There and Back Again: The English Journeys of Catherine of Aragon
- Thread starter Awkwardvulture
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We'll have to hope so, she has a close knit, loving family at the very least!
Oh I think she shall, that's a great idea!
Chapter 171, July 1530
Capilla Real de Granada, Kingdom of Castile, July 1530
Catalina stood in the cathedral; the small coffin in the center of the space was draped in black satin. The woman blinked away tears, willing herself to remain dignified. She remembered her mother’s words on her brother Juan’s passing God gave him to me and now he takes him away. Those were wise words, words that helped soothe her mind. The Dowager Queen of Portugal tried her best to remember them as the Archbishop, Gaspar de Ávalos de la Cueva, sprinkled holy water upon the coffin. As the chief mourner at her grandnephew Manuel’s funeral, Catalina’s role was largely ceremonial, but the woman was there for a reason beyond duty. Her grief was not only on behalf of her niece and nephew but sincerely her own. She had watched little Manuel grow, watched him transform from a happy baby to a child that struggled to breathe.
The Infante Manuel had been born on the fifteenth of May, and had passed on the eleventh of July, his suffering had finally come to an end on that sad day. The impact on the King and Queen of Spain was immediate, given that they had Beatriz Galindo send them daily reports on the boy’s health ever since he first sickened in early June.
Ferdinand had first comforted his wife, who, understandably, was distraught. Then, he buried himself in his work, seeking a distraction from his heartbreak. Neither could be there for the funeral, Ferdinand claimed that matters of the colonies, namely news of some new land, Peru, but Catalina knew it was just a front. He couldn’t bring himself to attend, which she understood, while Isabella had fallen ill herself. According to Beatriz it was only a minor illness, likely brought on by the loss of the child, and that the Queen would likely be better by the time Catalina returned.
Thus, Catalina was there for them, doing what she could in the chapel. At the very least, the family had already been staying in Seville, so the trip that she took alongside the casket had been a short one, and such a short distance meant that the Infante could be more easily buried in the same place as his great-grandparents.
Unfortunately, Phillip of Burgundy was also buried there, something which Catalina deeply resented. Moving her eye away from the man’s tomb, she thought to herself, I wish that false cur Phillip was not buried so close to my parents. This may establish the legitimacy of Ferdinand’s rule, but it disgusts me that such an evil man should share space with the true Kings of Spain. Still, the woman kept a somber look on her face as the archbishop pressed the communion wafer to her mouth, this day was not about Phillip, it was about the Infante, and she wasn’t going to waste any more time thinking of that man.
A tragedy for Ferdinand and Isabella but at least they have Catalina, and each other. Poor little Manuel will be dearly missed, I am sure
Poor child, and poor Ferdinand and Isabella… I can’t recall, how many children have they had both surviving and deceased?
That is certainly true, and Ferdinand and Isabella are better equipped to cope with this than most, but this is still quite the blow to them.
Hmmm, at this point they've had seven children, four living and the other three deceased, counting Manuel.
His parents are doing ok enough, or at least as much as can be expected.
She does in fact, that's a great question! Though she's not dying anytime soon, Catalina does have plans! If something happens while she's in Portugal she'll be buried alongside her beloved late husband Manuel in the Jerónimos Monastery, while if she's too far away in Spain she'd be interned with her parents at the Royal Chapel of Granada. Meanwhile, should she pass in England as she plans, Catalina will be buried at Worcester Cathedral with her first husband Arthur.
Catalina know what she want and had taken in consideration all the options…
It would be a amazing thing if Catherine dies in England and sees her daughter married to the Prince of Wales and then gets buried with Arthur and Maria honors her mother with a magnificent monument as mother and wife to the Princesses/Prince of Wales.
Unlike that joke she's buried in right now. Catalina deserved a much grander burial.
Chapter 172, September 1530
Richmond Palace, Kingdom of England, September 1530
She lowered herself deeper into the bath, sighing as she felt the hot water warm her body. There was nothing like a hot bath to help one relax, and as a Queen, Eleanor did so almost every day. The Queen had a certain combination of soap, flower petals, and peppermint oil that she was quite fond of, one that made her smell like a spring forest. She often would find herself smelling her arms and hair after getting out of the bath, and it was only her many years of royal training that kept her from doing so in public. Now she didn’t have to worry about the eyes of others, as well her closest ladies were in her chambers with her, they were often a respectable distance away, the only thing that she ever wanted help in washing was her hair, and she saved that for the end. Still, it was nice to have them there with her, for conversation. Shifting to her right, the woman rested her chin on the edge of the tub, covered with soft cloth, just like the rest of the vessel.
Of her closest ladies, Caroljin was the first one to notice her turn towards them and gave the woman a warm smile,”Can I help you with anything, Your Majesty?”
Eleanor shrugged her bare shoulders,”Not exactly, I just wished to discuss something with you…”
The other woman blinked back at her, though she was now thirty Caroljin was still very much someone who feared the Queen’s anger,”Have I… done something to displease you, my Queen?”
“No not at all.” Eleanor replied, and it was with some satisfaction that she heard the other woman sigh in relief.
“I just wanted to talk to you. I have a question you see, about one of your girls by the King.”
“Is it Bridget or Alice?”
“Bridget, has His Majesty found a suitable betrothal for her? I know he mentioned it to me a few days ago, but I haven’t asked him since.”
“Yes actually. The Duke of Norfolk has said that he’d be honored by a match between her and his eldest son.”
Hmph, I’m not too fond of the Howards, but this could be useful.
After considering this for a moment, Eleanor finally replied to her anxious lady,”A fine match I am sure.”
“You are not unhappy with it?” Caroljin asked.
The Queen waved away her concern, splashing some water with her elbow as she did so,”Not at all. You know how I feel about those people, but this is a good way of getting the Howards on side. A King’s daughter, even illegitimate, married to one of their own will no doubt tie their fortunes to that of my son. I’d be a fool to object to such a policy.”
“I thought that you’d agree” Doortje interjected, pleased with herself that she was right. Perhaps the van Honing sisters had discussed this earlier in the day, they were a tight-knit bunch, after all.
In any case, with that finished, Eleanor took a sip of some wine that Jacoliene brought her and went back to pampering herself. She was carrying another Prince or Princess after all, regardless of the child’s sex there could be no doubts that the woman would provide her husband with plenty of heirs.
Though she had yet to feel the child in her belly stir, it did not alarm Eleanor. Johanne told her that she was probably just two months along, and the woman knew it usually took longer for unborn children to move. This was her ninth pregnancy, and at this point, she was well versed in the ways of childbearing, even if she knew that in the next few months, she’d be plagued with morning sickness and back aches. They would be miserable months, but it would be worth it. Henry would be pleased, and she’d have another child to care for and carry on her legacy. A child who, in her mind, should prove useful to her eldest son one day, help solidify his rule of England when his father was gone. Eleanor of Austria had the feeling that this child would be a boy, one who would serve as her eldest’s most able lieutenant should Edward prove deficient. It would be a son, a healthy one, she just knew it.
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