As the first wife of Henry VIII, Catherine of Aragon fared somewhat better than Henry’s second wife, Anne Boleyn...Catherine, at least did not lose her head! Raised as a devout Roman Catholic, which factored largely in her later life, she was the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. She and Henry were married in 1509, but by 1525, Henry became infatuated with Anne Boleyn, disenchanted with Catherine and hugely displeased that his marriage to her had produced no surviving sons. Henry sought to have the marriage annulled while Catherine fought hard and long to keep her throne and marital status. Ultimately, Henry got his wish by breaking ties with the Vatican and declaring himself Supreme Head of the Church of England, thereby allowing him to divorce Catherine and marry Anne. Catherine was banished from court and lived the remainder of her life at Kimbolton Castle until her death in 1536. During those years she remained a faithful Catholic, believing that she was the only true queen and wife of Henry.
This second pair of earrings is from the “Medieval Muses” collection of jewelry I’m presently creating. Bejeweled with carnelian cabochons and a chrysocolla briolette dangle, the die-cut, patinated sterling silver Cross Pattée is accented with four 22k gold bimetal dots and a disk of hammer-textured bronze on the backside. A fine silver metal clay flower sits at the center. I believe Catherine would have worn these!
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