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In 1489 Henry VII of England sent his ambassadors to Castile to conclude negotiations on the disputed dowry of Catherina of Aragon. Among the emissaries was Roger Machado, the king’s herald, who was of Spanish origin and who wrote a diary about his stay in Medina del Campo, where the meeting took place. The purpose of the diary was to inform Henry about the value of the Castilian court’s material wealth, which he did by a meticulous description of the queen’s dress and jewels. Apparently the English king saw these possessions as a guarantee of the Infanta’s dowry ; nevertheless Isabel seems to have worn them as a performance of her authority and power as reigning monarch in Castile. Despite the agreement made during this diplomatic mission and Henry VII’s expectations, the Castilian court never fulfilled Catherine’s dowry.