The Coronation of Catherine of Aragon

After years of waiting, Catherine of Aragon was finally crowned Queen of England on June 24th 1509. The Spanish princess who had arrived in the country almost eight years earlier as bride for the heir to the throne finally got her crown - with his brother at her side.

A young Catherine of Aragon. She was 23 when her coronation took place

Catherine's coronation took place on the same day as that of her second husband, the teenage king, Henry VIII. He had ascended the throne just two months earlier on the death of his father, Henry VII, who had negotiated Catherine as a royal bride for his eldest son, Arthur, and who had held on to his Spanish prize when the prince had died less than a year after their wedding. Henry VIII's sudden decision to marry his brother's widow had come to fruition on June 11th 1509 and now, less than a fortnight into her second English royal marriage, Catherine arrived at Westminster Abbey for the ceremony she had long anticipated. Her coronation.

The eighteen year old Henry VIII stamped his personality on his reign from the very beginning and his coronation, alongside Catherine of Aragon, was an early indication of his power

She had spent the night before at the Tower of London, as was traditional, with her husband and the two had been celebrated as they made their way through the city's streets to the Abbey. Their route was lined with splendour and they were crowned in a ceremony led by the Archbishop of Canterbury, William Warham. Afterwards, a huge feast was held while dancing and jousting continued in celebration of the official start of this hope filled new reign.

Catherine's later image is more familiar

Catherine's integral role in the establishment of the new king's image was evident everywhere. Her symbol of the pomegranate was widely used in carvings and decorations while her initial, K, and that of her husband, H, was scattered liberally through their royal residences. Catherine wrote to her father, Ferdinand of Aragon, that ''our time is spent in continual festival'' and she was right. The celebrations for the coronation were large and popular. After so many years of waiting, Catherine's crown truly glittered.

All images from Wiki Commons.