 2008. 8 Mar 2009 

"Cathrine of Aragon1485-1536." BBC. 8 Mar 2009 .

"England Under the Tudors." luminarium. 14 Apr 2009 <__http://www.luminarium.org __  __/encyclopedia __ /catherinearagon.htm>.

"Mary Queen of Scots." Elizabethan Era. 16 Apr 2009 .