Catherine of Aragon: Facial Reconstructions & History Documentary
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 19 มิ.ย. 2024
- Catherine of Aragon is somewhat of a forgotten figure in the Tudor-sphere. She is often passed over in the drama shows, and thought of as plain or even boring. But she was an incredibly interesting figure in European history. We also don't know exactly what she looked like - there are some disputes regarding portraits of her. Let's check out my recreations as well as learn about her history.
0:00 Introduction
0:42 The History of Catherine of Aragon
11:29 What did Catherine of Aragon Look Like?
14:38 Recreations Reveal
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Sources:
www.britannica.com/biography/...
www.biography.com/royalty/cat...
www.hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-...
www.smithsonianmag.com/histor...
www.thehistorypress.co.uk/art...
www.historyextra.com/period/t...
www.historyextra.com/period/t...
www.worldhistory.org/Catherin...
europeanroyalhistory.wordpres...
www.townandcountrymag.com/soc...
www.historyextra.com/period/t....
www.theanneboleynfiles.com/th...
www.theanneboleynfiles.com/ka...
www.theguardian.com/artanddes... - บันเทิง
Catherine is actually the wife I feel most sorry for. She lost so many children and then had her one living one taken away from her to be raised in Wales - and then Henry started the annulment stuff. I can't even imagine what that felt like.
Not the wife who was taken as a teenager 😑
I can 😭
she got to keep her head tho..
The whole royalty War of the Roses was filled with intrigue, murder, lies and deceit. Started way before Henry VIII.
Henry also refused to allow her to see her daughter and likewise the daughter was not allowed to visit Catherine.
Shout out the Catherine's mom for not letting her daughter marry an old man. History has shown us that royalty rarely cared about age appropriate-ness when it came to marriage.
Queen Isabella was a badass who rule as her husband's equal. Catherine was definitely her mother's daughter, strong, smart, and capable. (Also, like her daughter, she would lead armies pregnant.)
Her children would not inheriate the Thrane if she Maries the Old King who had children already.
@@joanchantler2498 very good points-all in the name of Christian faith misdirected and forgetting the Jesus main message - love thy neighbor as thyself or The Golden Rule- which has been forgotten in all major monotheistic faiths in last centuries
@@joanchantler2498 The Muslims I somewhat understand since they were a security threat then in a way. They were of a different religion from the majority and could be a hotbed of rebellion in an age where religious tolerance wasn’t as widespread. Furthermore, they could be tapped by the Muslim kingdoms of North Africa to aid in an invasion. The Jews though was just sad. That said, Spain became a world power under both of them. It was under them that Castile and Aragon were united and the finances of Castile were fixed by Isabela. She also centralized power away from local nobility into the monarch. The roots of the rise of the Spanish Empire (and some historians also say its downfall) were in her policies and reign.
@@peterbayne7227 Catherine never lead an army while pregnant
How can anyone who has read the story of Henry and Catherine fail to be moved by her? Removed from sunny Spain to rainy England as child, crowned queen, widowed, locked away, then brought forth into great happiness that did not last as the love of her life and object of her desire spurns her for a younger woman. Then spending her final years alone, in a single room. Sadness does not begin to describe this. Thank you for bringing her to life.
you forgot to mention Henry forbade her to see Mary, her daughter and would not allow Mary to visit her mother Catherine.
@@ramblinrose8 and so much more
So horrible , abusive
That image of Catherine when she was about 35 breaks my heart. She looks like she is going through a lot emotionally, and knowing now about all her miscarriages, this was likely after all of that. My heart completely breaks for all she had to endure. Her last letter to Henry VIII brought tears to my eyes. After all she went through, she still strove for love and forgiveness in hopes of finding happiness. What a beautiful, strong woman. I love that you gave her such a warm smile. I truly hope she was able to smile like that before she died.
Her last letter… I have tears in my eyes. She was an absolute warrior
Truly a God given partner in life, she was devout and loyal till the end even when scorned by her husband.
It’s super toxic but yea
She was a far better woman than bolyn.
To be able to forgive is devine.
It's so sad
It’s actually telling that although it was the male heirs that were an urgent need, it was Henry VIII’s daughters who went down in history as capable rulers. Sad they couldn’t be closer as sisters though.
This is so true.
They were closer in their actions though, Mary I had so many protestants burnt at stake during her 5-year reign while her little sister left no stone unturned in tormenting the Catholics upon her ascension to the throne.
Actually Mary was close to Elizabeth they got closer after Elizabeth was also seen as illegitimate like Mary. But Mary gifted her sister gifts of jewels, clothing, and would go to their father to help Elizabeth if she needed anything. They only grew apart when they're political stance became an issue when Mary became Queen
@@121192ri Organised religion. Never a force for good. Justifies all sorts of nonsense.
Nah that was jusst pure karma and in your face irony to the english society of that time and the rest of the world that didnt respect woman as potential capable rulers.
How Henry was ever described as handsome after seeing all his portraits at both young and older age is beyond me.
They were too scared of his psycho ass to say anything less than complimentary.
😂😂😂
@@danielscallon7515 you aint lyin 😂😂😩
Also different beauty standards
I think he grew into his looks. And then grew out of them.
Catherine is my favorite queen from British history. She was truly beautiful inside and out. Henry knew that she was his queen in the eyes of God. Despite his brutal dismissal, Catherine pardoned him if all his abuse's. I love her for that incredible faith and mercy. You have given her a new gift of remembrance. Beautiful work.
Same!
It’s so cool to know that Catherine of Aragon was the first woman who was an ambassador in Europe. That sounds very cool. Daunting but cool.
Id like to know why her name was changed…
I wish this position was emphasized more often. That exulted position and Henry’s true admiration (and perhaps fear of her) of her is why he did not find a reason to accuse her of treason. Her ability to forgive him at the end of it all is perhaps her strongest quality - another thing I learned from this video. And your reproductions and modernizations based on her strong qualities are wonderful.
Her mother was a very strong woman, one of the greatest Spanish monarchs.
@@JRobbySh Especially when she finally funded Christopher Columbus to sail the ocean blue in 1492 ....otherwise there would be no America(s) ...as presently constituted that is.
@@JRobbySh Isabella right? Of Fernando and Isabella
One thing I can totally be sure, as a Spanish, that Catalina of Aragon and all her sisters had the same hair like their mother Queen Isabella I of Castille-strawberry blonde hair and light eyes. It’s a House of Trastamara trait, and supposedly that’s also the hair of Katherine of Lancaster which gives Isabella of Castile and all her kids strong claims to the Throne of England. It’s strange for movies to make them sometimes with raven black hair and dark eyes. Not that it’s a bad thing but very inaccurate & gives different impressions of several Spanish looks-which is highly diverse by the way.
I agree!
Indeed, she is, are after all an ethnic European at least in her mother's ancestors. Her father may have had some Middle Eastern DNA. Obviously, no tribal American DNA would have existed in the Spanish Royal family lines.
I had noticed in the portraits as she aged she has black hair. I had strawberry blond hair as a girl and as I age it became “dirty blond” or light brown and now after tremendous stress it is grey. Why is her’s black?
we had a spanish school of 200 pupils visit and surprisingly, lots of blondes - different to our blonde, sort of dusty blonde and medium skin, but much lighter than southern italians for instance or germans near france (skin a bit darker than germans' though). Blonde's really common there. I imagine the coast opposite africa's a bit darker, just as sicilians have black fuzzy hair quite often (there's a famous sicilian chef with that african hair), which you don't see in the rest of italy. Interestingly, an italian friend's family has a lot of dark skin and red hair because great grandparents went out to eritrea (empire-building) and did a lot of ahem mingling, and plenty of similar families
Spain has some people who have fair skin, blue eyes, and strawberry blond hair as well as some people who have dark skin, dark eyes, and raven hair. Depends on what part of Spain this holds true for Italy and many European countries. Our ancestors did a great deal of traveling and unions were formed from these travels. I know as my great grandparents lived in Argentina and were from Spain and Italy, married in France, and my great great grandparents were from Portugal and Spain.
I have so much respect for Catherine of Aragon. She lost so many children, and was treated so badly by Henry. Despite all the tragedies in her life, she held on to her faith, and always, always acted respectfully towards everyone. She was a true queen, a devoted mother, and a loyal, kind, and loving wife. I hope she is rewarded in heaven, with all her children. 🙏
Wonderful video! I just subscribed, I'm glad I found your channel.
Love the recreation!!!!! If she had been the heir of the Spanish throne instead of Juana… history and the world would’ve been SO different. She was truly her mom’s daughter.
Ikr!
Juana wasn’t a great ruler although I wonder if her parents didn’t abuse her because of her questioning of religion, she may have not gotten so many mental problems which caused her to be an ineffective ruler. Also, her husband and son were emotionally abusive towards her as well so that might also be why she was in decline.
Catherine of Aragon was so beautiful. It is a shame that none of the children other than Mary lived. I feel for her as she suffered so much with Henry. Truly a royal tragedy. Thank you for these amazing recreations.
They look pretty inbred to me 🤷🏻♂️
the sins of the mother
Have all of you forgotten the brutality and muderous acts of her mother… hello, Got Inquisition??
@@corirubinsteinkatz4485 oh stfu they’re all dead
That they did not was owing to Henry
That last letter Catherine sent Henry before her death is just absolutely heartbreaking. I actually teared up hearing you recite it again, which I’ve never done before! Bless her soul and bless the everlasting impact she’s had on royal history….she was truly such a badass and didn’t deserve the life that was dealt her in the end 😓
Also, idk about anyone else here, but I think Catherine kinda/sorta looks and somewhat resembles Abigail Breslin in these recreations here! Especially (well, specifically lol) in the last one!
If there is any consistent theme, whenever I delve into Tudor history, it's that Henry was truly a pig; an absolute self-serving pig.
@Susan LaBorde I think Henry had people to bend the truth for him!
@Susan LaBorde 2) and see what awaited her! He became more and more corrupt as he grew older, but I wonder about the nature of leadership on the human psyche. He was once a golden haired youth, his father's pride and joy. How did that metamorphosis occur? And fascinatingly, I have never heard the story of his bitter tears the night Aragon died. That tells you something of the isolation of power and how a person may feel their true selves becoming more and more shrivelled. What a gripping time that continues to be!!
@@saschacunliffe7383 Henry's father was apparently also a real piece of work. Using a former poacher to enforce draconian laws to build his wealth and hold onto power. From what I've read he became worse as he grew older. I wonder if as you said the isolation of being king and being exposed to only those who will agree or obey tends to enhance your worst qualities. I hope the story of him weeping for Catherine is true. However it didn't seem to impact how he treated his daughters which is heartbreaking.
A very courageous woman who He through away ..took her nobility for himself
I believe the portrait of the young girl is indeed Catherine of Aragon (Catalina), if you compare it to the portraits of her mother, Isabel de Castilla and her sister Juana, you can really see the similarity of their faces. Thanks for your videos!
As a Spaniard, I approve this video. 😊 Beautifully done. Catalina was not only an intelligent and determined woman, she was also well educated; her mother made sure that her four daughters an one son received the same education. Catalina learnt the Arts and Humanities, all the different languages of the Iberian peninsula, plus Flemish, French, English and Latin, as well as dance and music. Too sad that her life had such unfortunate ending.
Regarding the paintings, I’d say she probably looked like the sweet young girl in the more realistic portrait. She was said to be blond, with pale blue eyes and have her mother’s round face. The Tudor painters (pretty primitive in my opinion) gave all the subjects of their portraits the same inexpressible, hieratic looks.
She was so intelligent. Was actually shocked when she arrived and considered us english to be living in the dark ages. She has seen much of the world. It doesn't surprise me that she rode out to the king of Scotland. She was always on campaign with isabella as a young girl.
0⁰
Viva España!
I agree about the portraits. The 1520 one looks very stale and typical of the time and place, heavily stylized but not very high-quality compared to artists like Sittow (who made several portraits of young Catherine) and Holbein.
Deja de inventar. Era un útero con el que hacer "negocios reales"
The first recreation brought me to tears. I have always held her in such great esteem and hate how she was disregarded by Henry. She was not only an amazing queen but an amazing woman. You did an fantastic job bringing her to life. She, along with Anne of Cleves, will forever be the epitome of Queen.
It is so amazing how a full smile can transform the image. I do like to think of these people as happy, at least sometimes. We know Catherine had periods of joy in her life, so I love to see her smiling.
Exactly! These people laughed, made
Jokes, and had some really wonderful days.
Exactly!
Catherine of Aragon was incredibly beautiful but what made her beauty so striking was her heart, empathy and compassion for common people and her gifts to them to help encourage them. It wasn't to get anything back, simply to help to the best of her ability. Outward beauty is always enhanced when the beauty inside shines more brightly. This was Catherine!
I cried when I saw the recreation of the 35-year-old Catalina. So beautiful!
I'm Spanish and I really admire Catalina (also her mother Isabel, her sister Juana and her daughter Mary). Henry was completely unfair to her; he banished her like a rag just for not giving him a male heir. He was a very bad person. I am sure that Catalina is in Heaven like the angel that she was.
How you are able to take a painting where it's hard for the observer to imagine it in the human form, and give it life is truly a gift. One can see her as a woman, a mother, and a Queen, this is very well done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's called Graphic animation. The program does it for you. There is no big trick to it. It simply outlines the facial features and matches them. Many people are doing this online and making videos showing what people might look like if they were still alive. It's very interesting to see.
While the graphic animation software might be responsible for the image, it is the words of this creator that truly bring them to them to life. She does a better job than many out there doing the same work...In my opinion, of course.
I don’t use that program - I mainly use photoshop / photocompositing techniques as it gets you far closer to matching the portrait than AI generation.
Thank you so much. I don’t use the ai engine that the other commenter mentioned - I use photoshop mainly. It is more of an exact process than AI generation can get you. So I appreciate your comment - a lot of time and artistry goes into them 🥰
Seems to me the differences in her appearance in later years was probably due to the grief of repeated child loss, the undeserved stress that Henry put her through, and the fact that she might have already been dying from cancer. An autopsy revealed that her heart had turned black. In later years, it was identified as a sign of cancer. Poor
Catherine...😢 She was quite a remarkable woman, and so fiercely loyal and devout... a true queen. Henry didn't realize what a gem she truly was!
Catherine was a badass, I love her so much. I love her Spanish family and how much they cared. Catherine was too good a wife, woman, and person. An absolute TRUE Queen.
I think there is a good case for the younger portrait being her due to the family resemblance especially with Juana. I think the tragedy of her life really impacted her looks. I think she resonates with so many people because there are men who still throw over their wife and children for a shiny new wife and have a second family while doing plenty to screw over the first family. Just my experience.
Being Spanish, this one hits close to home. I love British history. We Spaniards are still somewhat sore from Henry’s mistreatment and abandonment of our princess. Yes, some of us can really hang onto grudges. I believe most Spanish history books still describe her as Queen of England and the rest of the wives, not so much. Anyway, the portrait that is said to be of Mary Tudor (currently, because opinions have changed repeatedly), I believe, along with most Spaniards that it is in fact Catalina. Women from Isabel’s family have all been described to have plump round features in most Spanish historic literature. Catherine was said to have large round eyes and had the appearance of a cherub or child. She has never been described to what we call sharp English features. No one ever described her eyes to be small, nor did they describe a sharp nose with thin lips. So I think you made a wise decision of making both depictions of Queen Catherine of England.
I agree with you.. 🌹
Catherine was the true Queen of England. Anne could never.
Hola. What about Anne Boleyn? How is she seen in Spain?
@@annestone1630 we see her (and her sister) as sexual traps put to Henry by the Venetian nobelity, who saw the new Spanish empire as a threat to their economical emporium
@@annestone1630 Hi, I'm spanish and personally I have a lot of sympathy for Anne Boleyn. For me she and Catherine were both victims of Henry VIII.
She was such a beautiful, strong woman. Henry did not deserve her!
Could you do the Marquis de Lafayette? Fantastic job as always!!
I'd like to think his head injury had to do with his bad behavior later on...
@@finallythere100 Very likely.
My mother-in-law and her family were from the Castille region of Spain. She once told me her family were related to royals there, but I didn't know what to make of it. She was quite petite with strawberry blonde hair and green eyes. Looking at these portraits of Catherine I can almost believe my mother-in-law might have been on the level. I'm pretty sure she would have really enjoyed seeing this video, but she passed many years ago. At any rate, Queen Catherine seemed like a really nice, good-hearted person, and your recreations are of her are beautiful!
I’m sure her family could maybe do some dna test to see if it’s true
This had me in tears at the end. I do not often find myself getting emotional about historical figures. I've been reading a lot about Catherine's life recently and feel you did an amazing job of bringing her to life.
Thank you. Her story made me very emotional as well.
What a fascinating and inspiring woman! The letter she wrote to Henry at the end of her life truly tells us her character and steadfast love for Henry. Thank you for your work...I get excited every time you have a new video! You're providing a well researched glimpse into larger than life historical figures. Who is next? 😀
Thank you! I won’t give too much away, but we have a Musician, an African Queen, and a Roman Emperor in the pipeline soon :) and hopefully a Marie Antoinette death mask recreation in the next few months
totally agree
@@RoyaltyNowStudios wow, would love to see a Marie Antoinette one.. looking forward to that 👍🏻👍🏻
@@RoyaltyNowStudios can you do Agron and Teuta Illyrian King and Queen. Thank you for such good Videos
@Leslie M The human heart is a complicated thing. It is possible to love and hate at the same time. It's true she could have entered a convent thus better ensuring the fate of her daughter but "Catherine's refusal to enter a convent was really her refusal to concede that the marriage was illegitimate in the way that Henry was arguing. Catherine wholeheartedly believed she was in the right and that her marriage to Henry was legal and valid in the eyes of God." So the letter could be as you say, to ensure that Mary would be recognized, but it could also be true that she still loved him and forgave him. Who understands the human heart?
Given the portraits of Ferdinand and Isabella, I was always partial to the rounder-faced portraits of Catherine, as there seemed to be a stronger resemblance. The massive difference between the stronger chin portraits and the two softer miniatures, yet all confirmed, makes me think the strong chin one might just be heavily stylized (or perhaps it's the other way around?). I'd love to see recreations of Ferdinand, Isabella, and Juana, especially looking for familial resemblance with the various portraits of Catherine. Lovely work as always. 💙💙💙
I agree - lots of family resemblance there, one of the more convincing arguments! I do wonder about the strong chin, maybe it was an attempt to show some strength in a stylized way.
I think the portraits of her family point to Catherine likely having a smaller forehead than what is shown in her portrait at age 35.
Agree that it could be stylized. But think about it. Cathrine had a difficult life. It might have put that set in her jaw.
A plump face hides a lot of bone structure. Her misery later in life or the hard work in her younger years as regent could have melted away the plumpness and revealed a stronger chin
@@Didleeios88 I definitely have wondered about that, too. All of the stillbirths plus the horrific treatment she received from Henry absolutely could have resulted in weight loss that revealed her bone structure a bit more. So many questions about her remain.
Catherine of Aragon had an eating disorder. She would binge and purge. Leading to weight gain and weight loss constantly. She also fasted ridiculously extreme lengths religiously.
This was so well done. Thank you. I wonder if after so many miscarriages and deaths of her children, Catherine's grief and probable hormonal changes affected her physical appearance, as would aging and heartbreak. I think these both can be portraits of her. What an incredibly strong woman she was. I'm interested to know more about her education and her support of education for women.
This is the first video I’ve ever come across that you’ve made. As an art history minor in college, this was absolutely THRILLING. What a beautiful, well researched homage to history and art. Your interpretation is truly inspiring and brought a smile to my face. Looking forward to watching more. Just spectacular. Brava!
Thank you so much! That is so kind of you. So very glad you enjoyed it and welcome to the channel :)
You know what, I have always had a big soft spot for Katharine in my heart as well. ❤️ It is hard to let go of the image that is now disputed, the one they now say may be of Mary Tudor (sister to Henry). I still like to think of it as Katharine; I cannot change the image in my mind -- not after 50 years. And when you put that smile on her face...well, let's just say it's breathtaking! Lovely Katharine, flower of Trastámara. 🌹 One of history's strongest, most inspiring and incredible women.
Mary Tudor was Henry' s daughter
@@chantalleybach5641 Mary "Rose" Tudor was *also* Henry VIII's younger sister.
So what now? Daughter or sister?
👏
@@doAnn88 The portrait is obviously too early to be of Henry's daughter Mary. They are saying it *might* be of his sister Mary. I like to think of it still as a portrait of Katharine -- which it was assumed to be for most of history.
Catherine of Aragon was a very admirable woman. Great work on recreating her! She was indeed a beautiful woman. I hope you can also do her mother, Queen Isabela or her sister, who was said to be greatly misunderstood, Queen Juana. :)
More power to you!
I always had the impression Juana was a real beauty.
Juana la loca le de ian
I am in awe how you transition the portraits into what seems real life snapshots! It is stunning!
This was so interesting and really brought out the human side of Catherine of Aragon. I believe your interpretations are correct and she was very pretty as well as intelligent; afterall she was raised to be a queen.
A wonderful book to read is The Diary if Henry VIII. Not really his diary but written as if it were. He was very head-over-heels crazy about her. So sad about the many miscarriages.
Personally, I believe it to be Katherine. The other portraits of Mary Tudor show her to have a more oval face compared to round, and her hair seems darker than Katherine's. I also have a soft spot for Katherine, I admire her a lot!
I think for the confirmed paintings of her as being older, she likely looked like that; because she was under a lot of stress and sorrow due to how many babies she lost.
I wonder what condition Catherine and her daughter may have had that caused their fertility issues? Rh issues? An STD on Henry's part? Mary had problems conceiving, carrying, and even a large tumor.
@@ericaobrien1563 it wasn’t Catherine’s family. Anne Boleyn lost babies too. So it was likely Henry’s fault
@@ericaobrien1563 Henry had syphilis, but historians believe he was also Kell positive
She has always been my favorite and a true warrior. It was so emotional to see the young Catherine, still having no idea about all the pain she would go through...
Catherine of Aragon was an extraordinary queen, a monarch who was raised to serve her king and England with honor and valor, and a daughter who made her parents and Spain proud.
I didnt know this much about Catalina. I find it incredible that you bring light over this famous women that sometimes are just names we know from school and not much else. This women was amazing, and she deserves more credit!
I can't see it as impossible that both these portraits might have been of Catherine (or, as I prefer to refer to her, Catalina); I had an aunt of whom I have photographs at similar ages, and her looks altered as the years dragged by in quite similar ways.
Whoever was the girl in that portrait, she was absolutely beautiful. Those soft facial features, sad but thoughtful eyes, cheeks... Such a beauty.
Kimbolton Castle is actually a school now! I attended for a handful of years, and there’s a lot of history around that place. It’s rumored to see Catherine walking the grounds and in the halls of the castle. Her bedroom is now the Headmasters study, and multiple of my friends have gone in for a talking to, and have been met with a shadow-figure in the corner window, looking out to the fields. There’s also a story about a dead baby, and every year people report seeing read splotches on a certain entrance step where the baby was thrown from the castle window. :D
Catherine was strong, beautiful, smart and strong-willed. Including her love for Henry. I think you did an amazing job recreating her. Your modern version is just as amazing as your "original". Thank you!
So beautifully and excellently done. Makes the people literally come to life. Very moving. ❤
Thank you so much!
They were right..truly beautiful woman
It didn’t make her literally come to life. That would be impossible.
It is hard to imagine Catherine happy with all she went through so it is nice to see her smile in the recreations.☺️
As an artist, I am astounded at your ability to create such wonderful projections of what these women TRULY looked like. Absolutely amazing! Bravo!!!
Katherine was a force. Your contemporary recreation of the 1520 confirmed portrait is lovely. The famous portrait as a young girl, the hair color and fair skin is correct (in fact, it's unfortunate that film and television show her as dark haired and with an olive complexion, which she did not have), but I don't know if it could be Mary Rose Tudor. I just looked at the well know portrait of her with her second husband, Charles Brandon. Her hair appears to be more of a chestnut color. The face shape is more narrow than the teenage portrait. It's such a mystery. I enjoy your videos. I like the background information and then to see what these people may have looked like is a treat. Thank you!
I think Mary Rose Tudor (King Henry viii younger sister) had a dark brown hair and eyes (im not sure)
Maybe she lost her round face and beautiful strawberry blonde hair because of her cancer?
You know that loosing your hair was a common symptom of cancer
(she died because of cancer)
@@clairefordzetterstrom9973 Hi! Katherine of Aragon seems to be portrayed in movies and television as dark hair and an olive complexion. She was fair like her mother, Queen Isabella of Castille, according to portraits of her. The only time that I've seen an actress portray her as fair haired and fair skin was "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" and "The Spanish Princess". I knew that Katherine died from cancer. The later portraits of her did show a bloated look around her face. Possibly, as you said, cancer and I think also those many pregnancies that she had. What a life for a woman in those days!
I was OBSESSED with the Anne Boleyn video and now we have a great video on Catherine of Aragon. Great work 👏🏽
I’m so glad you enjoyed it :)
Loved the whole video! My heart goes out to Catherine for everything she had to suffer in those unforgiving times. Her letter to her husband, Henry was touching, to say the least. I’m sorry he couldn’t stand by her till the end. The portraits of Catherine are brought to life brilliantly! One can almost peep into the soul of the character! Thank you for this valuable nugget of information from the past.
Same here❤
Every time I watch of one of your histories and then the recreations of the photos, it makes me smile. I say "Ahhh, there she is! This is what she truly looked like!" And it makes your telling of the history come alive. Which of course, is what it is supposed to do! Fantastic work!! I enjoy this very much.
I really have no idea but I think you did a great job on both of those portraits. Catherine of Aragon speaks to me and her story is absolutely heartbreaking! It just goes to show that a person can be born with everything anyone could ever want and still live a miserable life. It also goes to show how horribly selfish, indifferent and downright evil people in power can become.
Every time I watch the videos on this channel I get emotional, it's as if I met these people, or was part of their daily routine. I go back in time and it seems that I live every story told here. I'm from Brazil and I really admire your work!!!! Thank you for giving us these moments! Kisses and hugs. 😘😘😘😘
Thank you so much! We get emotional making them as well. You feel like you really get to know them and empathize with them.
Wow! You breathed so much life into her with those recreations. Especially the ones of her as an older adult. Beautiful. She looks like a very kind person.
Thank you!
I can’t get over how fascinating this is! How you bring these old portraits to life! I’ve always wondered what these kings & queens looked like in person, thank you for this. I’m Spanish with dark curly hair & I have relatives that have straight hair & I have some relatives that have blonde hair & blue eyes! My daughter has hazel eyes & My brother has greenish hazel eyes. it’s insane how diverse our nationality is.
What a lovely woman she was. Her love for Henry endured through so much hardship and mistreatment. Their daughter Mary succeeded to the throne despite every stumbling block. If only Henry had remained with Katherine, He and the future of England, would have been a much more settled and hapoy place. She was an extraordinary wife, mother and Queen. Bless Her.
I stumbled upon this channel a couple days ago, and I am absolutely thrilled that I have! I am in awe of both the retelling of the history and your incredible art!!! 💜 💜 💜 Thank you!!!
I just adore your recreation of Catherine of Aragon, in it her personality shines through!
I love your recreations! It's nice to see her depicted with reddish-gold hair and blue eyes, because too many times she is portrayed in movies with stereotypical dark haired, dark eyed 'Iberian' look.
Though for Catherine, I am more inclined to believe the portraits at 13:46 are most accurate - the shape of her eyes and chin and especially the 'heavier' set to her frame that matches a description of her in later life from the Venetian ambassador Ludivico Falieri that _“The Queen is of low stature and rather stout; very good and very religious; speaks Spanish, French, Flemish, and English; more beloved by the Islanders than any queen that has ever reigned; about forty-five years old..."_
That being said, I also love your young Catherine! As Thomas More said, _"there were few women who could compete with the Queen in her prime"_
She really had a very tragic story, despite being, as some consider, the true Queen of England, and I think she is too often overlooked by history enthusiasts.
I agree, it annoys me so much! We KNOW she had blondish or reddish hair, it’s as though they don’t trust the audience to remember she is Spanish unless she has dark hair.
The Spanish Princess tv show has her as a redhead
@@Skyebright1 She is a redhead there, yes, but I wasn't a fan of that series. I never finished it 😅
One of my favourite historical figures, learning about Catherine is what got me into history! And we share the same birthday ❤️
It is so amazing to look at these two queens through our modern lens. I think they are two different girls. I have had a fascination with Tudor England for years so I appreciate your work so much. Thank you!
The child definitely captures my heart. The sweetness, loyalty and intelligence is there. And so humble too.
What a beauty. Thank you for making these historical figures come to life. It touches the heart to know they were real people, and lived all the trials and tribulations that they had to go through. My heart breaks for her.
Wonderful job once more!!! So well documented and executed! So realistic! Don't know which portrait is nearer to Catherine's real appearance but you surely made those ones come to life!!!
I always find myself smiling back at the beautiful faces that are smiling at me. Your labor is extraordinarily moving,as well as beautiful, and your storytelling is spellbinding.
Thank you so much, Ellen! We so appreciate the kind words.
@@RoyaltyNowStudios ni
The miniatures may be the best representations of Katherine really looked like. That said, I love the one we're all most familiar with. Your work is a marvel. Thank you. Reading some of the comments, it's clear that many don't realize how imperative it was for Henry to have a son. His father was seen by many as a usurper, so he, as with other kings but more so, needed a son for clear succession. Unfortunately, Edward died very young and the court was in turmoil anyway. Which leads me to a question. Is there a portrait of Lady Jane Grey? I've always felt a great sympathy for her.
Thank you! Unfortunately there’s no contemporary image of Jane, but there is a copy-of-a-copy from the 1800s that I could use. She was such a fascinating figure.
@@RoyaltyNowStudios Fascinating and so tragic. The poor girl was nothing but a pawn and would have survived had it not been for her father.
Wow...beautiful and stunning. I love when someone takes the time to humanize these historical figures.
I love how you guys told this story. I never realized how close she and King Henry were at the beginning. People tend to make her sound like she was his worst enemy. Thank you for always adding the story!
She wasn’t his worst enemy until he made her into it when he tried to dump her and bastardize their daughter.
I could be way off however I should like to think Catherine's features would tend to the aquiline similar to the 'thinner' Catherine rather than the plump. I see no reason why she couldn't lose her plumpness later on given all that she went through.
You made excellent points regarding her character and given this fellow a lot to think about. Wonderful!
I think the portrait of the young Catalina is her, because she looked very much like the portraits of her sister Juana. In the portrait in her 30's her face looks thinner, probably because she was thinner. Her nose was different, I think the artist did that on purpose. I too have a soft spot for Catalina of Aragon. She was so smart, brave, beautiful and kind. Because of the times, being a woman was so hard, but she was strong!!! And you did an awesome job bring her to life and modern times!
Let me just say WOW to your amazing recreation. I just stumbled on your channel today and not only do I love the history for Catherine but your artwork as well!
I think you did a wonderful job on these portraits! I do believe this is what the great Catherine of Aragon did indeed look like. Catherine of Aragon was the most beautiful, strongest, most intelligent and bravest of Henry VIII's wives undoubtedly. Catherine could have easily backed down and accepted Henry's offer to fade away with lands, castles, wealth, etc. but she choose to be true to herself, her religion and her values and also to ensure the future of her daughter. She really was the only one of Henry's wives to openly fight and defy him. She haunted Henry to his dying day!
I love the history you share and you do a beautiful job of bringing these portraits to life.
I am utterly amazed and very impressed to learn that Catarina took up arms, and wore full battle armour, to lead her troops against Scotland! She might be the only woman after Bodicea to do so. She rocked!!!!! Thanks for this portrait of a great, but sadly underrepresented queen!
Your channel is the best!
I have such a hard time picturing what these people would've looked like based on the portraits (they all look almost the same to me), and you actually go all the way to show such possible versions.
Congrats 👏🏻👏🏻
She was a remarkable woman! And the recreations are breathtaking 😍
As usual, I liked these recreations very much. Thank you! I don't know what to think about the identification of the portrait of young Catherine.
As a suggestion, could you please recreate Juana de Castilla's portrait? To me she's one of the most interesting historical female figures.
Your recreations at the end are incredibly powerful. I find myself so emotional as I see her, knowing her story.
I'm loving your recreation. It is nice to see Catherine smiling. She also has that Spanish look to her that the other images lack.
Thank you for another wonderful video! I really enjoy your recreations and review of history. In the young portrait of Catherine, she appears to very much resemble her mother and sister. Great work!
Thank you!
I'm inclined to think that the rounder faced portrait teenage/child portrait was most accurate. It matches well to her sister and the later miniatures, as well as her parents. The later "Mary Tudor" has a shorter nose, though otherwise similar features. Very tough to say. The official portrait was not painted by a skilled artist, and is a bit primitive. I suspect many of those facial features -- the higher bridge of the nose for example -- are simply mistakes and distortions. Regardless, that was a very nice bio of an important historical figure who doesn't get as much attention as she deserves. The renderings are great too.😁
Truly astounding. I love the modern recreation. Really makes these figures of history seem so much more human and relatable. Thank you so much.
Absolutely beautiful. Everytime I watch your videos of them coming back to life, I tend to have tears in my eyes lol. The Music you pick and the pictures just make them more relatable than their portraits.
I really enjoyed this video. Especially of the good history I had ever really heard of her. Also enjoyed the photo recreations! It’s hard to say if the portraits we have today are really accurate but you did good job of making her more real to me but I think the whole video overall gave me a more compassionate understanding of the way people lived during that time. Thank you for your good work on this. It was very interesting and educational as well as enjoyable. I want to add that I am American so I appreciate a good history portrayal of English history.
Thank you very much! I’m so glad you enjoyed it.
Your recreation of teenaged Catherine looks like Jennifer Anniston (circa her Friends days) to me - I love it! I love both recreations, though. :-) I'm leaning towards the portraits of her with a plumper, rounder face as being more accurate. Also, I really appreciate the history lesson. I never knew most of that, and now I know she was quite the badass!
She really was! She led a very interesting life
Love your series . I am an Anglophile . Your channel makes English history so alive and so much easier to understand .
Your modern interpretations are so very beautiful it's hard not to want them to be the real thing. Congratulations on sharing the beauty of the Queens who live in your heart.
I honestly think that the girl in the young portrait look very much like the parents of Catherine, so I'm more inclined to think it was her. That girl to me looks nothing like Henry or his family members
I agree, I think it shares a lot of similarity with Isabella. And also looks like the portraits of Juana and young Catherine (portrait of a girl).
With reference to the Sittow portrait, which you say some historians have said is actually Mary Rose Tudor, haven't they noticed the sitter is wearing a gold neck chain, with the letter *K* alternating with the pomegranets of Spain, which was in fact Katherine's badge? So if it isn't Katherine, (she spelt her name with a K) it certainly isn't the Princess Mary Rose! Another interesting thing is the halo around her head; many Catholics after her death revered her as a saint, perhaps it was added after her death? Many thanks for your modern reconstructions of people in the past, very clever and interesting! Have you done one of Jane Seymour? I think she must have been the original 'plain Jane'! 😂
The K is an interesting piece because if that was painted before her time in England, she was still Catalina. Katherine with a K is actually the English spelling. They think the C and K initials could be for Charles, or “Karolus” in Latin for the man that Mary rose married. I’m not sure. I definitely think the young portrait looks like the members of Catherine’s family so I lean that way.
The last picture tributes, made me tear up. 🥺Thank you for sharing and Giving this Queen a beautiful remembrance!❤️👑
I love how you did this transformation of these portraits, thank you they are amazing.
I have looked at pictures of other women in her family, and the younger pictures with reddish-gold hair look more like her family. The picture of the mature woman looks like somebody's idea of an english queen.
I love the way you bring the portraits to life and then also update them to modern times. Surprising what an impact that has - really makes the person more real. In the portrait of Katherine as older she does have a high forehead. Maybe that is just a continuation of the early fad for high foreheads. I've read women would actually pluck their hair to get that then desirable look. Doesn't appeal to me though.
Thank you so much for your recreations! They’re amazing!
I too have always had a soft spot for Catherine and loved this video!
I just discovered this channel and was glued to the screen. This was so fascinating and I always had such trouble thinking what they really looked like. Thank you for doing this! new subscriber!
Pls make one on Catherine howard !!
Your recreations are amazing! i do believe both portraits are definitely Catherine, because her ill health, multiple pregnansies and the stress of losing children could change her and make look older than her years, sterner too. An interesting detail: there appears to be a halo on a portrait of the young Catherine; although it is not clear when it was added, there is a reason to believe it was added following Henry's abandonment of Catherine in favor of Anne. Whoever added the halo believed the portrait to be Catherine. Also, there is very little reason to treat Mary Rose Tudor as a saint, her portrait is unlikely to attain a halo. All this indirectly points at the portrait as authentic Catherine.
These were very good likenesses to the original portraits. A bit spooky too!
I am so fascinated by all of these stories, uncoverings and reconstructions. Thank you so much for sharing!