Can you identify the nationality of Catherine of Aragon, the first among Henry VIII's six wives?

Catherine of Aragon's story is a key part of understanding the Tudor dynasty and the English Reformation. She was indeed a Spanish princess, born in 1485. Her parents were King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella I of Spain – the very same monarchs who funded Christopher Columbus's voyages to the Americas! Catherine's marriage to Henry VIII in 1509 was initially a strong alliance between England and Spain. However, the marriage fell apart because Henry desperately wanted a male heir, and Catherine was unable to provide one who lived to adulthood. This led to Henry's famous break with the Catholic Church, the establishment of the Church of England, and his subsequent marriages. While Henry did marry women from other European countries later on, Catherine's Spanish heritage is significant because it highlights the political importance of royal marriages in the 16th century and the dramatic consequences when those alliances crumbled. So, while it might be tempting to think of Henry marrying a French or Dutch princess, Catherine's Spanish roots are a crucial historical detail.