Catherine of Aragon

    

Catherine of Aragon was the first of Henry VIII's six wives.  She was Queen of England from 1509 until 1533, when Henry divorced her to marry Anne Boleyn. 

    Catherine of Aragon led a very interesting life.  She had periods of great happiness, as well as times of tragedy.  Her impact on the period in which she lived was considerable.  Although not by design, she was a major force in the creation of the Church of England, and in the English Church's break from the Pope in Rome.  Catherine's dogged refusal to give King Henry a divorce, so that he could marry Anne Boleyn and produce a male heir, was the major catalyst for these events. 

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