On this day in history, 16 December 1485, a Spanish princess was born at the Archbishop’s Palace of Alcalá de Henares near Madrid. Daughter of the Catholic Monarchs of Spain, she would go on to be Catherine, Queen of England, first wife of Henry VIII and mother of England’s first Queen Regnant.
Beyond just a royal consort, Catherine was Europe’s first ambassadress, a patron of women’s education, and an early advisor to her husband, the King. Her steadfast refusal to grant Henry an annulment triggered England’s break from Rome and ultimately led to the English Reformation.
Many versions of Catherine have existed in the centuries since her death – from a fiery Spanish princess to a long-suffering wife, unwilling to accept the breakdown of her marriage. Join us as we delve into Catherine’s remarkable life through an exploration of five of the most iconic portraits painted during her lifetime.
1) Portrait of an Infanta
ca. 1496
Oil on panel. 31.5 x 21.7 cm
Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid
Portrait by Juan de Flandes thought to be of 11-year-old Catherine. She can be seen holding a Lancaster rose, and closely resembles a portrait of her sister, Juana, also by de Flandes. Catherine was described as being short in stature with long auburn hair, large blue eyes, a round face and pale complexion. Through her mother Isabella’s family, she was descended from the royal House of Lancaster. Her great-grandmother, Catherine of Lancaster, in whose honour she was named, and her great-great-grandmother Philippa of Lancaster were the descendants of Edward III of England.
2) Michel Sittow portraits
Catherine Of Aragon As The Magdalene (15th century)
Michel Sittow (Flemish, 1468 – 1525)
Michel Sittow painted Catherine of Aragon several times and spent much of his career in the service of her mother, Isabella of Castile. The portraits above have long been associated with Catherine, although recent research has suggested that the sitter was actually Catherine’s sister-in-law, Mary Tudor the French Queen, at the time of her betrothal to Charles V. However, given the Spanish connection and the symbolism associated with the subject, such as the scallops of St. James, the likeliest sitter is still Catherine.
Sittow went on to work for Archduchess Margaret of Austria, Ferdinand of Aragon, and Charles V. He died of the plague in 1525/26.
3) Horenbout Miniature
Watercolour on vellum, circa 1525
1 1/2 in. (38 mm) diameter
National Portrait Gallery
Attributed to Henry VIII’s court miniaturist Lucas Horenbout, this restored miniature of Catherine of Aragon was painted in 1525, when the Queen was around forty. The Latin engraving translates to ‘Katherine, his spouse,’ implying that this particular miniature was likely a companion piece to one featuring King Henry VIII.
Catherine can be seen wearing a jeweled cross and a brooch with the letters IHS, representing the first three letters of Jesus in Greek. Jane Seymour, Henry’s third wife, is depicted wearing a similar emblem in her portrait by court artist Hans Holbein. This piece may have once belonged to Catherine, and was possibly passed down as part of the Queen’s Crown Jewels.
Influential in the creation of the portrait miniature, Horenbout was employed by Henry VIII from 1525 to his death in 1544. His daughter, Susanna, son Lucas, and daughter-in-law Margaret were all skilled artists who created rich, detailed paintings of the Tudor period and its rulers.
4) A Queen in Splendour
(left) oil on oak panel, circa 1520
20 1/2 in. x 16 1/2 in. (520 mm x 420 mm) overall
This stunning portrait, long held to be Katharine Parr, was recently re-identified as Catherine of Aragon by the National Portrait Gallery following extensive research and conservation treatments. In 2008, researchers re-identified the portrait thanks to the costume worn by the sitter, dated to the 1520s or early 1530s, making Henry’s first wife a likely candidate. Unusually for the time period, the portrait is still in its original oak frame (though parts of the image, such as the original green background, have since been lost to time).
The version on the right currently hangs in the ‘Queens’ Chamber’ at Hever Castle, the childhood home of Anne Boleyn, along other portraits of Henry VIII’s wives.
5) Attributed to Lucas Hornebout
Watercolour on vellum, circa 1525-1526
NPG L244
This charming portrait, also credited to Horenbout, portrays Catherine as the Queen of England. At the same time as the miniature was being completed, Henry VIII’s Great Matter was beginning to take shape in England. It was now widely known that Henry was seeking to replace his first wife with a second. Catherine would only have seven more years before she was banished from court, making way for another queen to take her place. Yet, in this portrait, Catherine exudes serenity, her cherry-shaped mouth typical of Horenbout’s distinctive style.