Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived.
Welcome to the Court of Henry VIII and his six wives!
Catherine of Aragon, a Spanish princess, was born to Ferdinand and Isabella (Yes, THAT Ferdinand and Isabella) in December of 1485. She was educated by Catholic monks who gave her a base for her devout Catholicism.
At the age of 16, Catherine moved to England to marry Prince Arthur who was Henry VII and Elizabeth of York’s eldest son. They were soon married and after a short time the prince contracted the sweating sickness and died.
Now, Catherine was in trouble. She was in a foreign country and her husband had died before they could produce an heir to secure her position. Catherine was engaged to Henry, Henry VII's next eldest son, and stayed in England for eight years in relative poverty while her father and Henry VII argued about her dowry.
When she was 24, Henry VII died and Henry assumed the throne as Henry VIII. He got a dispensation from the pope to marry Catherine and she was crowned Queen almost immediately after they were married.
Catherine had six children however most were stillborn or did not survive infancy. Only one made it to adulthood-Mary I. Henry really wanted a son. Like was slightly obsessed with the idea. As it became obvious that she was not going to give him a son he petitioned the pope for a papal dispension on the grounds that a man should never marry his brother’s widow. Catherine replied that she and Arthur had never consummated their marriage and it was perfectly legal for her to have married Henry. The pope refused for seven years as he didn’t want to anger the Holy Roman Emperor by slighting his aunt Catherine.
Catherine of Aragon, a Spanish princess, was born to Ferdinand and Isabella (Yes, THAT Ferdinand and Isabella) in December of 1485. She was educated by Catholic monks who gave her a base for her devout Catholicism.
At the age of 16, Catherine moved to England to marry Prince Arthur who was Henry VII and Elizabeth of York’s eldest son. They were soon married and after a short time the prince contracted the sweating sickness and died.
Now, Catherine was in trouble. She was in a foreign country and her husband had died before they could produce an heir to secure her position. Catherine was engaged to Henry, Henry VII's next eldest son, and stayed in England for eight years in relative poverty while her father and Henry VII argued about her dowry.
When she was 24, Henry VII died and Henry assumed the throne as Henry VIII. He got a dispensation from the pope to marry Catherine and she was crowned Queen almost immediately after they were married.
Catherine had six children however most were stillborn or did not survive infancy. Only one made it to adulthood-Mary I. Henry really wanted a son. Like was slightly obsessed with the idea. As it became obvious that she was not going to give him a son he petitioned the pope for a papal dispension on the grounds that a man should never marry his brother’s widow. Catherine replied that she and Arthur had never consummated their marriage and it was perfectly legal for her to have married Henry. The pope refused for seven years as he didn’t want to anger the Holy Roman Emperor by slighting his aunt Catherine.
Anne Boleyn was born in 1501. She lived into France until she was 21 and quickly rose at court. By the mid 1520’s Henry was writing Anne love letters. He prepositioned her but she refused saying that she would not do anything with him unless he married her.
Henry declared that the pope was not important. He married Anne, declared his marriage to Catherine invalid and was very quickly excommunicated by the pope. He decided that was not a problem and created Anglicanism. Soon after Anne and Henry were married Anne gave birth to a baby girl, Elizabeth I.
He sent Catherine off to a small manor where she died in relative poverty in 1536. Mary was declared a bastard, sent off and disinherited. Elizabeth got Mary’s inheritance, title and her father’s love.
Anne was not a popular queen. She was portrayed as promiscuous and only after Henry for his title, which was probably pretty true. She was likely pressured to go after Henry by her family who wanted one of their own to be Queen. She was also hated because she was replacing the popular Catherine.
Anne and Henry’s marriage soon fell apart. Anne was jealous because of Henry’s many affairs and Henry became increasingly annoyed with his wife as she pried into the matter. Anne had also had two stillbirths and Henry decided to get rid of her. He charged her with adultery, incest with her brother George and conspiracy. Anne was unanimously convicted (I mean who was going to go against the king?) and later that day she was brought to the Tower green where she was beheaded by a French swordsman (Henry’s twisted idea of mercy.)
After Anne, Henry had four more wives. Jane Seymour who he married less than a day after Anne’s execution and who later died giving birth to Henry’s only surviving son, Edward VI. Anne of Cleves who was divorced and given a large pension and a position as the King’s sister. Katherine Howard who was executed for infidelity and Catherine Parr who outlived him.
Thanks for being here for this semester! I hope to see you next semester where we cover Queens who inherited the throne and did not become Queen by marrying up.
Henry declared that the pope was not important. He married Anne, declared his marriage to Catherine invalid and was very quickly excommunicated by the pope. He decided that was not a problem and created Anglicanism. Soon after Anne and Henry were married Anne gave birth to a baby girl, Elizabeth I.
He sent Catherine off to a small manor where she died in relative poverty in 1536. Mary was declared a bastard, sent off and disinherited. Elizabeth got Mary’s inheritance, title and her father’s love.
Anne was not a popular queen. She was portrayed as promiscuous and only after Henry for his title, which was probably pretty true. She was likely pressured to go after Henry by her family who wanted one of their own to be Queen. She was also hated because she was replacing the popular Catherine.
Anne and Henry’s marriage soon fell apart. Anne was jealous because of Henry’s many affairs and Henry became increasingly annoyed with his wife as she pried into the matter. Anne had also had two stillbirths and Henry decided to get rid of her. He charged her with adultery, incest with her brother George and conspiracy. Anne was unanimously convicted (I mean who was going to go against the king?) and later that day she was brought to the Tower green where she was beheaded by a French swordsman (Henry’s twisted idea of mercy.)
After Anne, Henry had four more wives. Jane Seymour who he married less than a day after Anne’s execution and who later died giving birth to Henry’s only surviving son, Edward VI. Anne of Cleves who was divorced and given a large pension and a position as the King’s sister. Katherine Howard who was executed for infidelity and Catherine Parr who outlived him.
Thanks for being here for this semester! I hope to see you next semester where we cover Queens who inherited the throne and did not become Queen by marrying up.