Sunday, April 14, 2013

Catherine of Aragon's Other Claim to Fame

As the first (and longest-married) wife of King Henry VIII, Catharine of Aragon is widely famed for having fought that monarch to her literal death, for her right to be called Queen of England.  Though her being put aside had epochal ramifications for England, and for her matrimonially-obsessed ex/widower takes its fame for highly understandable reasons, it's a shame that she is often remembered for little *else* - and her accomplishments, even without her husband, were substantial.

Catherine as a young widow, Wikimedia

Take Flodden field.  Henry himself was in France, and Catherine, empowered as regent in the monarch's absence, authorized the response.  The Battle of Flodden Field was a great success for her, and for her beloved adopted homeland.  No less than Thomas Howard restored his family's honor on the field - and this opened the way for favor in the kings eyes which itself had ramifications in history.

For the 500th anniversary, the busy pace of archaeology in the United Kingdom continues apace, with this investigation.  It'll be an interesting story.

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