On this day in history, 7th January 1536, at two o’clock in the afternoon, Catherine of Aragon, first wife of King Henry VIII and the daughter of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, the renowned Catholic Reyes (monarchs) died at Kimbolton Castle.
Catherine had been ill for several months, but had felt worse after drinking a draught of Welsh beer in December 1535 and this, combined with the embalmer’s report that all of her organs were healthy apart from her heart, “which was quit black and hideous to look at”, gave rise to rumours that Catherine had been poisoned.
