Sex & Scandal in Catherine of Aragon's Court

Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society

History Hit

Society, Sex, Scandal, Education, History

4.8 • 1.6K Ratings

🗓️ 8 October 2024

⏱️ 45 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

When Henry VIII wanted a divorce from Catherine of Aragon, he needed to prove that she was not a virgin when they wed.

One woman was key to proving this: Catalina of Motril, Catherine's enslaved servant who was always present in the royal bedroom.

Before the divorce, though, what was Catalina's experience like in the heart of the Tudor court? What would it have been like for her, as a person of colour in Tudor England? And did Henry's lawyers ever track her down?

Joining Kate today is historian and author Lauren Johnson, to help us get to know Catalina's remarkable story better.

This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.

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Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Buried in the depths of the internet is the Killist, a cache of chilling documents containing hundreds of names, photos, addresses, and specific instructions for their murders.
0:12.0	Killist is a true story of how I ended up in a race against time to warn those who lives were in danger.
0:18.0	Follow Killist on the Wandery app or wherever you get your podcast.
0:22.0	You can listen to Killlist and more Exhibit
0:24.0	see True Crumb shows like Morbid early and ad free right now by joining
0:28.2	Wandery Plus.
0:30.3	Hello my lovely betwixtus it's me Kate Lister I am back once more with your
0:36.6	fair dues warning Kate what's a fair dues warning well that is the warning
0:40.4	that we have to give at the top of each show to make sure that everybody knows
0:43.6	that this is an adult podcast, Pocomobodals to other adults, about adult things and an adult
0:46.8	way occurring arranged for adult subjects and you should be an adult too.
0:50.0	And now fair dudes we have warned you so if you happen to get offended, well that's on you, quite frankly.
0:55.0	Right, on with the show. Hello but Twixters it's the morning after the wedding of Catherine of Aragon and Prince Arthur.
1:12.2	Yep that's Henry the 8th's older brother and I have managed to sneak into the royal bedchamber.
1:18.8	Don't worry, the newlyweds have just gone for a walk. Well, least I think that's where they've gone.
1:23.2	Did they have brunch and Tudor periods? That's probably where they'll be.
1:26.5	But here in the boudoir, Catherine's servant, Catalina of Matrill is changing the bedshee.
1:32.2	A moment that will become hugely important in years to come
1:36.2	when Catherine's future husband, a certain Henry VIII, is attempting to divorce her. But what important evidence will Catalina be able to provide?
1:45.6	And will anybody believe her anyway because she was a woman of color at the heart of the Tudor court?
1:51.1	Well, I don't know about you you but I need to know more. What do you look for, man?
2:05.0	Oh, money, of course.
	...

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