The Tudor Queen's Controversial Portrait: Analysis & Facial Reconstructions

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0:00 Introduction
0:57 What did Catherine of Aragon Look Like?
5:09 Review of Portraiture
8:29 Re-Creations Revealed

Catherine of Aragon is an iconic figure in English history. Catherine was the daughter of Spain’s famous Catholic Monarchs, Isabella and Ferdinand, and the wife of two princes of England, including the infamous King Henry VIII.

But what did Catherine really look like? Movies and TV shows rarely portray Catherine correctly, plus, the most famous portrait of Catherine may not even be her. So, let’s dive in.

Catherine - or Catalina as she was called in her native Spain - was sent to England at just 15 years old to marry their crown prince, Arthur.

Any children the two could have would provide much needed stability for the English monarchy. Upon Catherine’s arrival in England, it was said that King Henry VII was relieved that Catherine was pretty and looked fit for childbearing - it was reported that he “was delighted with what he saw.”

In contrast to how fictional media portrays Catherine, as the typical Spaniard with dark hair and dark eyes, she was very fair, with red-gold hair, fair skin, and large blue eyes. Her hair and beautiful, smooth skin were one her most remarked-upon qualities throughout her life.

Sir Thomas More, who witnessed the marriage of Henry and Catherine in person, said Catherine wore a wide brimmed hat, with her waist-length hair flowing loose behind her. He also remarked that few women could compare with Catherine’s looks in her prime.

And her confessor, Fray Diego, said:
‘Her highness is very healthy and the most beautiful creature in the world, with the greatest gaiety and contentment that ever was.’

Unfortunately, this glorious beginning for Catherine and Henry didn’t last. Over the years, they suffered, with at least five of her six pregnancies ending in tragedy. The couple did have one living, healthy child - a daughter named Mary.

15 years in England, a crumbling marriage, and years of stressful and heartbreaking pregnancies, had understandably taken their toll on Catherine, and her youthful beauty had begun to fade.

By the time Catherine was 30, ambassador's began to describe her as "not handsome but very virtuous" with one even going as far as stating that she was “ugly, and deformed"

In 1520, The French King Francois, would say after meeting the royal couple, that King Henry, was "young and handsome" but cruelly added that his wife Catherine was "old and deformed"

However, it was said that even through these sleights, Catherine always carried herself with dignity. Although she was a small woman, standing at only 5 feet tall, she always commanded respect with her intelligence, and her low, authoritative voice.

She also dressed the part, popularizing a lot of fashion in England during her time as queen, including an embroidery style called blackwork, which was this beautiful, ornate stitching. And the farthingale, a cone shaped underskirt that gives tudor dresses their distinct shape.

So, while we have solid physical descriptions of Catherine to work from, there is more controversy around her portraits than you might expect.

The portraits that are attributed to being a young Catherine don’t really look anything like the portraits of her as an older woman, leading to quite a bit of confusion about what her true face really was.

One of the most famous depictions of a teenaged Catherine, is this one. It’s a beautiful painting, and lives in many of our imaginations when we think of the young Spanish Princess. I’ve based one of my re-creations off of this portrait, but it’s actually quite controversial.

The museum that displays this artwork actually labels her as Mary Rose Tudor - the sister of Henry VIII.

Unfortunately, we still have no verdict - there are arguments both for and against this image being Catherine.

The original identification of this image as Catherine was proposed by Max Friedlander in 1915. The artist for this portrait, Michael Sittow, was a Flemish painter who worked as the court painter for Catherine’s mother, Isabella of Castile.

It would therefore make sense that he would paint a teenaged Catherine before she left for England.

Friedlander assumed that it was the Spanish Infanta because of the K initials seen in her jewelry - Catherine can be spelled interchangeably with a C or a K.

But, in 2005, art historian Paul Matthews proposed the re identification as Mary Tudor. He proposed the painting was made later than originally thought - around 1515.

We do have some confirmed images of Catherine later in her life.

So let’s take a look at some re-creations.

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