The reign of Henry VIII was one of the most revolutionary periods in English history. The kings obsessive search for true love and intense desire for a male heir led to Englands break from the rule of Catholicism and the complete Reformation of the Church. Divorced, Beheaded, Died; Divorced, Beheaded, Survived. This popular rhyme that many use to remember the fate of the six wives of Henry VIII shows us just that: their final destiny.
Although many rulers of the time married only for political reasons, Henry wanted an ideal we still crave today: a truly loving marriage. His quest for this improbable perfection changed him from a fun-loving prince into a belligerent tyrant, and his ever inflating ego ensured the changing passions he felt for the women in his life, and the heirs they may provide, were mixed with the type of play-acting that convinced him he was successful in the game of courtly romance.
The women whom he tried to squash to fit this perfect mould differed vastly. First came the devoutly Catholic and devoted Katherine of Aragon, then the tantalizing, volatile, Reforming Protestant Anne Boleyn. She in turn was ousted by the gentle and submissive touch of Jane Seymour. After her death, Henry made his only attempt at a wholly political alliance by choosing Anne of Cleves and he even tried to turn that into a romantic story. He went on to allow his heart free rein in the rule of his head in selecting the party-loving teenage tease, Katherine Howard, before finally settling for the intelligent and independent Katherine Parr.
This book, in an hour, will introduce you to these six entirely diverse and captivating personalities and the events that propelled them to their individual fates.
Born: 16 December 1485. Died: 7 January 1536. Queen: 24 June 150923 May 1533.
Katherine, or Catalina, to give her her Spanish name, was the youngest of five surviving children to Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, the so-called Catholic monarchs whose united regions made up most of modern-day Spain. Despite Ferdinands frequent infidelity, they enjoyed a loving marriage. The court they headed was often on the move as Isabella and Ferdinand were tireless military leaders who never flinched from taking their children on campaign. Katherine had a particularly close bond with her mother, who personally organized Katherines education, focusing on theology, Latin, modern languages, and traditional domestic craft. Latin was the language of the educated elite of Europe and so was of particular benefit when arranging a marriage among this group. Isabella offered no instruction in the courtly arts of poetry and music. The Dutch Humanist and renowned scholar, Desiderius Erasmus, praised her education, particularly her mastery of scholarship, despite the fact she was female! He wrote that Katherine loves good literature, which she has studied with success since childhood. On a separate occasion he wrote of her being astonishingly well read, far beyond what would be surprising in a woman.
Young Katherine of Aragon, painted around the time of her arrival in England, by Michel Sittow
Katherine was just three years old when King Ferdinand made a marriage settlement for her as a way of enhancing family prestige. He and Henry VII of England (pictured below) held much in common: they both had recent experience in uniting their countries following extended civil wars, and they both wanted to outmanoeuvre France.
A matrimonial alliance between their children would unify their power against the French, encouraging national stability and, for the English, propagate a new dynasty. Henry VII was lucky enough to have two male heirs: Arthur and Henry. Arthur, the eldest, born in September 1486, was the natural choice to be Katherines husband.
Henry VII, by Michel Sittow, painted in 1500. He holds the red rose of Lancaster
Ferdinand and Isabella agreed Katherine would come to the marriage with a dowry of 200,000 crowns, to be paid in two instalments. The first would be granted on her arrival in England, the second after the marriage ceremony. In return Henry agreed on a settlement of one-third of the lands of the Prince of Wales on Katherine. With half of Katherines dowry paid, the pair married on 14 November 1501 in St Pauls Cathedral. She was nearly sixteen; Arthur was just fourteen.
Considerable effort went into the preparation of the marriage bedchamber and Katherine herself for the wedding night. Bishops used holy water and prayers to bless the bed, hoping many children would be conceived and a long, happy wedded union would ensue. It was assumed that once these rituals had been concluded and the couple were left alone, consummation would take place. There are stories of Arthur (pictured below) professing the joys of having a wife, even implying it was thirsty work. They could have been true, or merely the exaggerations of a teenage boy, but one day Katherine would come to refute them vehemently. The one thing we know he did say (and again it may have been teenage bravura) was this after the wedding night: I have been this night in the midst of Spain.
Arthur, Prince of Wales, painted around 1500 by an unknown artist
On 21 December 1501 Katherine and Arthur set off for Ludlow Castle, Arthurs seat in Shropshire, to formally begin their wedlock with a Christmas feast. In the opening weeks of 1502 the marriage ran smoothly. Well-intentioned gossip circulated regarding Arthurs unwearying diligence towards his conjugal obligation. But during Easter, he fell gravely ill. Evidence suggests some sort of respiratory problem, but there was also some contemporary terminology that indicates testicular cancer. Whatever had struck Arthur killed him quickly he died on 2 April 1502, aged fifteen. Katherine, aged only sixteen, was already a widow.
Henry VIIs second son, Henry, Duke of York, became heir to the English throne. The possibility of him marrying Katherine was soon aired but, born on 28 June 1491, Henry was, at ten years old, not old enough to marry. Katherine was clearly too young to remain a widow, and King Henry VII not only wanted to retain the portion of Katherines dowry he had already received but also felt reluctant to sacrifice the remainder he was due had Arthur lived.
The sticking point of the affair was a theological question concerning the new match: could Katherine marry her brother-in-law in the eyes of God? The Bible gave conflicting opinions. The book of Leviticus clearly forbade it and warned that it would be a barren relationship; by contrast, the book of Deuteronomy encouraged such action so as to raise children for the dead brother. To ensure the legitimacy of the union and succession, it was time to turn to Rome.
