Catherine of Aragon in Popular Culture

Catherine of Aragon, the first wife and Queen of Henry VIII has has inspired or been mentioned in artistic and cultural works. She has been portrayed in Film, Television, books, and other forms many times. However there has never been a film or TV show or TV series were she is the main charector, and she has rarely been showed as a young women, her only apperances in Film and Television have been in programs and films (etc.) about Anne Boleyn, Henry VIII, and Mary I. There have however been novels, songs, and poems written about her. Although Catherine is often portrayed in film and on stage as having possessed the stereotypical Spanish traits of dark hair and an olive complexion, she in fact had gray or blue eyes and fair skin with reddish-blonde hair, not too unusual for many Spaniards such as those from her father's land of Aragon. Furthermore, she was part English, through her ancestors, Katherine of Lancaster (her namesake and also having red hair) and Philippa of Lancaster, who were both daughters of Prince John, Duke of Lancaster.

*The ballad by Henry VIII, Pastime with Good Company is said to have been written for Catherine of Aragon.

*In the nursery rhyme Sing a song of Sixpence, The Queen in the Parlour is Catherine of Aragon.

* She is reffered to in the the song Who shot Henry VIII? by Los Amigos.

*She is the main charector in The Shadow of the Pomegranate, by Jean Plaidy.

* Catherine is a charector in The King's Secret Matter, by Jean Plaidy.

* Catherine is a charector in Murder Most Royal, by Jean Plaidy.

* The Constant Princess, by Philippa Gregory is a novel about Catherine's younger years.

*The line "The King of Spain's Daughter " in the nursery rhyme I had a little nut tree is believed to refer to Catherine of Aragon.

* She is the main charector in Katharine, The Virgin Widow, by Jean Plaidy.

The novel, The Queen's Secret: The Story of Queen Katherine , by historical romance author Jean Plaidy, is about Catherine.

* Catherine is the main character of the young adult novel Patience, Princess Catherine by Carolyn Meyer.

* In The Simpsons Episode Margical History Tour, Marge Simpson tells a story about Henry VIII where she is Catherine of Aragon.

* German actress Hedwig Pauly-Winterstein played her in the film Anna Boleyn.

* In 1911 by Violet Vanbrugh played her in William Shakespeare's play Henry VIII.

* Rosalie Crutchley played her in The Sword and the Rose.

* It 1969, in the film Anne of the Thousand Days she was played by the Greek actress Irene Papas.

* In a 90-minute television drama produced by the BBC, British actress Annette Crosbie played the most historically-accurate version of Catherine in the first part of "The Six Wives of Henry VIII series".

* In 2001 she was played by Annabelle Dowler, in Dr. David Starkey's documentary series on Henry VIII's Six Wives.

* In 2003 Yolanda Vasquez, a Spanish actress played her in the brief appearance of Catherine of Aragon in The Other Boleyn Girl.

* In 2003 The ITV drama, "Henry VIII" she was played by Assumpta Serna

* Maria Doyle Kennedy portrayed Catherine in Series One of the Showtime television series The Tudors which aired in 2007.
* The 2007 film adaptation of the novel The Other Boleyn Girl, Anna Torrent plays Catherine.

* Claire Bloom played her in 1979 played her in another adaptation of Shakespeare's play, Henry VIII.

* In the 1973 film Henry VIII and his Six Wives, Frances Cuka played Catherine.

* Rick Wakeman wrote a song entitled "Catherine of Aragon"