María de Salinas facts for kids

María de Salinas (born around 1490, died 1539) was an important noblewoman from Spain. She moved to England and became a close friend and helper to Catherine of Aragon, who was the Queen of England at the time. María was known as Baroness Willoughby de Eresby after her marriage.

Early Life and Family

María was born in Spain around 1490. Her parents were Martín de Salinas and Josefa González de Salas. They were part of the royal household in Castile, which was a kingdom in Spain. It's thought they might have been related to the royal family there. María also had a younger sister named Ines.

Serving the Queen

We don't know the exact year María started working for Catherine of Aragon. She was a "maid-of-honour," which meant she was a young, unmarried noblewoman who helped the Queen. People think she started this role around 1501.

María stayed unmarried for many years. On June 5, 1516, she married an English nobleman named William Willoughby, 11th Baron Willoughby de Eresby. They had one child, a daughter named Catherine. Catherine later inherited her father's title.

King Henry VIII liked María very much. When she got married, he gave the de Eresby family Grimsthorpe Castle. In 1522, he even named a ship after her, calling it HMS Mary Willoughby.

In 1511, María became the godmother to Mary Brandon. Mary was the daughter of Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk. María's husband, Lord Willoughby, died in 1526. After his death, the Duke of Suffolk became the guardian of María's daughter, Catherine. In 1533, the Duke of Suffolk married Catherine as his fourth wife.

A Loyal Friend to Queen Catherine

María was a very loyal friend to Queen Catherine of Aragon. In August 1532, King Henry VIII was trying to end his marriage to Catherine. María was told to leave Catherine's home and not to speak with her.

In September 1534, Queen Catherine became very ill. María asked for permission to visit her, but she was not allowed. On January 5, 1536, María forced her way into Kimbolton Castle to see Catherine. She had been refused permission again. Catherine died in María's arms two days later.

María lived for three more years after Catherine's death. She spent a lot of her time in her home in London. Her daughter, Catherine Willoughby, became a close friend of King Henry VIII's sixth wife, Catherine Parr. Catherine Parr was also Queen Catherine of Aragon's goddaughter. In 1546, there were rumors that King Henry wanted to end his marriage to Catherine Parr and marry María's widowed daughter.

In Books and Shows

María de Salinas has been shown in different stories and performances:

• She is the main character in a novel called All Manner of Things. This book is the second part of a series by Wendy J. Dunn.
• In the musical Six, María is shown as the drummer in the band. She is with three other ladies-in-waiting who served other queens.
• The actress Margaret Ford played María in the 1970 BBC TV series The Six Wives of Henry VIII.