December 4
Maria de Salinas' resting place

Anne Boleyn Files visitor and Tudor Society member Lorna Wanstall is going to be sharing some Tudor history titbits with us this advent. Thank you, Lorna! Today’s is about Maria de Salinas, friend and lady of Catherine of Aragon and mother of Catherine Willoughby, wife of Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk.

There is a story that Maria de Salinas is buried with her former mistress, Queen Catherine of Aragon, in Peterborough Cathedral. According to the story, Queen Victoria ordered the stonemasons to mark Catherine of Aragon's tomb with a fitting monument, just as she had in St Peter Ad Vincula at the Tower of London for Queens Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. When the stonemasons were laying the black marble slab that now covers her resting place, they saw that Catherine's coffin had been damaged. The curious men decided to take a look inside. One of them put a wire hook into the hole and brought out a piece of black beaded lace which smelled strongly of herbs and spices. It is believed that Maria wore mourning black for the rest of her life after Catherine died. The air quickly dissolved the piece of cloth. Being curious about what else may be in the tomb, the men made the hole a little bigger and saw by the light of the candle that the occupant had three thigh bones – 3 legs?

Now no-one knows what happened to Maria de Salinas' remains after she died, so could it be that Maria is buried with her beloved friend?

Well, considering how close they were in life, why shouldn't they be together in death?

You can read more about Maria and Catherine's friendship in an article written by Kyra Kramer - https://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/maria-de-salinas-and-katherina-of-aragon-the-depth-and-breadth-of-friendship/

Lorna Wanstall is currently working on a historical novel about Mary, Queen of Scots.

Photo: Grave of Queen Katherine of Aragon © James Howe (Grandson) (cc-by-sa/2.0)