Katharine the Virgin Widow

In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically expedient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is maneuvering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son. Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

In this, the first book in the Katherine of Aragon trilogy, the author, Jean Plaidy, also known to her legion of fans as Victoria Holt, writes about young Katherine of Aragon, who as the Infanta of Spain, was betrothed to marry the sickly son of the parsimonious King Henry VII, Arthur, the Prince of Wales.This marriage was a politically expedient one, meant to ally Spain and England. When Arthur dies shortly after their marriage, he leaves behind a virgin widow, as their marriage had never been consummated. This book chronicles the travails of the widowed Katherine, who languished in the court of her father-in-law, treated as an unnecessary appendage, only to be turned out of the palace to live as an unwanted poor relation.Living in penurious conditions in England, ill befitting a princess of Spain, she waits for her fortunes to change. When her beloved mother and only hope of respite, Queen Isabella of Castile, dies, Katherine is bereft, knowing that her father, King Ferdinand of Aragon, will do only what is politically convenient and leave her to her own devices. She is ultimately betrothed to Arthur's younger brother, Henry, only to find that as the time for the marriage to take place draws near, King Henry VII is manuevering to make a more advantageous marriage for his son. Reliance upon her sister, Juana, who is now Queen of Castile, to help Katherine settle her precarious situation is misplaced, for Juana, married to Phillip the Handsome, has mental health issues. After the premature death of her husband, her behavior greatly deteriorates, and she becomes known as Juana the Mad with good reason.The book artfully details the hopefulness of a young Katherine, as she is married to Arthur, as well as the early sufferings of the widowed Katherine at the hands of King Henry VII. The book also offers an intriguing glimpse into the life of Katherine's older sister, Juana the Mad, as well as the Spanish and English intrigues of the day. This is a well written account of the early life of Katherine of Aragon in the English Court, whose fortunes dramatically changed upon the death of King Henry VII, when Henry VIII chose to honor his betrothal to her and make her his wife.

This is the story of Catherine of Aragon, daugther of Fernando and Isabel from Spain. The book tells of her live when she arrived to England, and when she became a widow after her fiancée, future king of England, died.