Queen Katherine Battled Cancer
Katherine’s health deteriorated while living in isolation at Kimbolton Castle after Henry broke from the Catholic church. She died in 1536 at 50 years old. After her death, an autopsy found a black growth on her blackened heart. This was described by ambassador Eustace Chapuys as, “some black round thing which clung closely to the outside of the heart.”
Chapuys asked a physician whether this might indicate poison. This started a debate about what actually killed Katherine. Her supporters insisted she was poisoned, given her symptoms and blackened heart. Modern physicians, however, find the description of Katherine’s symptoms and the tumor on her blackened heart more likely indicate melanotic sarcoma (cancer).
