Maria de Salinas, Catalina's companion

Maria de Salinas, Catalina's companion, is Catalina’s closest and most steadfast friend in England. Having come from Spain with Catalina, she remains with her through both good years and difficult ones, offering intimate support while also acting as a discreet intermediary at moments when Catalina’s private needs meet the demands of court and rule.

Companion and Friend

Maria’s friendship is marked by continuity and trust. Catalina remembers her as the companion who came with her from Spain and stayed through the changing circumstances of her life. Once Catalina becomes queen, she repays the long-standing debt of Maria’s wages. Maria uses the money to order a dozen gowns, a small but concrete sign of the material security and pleasure that Catalina is able to restore to her friend.

Their bond is not confined to the household. Catalina values Maria’s company and discretion, and relies on her during times of personal strain. The friendship gives Catalina a relationship that is not defined solely by royal duty: Maria has known her across years of waiting and hardship, and remains close when Catalina’s position changes.

Support During Pregnancy Loss

In January 1510, at Westminster Palace, Maria is sleeping close by when Catalina wakes in distress. She responds at once, calling for a maid and sending her to summon Catalina’s ladies and the midwives. Catalina already fears that the pregnancy cannot be saved; Maria’s immediate action cannot alter the outcome, but it brings help to her side and places the crisis within the care of the household.

After the loss, Maria’s role as confidante continues. Catalina’s grief is bound up with her fear that she has failed her husband, her country, and the promise she made to Arthur. The evidence does not make Maria the recipient of every part of that private grief, but her presence through the difficult years establishes her as one of the few enduring supports in Catalina’s personal life.

Finding a Physician

Maria also acts on Catalina’s behalf beyond the palace. When a Moorish physician is in London while travelling from Genoa to Paris, Maria hears of him through a woman who had made a substantial offering at Walsingham in the hope of having a son. Maria passes the information to Catalina discreetly, watching to ensure that the other ladies cannot overhear.

The physician’s arrival is arranged in secrecy while Catalina is confined. The women are sent from the room at the appointed hour, leaving Catalina to meet him privately. Maria’s part is that of a trusted go-between: she identifies a possible source of help and carries knowledge into a setting where Catalina’s need is both personal and politically sensitive.

Companion in Public Life

Maria’s loyalty extends into Catalina’s exercise of power. When Henry leaves to lead the expedition to France and appoints Catalina regent, Catalina prepares to join the forces assembled to oppose the Scottish invasion. She selects Maria and Margaret Pole to accompany her, while assigning the women who remain at court to continue making banners and preparing bandages. Maria is therefore not merely a companion kept within the private chambers; Catalina chooses her for the demanding journey alongside the army.

Across these different settings, Maria’s importance lies in dependable presence and practical service. She helps Catalina preserve a trusted personal bond amid the formality of queenship, responds during a medical crisis, and supports her when royal authority becomes active command. The novel presents friendship as one of the relationships that travels with Catalina from Spain into the English court and remains beside her as her responsibilities change.