Catherine of Aragon: Humble & Loyal

The Catherine of Aragon collection. is Part 1 of the Six Wives of Henry VIII series. 

Catherine of Aragon (Castilian: Catalina; also spelled Katherine, 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was the Queen of England from June 1509 until May 1533 as the first wife of King Henry VIII; she was previously Princess of Wales as the wife of Henry's elder brother Arthur.

Queen Catherine was not the boring, dowdy woman she is oft portrayed as on programs such as The Tudors. She was learned, gracious and devout, having been groomed to be a Queen since she was a child.  She and Henry VIII were very much in love when they married, and he jousted wearing her colors under the name "Sir Loyal Heart". He respected her and involved her in matters of state, as both Queen Regent, and Defender of the Faith. During their 19 year marriage, Catherine was pregnant six times, regrettably only bearing healthy issue once- in Princess Mary.

From her Wiki, "In her youth she was described as "the most beautiful creature in the world" and that there was "nothing lacking in her that the most beautiful girl should have." Thomas More and Lord Herbert would reflect later in her lifetime that in regard to her appearance "there were few women who could compete with the Queen [Catherine] in her prime."

These colors are inspired by a range of visual and literary sources, as well as my own interpretations. Never one to deliver you predictable, I've taken some creative liberty in my own personal perception of Catherine and the palette of colors that portray her the best, in my creative capacity. Historically, Catherine had pale skin, blue eyes and strawberry auburn hair, and this color palette is indicative of that. I've watched and rewatched The Tudors and pretty much every movie and documentary on the topic. I've also formed a lot of visuals from reading "The Constant Princess" by Philippa Gregory and other books in her series, which I love.