I will tell you of the grievous trouble and remorse which his Majesty’s aunt, the most Serene Queen Katharine [of Aragon], had to endure, as frequently alluded to by herself, always thinking of this, namely, that a great part of her troubles emanated from God, not through any fault of her own, but for the salvation of her soul; and that the Divine justice thus punished the sin of her father King Ferdinand, for when he commenced negotiating her marriage with Prince Arthur, the eldest son of the King of England [Henry VII], some disturbances took place at the time, owing to the favour and goodwill borne by the people to my mother’s [Margaret Pole] brother the Earl of Warwick [Edward Plantagenet] [...] who being the son of the Duke of Clarence [George Plantagenet], brother of King Edward [IV], became, by the death of that King’s sons [Edward V and Richard of Shrewsbury], next heir to the English crown. King Ferdinand, having by the agreements to conclude his daughter’s marriage at that time, made a difficulty about it, saying he would not give her to one who was not secure in his own kingdom; and thus, by inciting the King [Henry VII] to do what he already desired spontaneously, he [Ferdinand] was the cause of the death of that innocent Earl [...]
But the Divine justice did not permit so iniquitous an act of injustice to remain unpunished, for at the end of six months Prince Arthur died, nor could he any longer enjoy the wife who had been given him by such bad counsel, and she was then re-married to the King’s other son [Henry VIII], who succeeded to his crown. To these causes that good Princess [Katharine of Aragon] said that she attributed in great part the annoyances and distresses endured by her, confessing that she was therefore very much bound to recompense and requite us [Warwick’s family] for the detriment we had received on her account (although she was not in the least to blame for it), and to show us every kindness, having found by experience that in all her sorrows and afflictions, from no family of the realm had she ever received greater consolation than from ours, although for her sake we had received so many injuries.
On Katharine of Aragon’s belief that her troubles in life were divine punishment for the death of Edward, Earl of Warwick, and her favour towards Warwick’s family.
Excerpts from a letter written by Warwick’s nephew, Cardinal Reginald Pole, to Edward Seymour, Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector of England, on 7th September 1549.
