Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII, was a Spanish princess born in 1485. She married Henry in 1509, and their marriage was initially happy. However, Henry later became unhappy with Catherine's inability to produce a male heir, and he began to seek an annulment of their marriage. Catherine refused to cooperate with Henry's plans, and she remained married to him until her death in 1533. Catherine was a devout Catholic and a strong supporter of the traditional role of women in society. She was also a patron of the arts and a collector of books.
