A Twist In Time: The Spanish Princess
Birth of a Princess
Katherine of Aragon, Queen of England
After hours of painful labour, I was rewarded with the cry of my newborn baby. I sighed in relief when the pain was over.
"What is it?" I murmured.
"A girl!" said a midwife brightly. "You have borne a daughter, Your Majesty! A healthy girl! Would you like to tell the King?"
"Yes please. May I hold my daughter?"
"Of course!"
I was handed my wailing baby girl and the midwife ran out the room to tell my husband Henry VIII, the King of England that I had safely delivered our first child, a healthy baby girl. Knowing Henry VIII, he would immediately be thinking of celebrations.
"Kate!"
I looked up from my baby and smiled when I saw Henry enter the room.
"Henry!" I said happily. "I'm sure you heard the good news! We have our first child and daughter! What do you think about her?"
I carefully placed our baby girl into Henry's arms.
"She's beautiful," breathed Henry. "Look at her tiny fingers and toes! That tuft of auburn hair! She opened her eyes! My! They're so pretty! Our little girl has Sapphire blue eyes! She's the most adorable baby I had ever seen!"
"You're not upset it's a girl, are you?" I said doubtfully.
"Of course not! She's just our first daughter! We'll have sons later! We'll have an army of sons! Have you decided on a name for our lovely Princess?"
"I was thinking of naming her after my mother. She always wanted me to be Queen of England since I was born. I hope you don't mind…"
"I don't mind. Why do you think I might?"
"I thought you might want to name our firstborn after your mother, Elizabeth of York or your grandmother, Margaret Beaufort."
"Bah! Of course I won't name our daughter after my formidable grandmother! There are things about her I don't want to remember. We'll have more daughters later. We can name our first daughter after your mother the late Queen Isabel."
"Thank you Henry, Thank you!"
Henry kissed my forehead.
"I'll do anything to keep you happy," he told me. "Now time for celebrations! I want all of England to know we have a daughter! It's a good sign! God has blessed us with a healthy child. Maybe we should build another church! Maybe then he'll grant us a son and heir! Are you feeling better? Where your best dress and join me in the great hall in…let's say an hour. Isabel can stay with you. I'm going to check out the celebration organisations!"
He kissed me again and left the room.
I smiled at little Isabel.
"Your Majesty," said Lady Maud Parr, curtseying. "Is there anything I can do for you?"
"Fetch Maria de Salinas and Lady Pole. Oh, and pick me a beautiful dress for tonight's celebrations and feast. I know I can trust you to pick me a good one. Ask Lady Scrope to pick out my jewellery. She knows my tastes."
"Very well. Is there anything else?"
"Tell the other Ladies-in-waiting and Maids-of-honour to behave. I don't want anymore rumours circulating from my court."
"Of course."
Lady Parr left.
A few minutes later, my closest friends and confidantes Maria de Salinas (a Spanish lady who had been my friend since I was young) and Lady Margaret Pole, the 8th Countess of Salisbury (Lady Margaret was the last Plantagenet Princess of York and her children were major threats to Henry for the throne) entered my room and curtsied. I never wanted them to curtsey to me, but they insisted on curtseying to their Queen like the other Ladies.
"Please sit," I said warmly. "I guess you must've heard the news?"
"Congratulations on your first child!" said Lady Pole, her eyes sparkling. "A lovely daughter! What did you name her?"
"Isabel. After my late mother."
"Of course. The great Queen Isabel of Spain. Lady Parr said you wished to see us on important matters so we came immediately."
"It concerns Princess Isabel. Maria, you're my greatest friend and I wish for you to be Isabel's godmother. Margaret, you're my closest English friend since…since Arthur died. I want you to be my daughter's governess. And Duenna."
"Pardon me, Queen Katherine, but I don't understand what a duenna is."
"Oh! I forgot you don't understand Spanish! A duenna is a chaperone and substitute mother. I'll be accompanying my husband to many different palaces and places, but Isabel will be staying here in Greenwich Palace until she's old enough to go to court. If by any chance I don't have a son, Isabel will be future Queen of England and the Princess of Wales. If she becomes Princess of Wales, she'll have her own court in Ludlow Castle in Wales. She'll be lonely and probably missing me. I want you to be a substitute mother to her. Don't spoil her, but don't be strict with her."
"What if I'm incapable of fulfilling my duties you assigned me?"
"Lady Margaret! I trust you with my life! I know you'll be able to fulfill those duties as governess to Isabel without much trouble."
Lady Pole smiled.
I was satisfied with Lady Pole as governess for Isabel.
Lady Margaret Pole, 8th Countess of Salisbury
I helped the Queen change into another dress.
Lady Parr knew the Queen's fashion tastes very well and had picked out a green open square-necked dress with trumpet sleeves. The turned-back cuffs are also green. The forepart of the dress was patterned and was white. The undersleeves were white, matching the forepart of the dress. That dress would match the Queen's hair wonderfully.
Once Lady Parr and I finished helping the Queen put on her dress, we turned to her hoods.
I was in favour of the traditional English Gable hood while Lady Parr wished for the Queen to wear a French hood for a change.
To my disappointment, Queen Katherine decided to wear the French hood.
"I'll wear an English hood next time," she assured me. "I should wear a French hood because it's obvious that Henry will want a French alliance and our Isabel will be destined to be Queen of France once the treaty is signed."
"You seem certain about it," I commented.
"I am! I am as certain that Isabel will be Queen of France like how my mother was certain that I'll be Queen of England!"
"Your late father-in-law Henry VII of England was desperate for allies and needed to secure the throne, but Francis I of France is as sly as a fox and secure on the French throne. He might prefer a Scottish marriage to renew the Auld Alliance. He might agree with His Majesty for a marriage alliance between the Princess Isabel and his oldest son Francis III of Brittany, but he might change his mind. I heard that he wants an alliance with Spain."
"What? My father hates the French! He won't agree on a treaty with France!"
"What if the Dauphin of France dies? How will Princess Isabel become Queen of France?"
"Lady Margaret, please don't change my dreams of my Isabel becoming Queen of France! Francis has a younger brother, the Duke of Orleans. If the Dauphin dies before marriage, my Isabel can marry him. Both the Princes of France are older than Isabel anyway! Princess Louise was Francis's oldest child, but she died last year when she was four. Now it's Princess Charlotte. She's four. The Dauphin is three, the Duke of Orleans is two, and Princess Madeleine is the same age as Isabel."
"How about name change?"
"Ah! That wouldn't be necessary. Isabel's name won't be changed as much as mine did. I was born Infanta Catalina de Espanio and now I'm Queen Katherine of England. Isabel's name would probably be changed to Isabelle once she marries the Dauphin. Lady Parr, can you fetch Lady Scrope? I think it's time to put on my jewellery."
"Of course, Your Majesty," said Lady Parr politely.
She curtsied and departed.
"Princess Isabel had woken up," said Maria de Salinas, sitting next to the Queen. "She seemed pretty happy enough. She looks exactly like your late mother."
"Very fitting to name her after the Spanish Queen," agreed another Spanish lady. "Princess Isabel will have beautiful auburn hair and blue eyes when she grows up. She'll look a lot like you, Your Majesty, when you were a young girl."
The Queen laughed, smiling.
Princess Isabel is the joy of Queen Katherine's life.
When Katherine married the King's late brother Arthur, Prince of Wales, it seemed like everything was well. Both Katherine and Arthur were in love. After a few months, Arthur died of sweating sickness. That was the first tragedy that struck Katherine.
The second tragedy was the five years of widowhood Katherine endured.
Henry VII was known to be a miser and refused to give Katherine money until her parents Ferdinand II and Isabel I of Spain pay the other half of her dowry.
During the five years of widowhood, Isabel I of Spain died.
I didn't know how Katherine could survive all those years of humiliation and torment, but she did. She married Henry VIII in another love marriage.
And now they have their first healthy child!
"Lady Margaret," said Queen Katherine, interrupting my thoughts. "How do I look?"
I looked at her and noticed that Lady Margaret Scrope had placed an Emerald necklace on the Queen's neck and polished her three rings.
"Very nice," I complimented. "The King will be dazzled by your beauty!"
Maria de Salinas
Lady Pole and I followed Katherine into the great hall, leading the other ladies-in-waiting and maids-of-honour, since we're Katherine's chief ladies.
The King and the rest of the court were already waiting for us.
Lady Pole (as future governess and duenna) had the honour of carrying Princess Isabel while I was appointed Lady Pole's deputy.
I enviously watched Lady Pole bounce Princess Isabel (who had woken up and was curiously looking around) on her knee when we sat down for the feast. Katherine sat at the King's left and Lady Pole sat next to her. Just because she was holding the Princess.
I wished I could hold the Princess and be Katherine's chief confidante and chief lady-in-waiting. I suffered with Katherine during her widowhood and almost starved to death! I deserved to be unrivalled in the Queen's ladies!
And what did Lady Margaret Pole do the whole time?
Stay with her husband Sir Richard Pole and their children in Ludlow and continue feasting and enjoying themselves as they always did.
"Maria," said Katherine, smiling at me. "You have an admirer and suitor."
"Who?" I said, alert.
"Don't look so alarmed! It's William Willoughby, 11th Baron Willoughby de Eresby. He's about your age and still unmarried. He's looking for a suitable wife of noble ranking, and one day when we were walking in the gardens, he saw you and fell in love with you. He didn't have the courage to openly court you, so he asked me if I could arrange something to bring both you and him together. Since you're a Spanish noblewoman, you qualify for an equal marriage! Both Lord Willoughby's parents are dead, so he can choose his own wife! Think about it Maria. Lord Willoughby is successful, rich and the same age as you! I think you should think about it."
"I will," I said, biting my lip. "I didn't think about marriage for quite some time. If you think Lord Willoughby is a good husband for me, I accept."
"No, no, no! I want you to choose your own husband! There he is! Go and dance with him! Get to know him! I don't want you in a loveless marriage!"
I gingerly stood up and walked towards Lord Willoughby.
I glanced up at the high table and saw Lady Pole and Katherine watching me. Lady Pole was rocking Princess Isabel in her arms.
"Dona Salinas," said Lord Willoughby in a friendly tone. "You are a Dona, aren't you?"
"Yes," I said, curtseying. "Lord Willoughby, is it?"
"I see Her Majesty had told you what I told her. It is true. I find you beautifully attractive. More attractive than those ladies in our English court. Your black hair is luscious and silky compared to their bobs of rough, blonde hair."
A couple of blonde haired noblewomen walked past us and shot us dirty looks when they heard what Lord Willoughby said.
I giggled and he laughed.
He offered his arm and we danced a couple of times.
Lord Willoughby might not be such a bad choice of husband.
"Courtiers!" announced the King. "We gather here today to celebrate the birth of my first child, daughter and an heir! The Sun of My World! My Princess Isabel!"
He lifted Princess Isabel from Lady Pole and showed her to us.
We clapped loudly.
A few of the King's friends cheered.
Not all of the courtiers are happy though.