A Royal Union - The Marriage of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon Part 1

Today I'm going to be looking at Henry VIII's first marriage, his marriage to Catherine of Aragon, how it came about and what it was like in the early years. Catherine of Aragon, daughter of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, had married Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, the heir to the throne and Henry's older brother, on the 14th of November 1501. Henry, who was 10 years old at the time, had led Catherine into the church for the service, but sadly Arthur died in April 1502 after just a few months of marriage. King Henry VII didn't want to lose this union with Spain, or I expect Catherine's dowry, so he came to an agreement with Catherine's parents, signing a marriage treaty on the 23rd of June 1503. According to this treaty, Catherine would marry Prince Henry, who was now Henry VII's only surviving son, on Prince Henry's 14th birthday, the 28th of June 1505, but only after a papal dispensation for their union had been issued, and only after the second instalment of Catherine's dowry had been paid. To Catherine's shock, Prince Henry renounced their betrothal on the 27th of June 1505, the eve of their wedding, stating that it had been contracted without his consent during his minority. Why would Henry do that to Catherine? Well, as David Starkey points out, it would only be at the urging of his father, the king. Catherine wasn't such a great match now. Instead of being the daughter of the powerful King and Queen of Spain, due to her mother's recent death, she was just the daughter of the King of Aragon and the sister of the Queen of Castile. Henry VII wanted to keep his options open for his son, as there might be a better match to be had. However, Catherine and young Henry kept in touch and even exchanged gifts. Poor Catherine had some rather uncertain years between 1505 and 1509. She didn't know what was going to happen to her, and the King cut off her dowry income. But a knight in shining armour would save her. That knight was, of course, her ex-fiancé, Prince Henry. Henry VII died on the 21st April 1509, and his son Henry became King Henry VIII. Shortly after his accession, 17-year-old Henry decided to marry 23-year-old Catherine. He told Margaret of Burgundy that the marriage was his father's dying wish. But he may have made the choice himself, because, as Julia Fox points out, he knew her. She was still young and pretty. She was born to the role. She was loyal and dedicated. She knew about England by now, and because she was a little older than he, she could be his confidant as well as his soulmate. The couple married on the 11th June 1509 in a private and low-key ceremony in the Queen's Closet at Greenwich Palace. It was low-key because a lavish joint coronation ceremony was being organised. That coronation took place on the 24th June, midsummer, at Westminster Abbey. There were high hopes for this couple. They were young and attractive. Catherine had already won the hearts of the English people back in 1501 when she married Arthur. And as for the new king, Thomas More, in his coronation ode, wrote, This day is the end of our slavery, the fount of our liberty, the end of sadness, the beginning of joy, and such a king will wipe the tears from every eye and put joy in the place of our long distress. They were very much the golden couple. They seemed genuinely happy and in love too. Henry doted on Catherine, giving her gifts of fabrics and clothes, and he wrote to her father in praise of her, writing, As regards that sincere love which we have to the most serene queen our consort, her eminent virtues daily more and more shine forth, blossom and increase so much that if we were still free, her we would yet choose for our wife before all other. And Catherine quickly became pregnant. An excited Henry started kitting out the royal nursery, and on the 18th January 1510, he and twelve of his men disguised themselves as outlaws to surprise the queen and her ladies. Henry VIII loved that tradition of disguising, and Catherine appears to have at least humoured him. The surprise was followed by dancing and entertainment. But unfortunately, Catherine went into premature labour on the 30th January 1510 and lost a daughter. Her physician thought that she'd been carrying twins though, and so was still pregnant. Indeed, Catherine's abdomen continued to swell, although her periods returned, and the royal couple continued to hope for a healthy baby. But there was no baby. And it seems that during this sad and stressful time, Catherine's husband noticed a certain Lady Hastings, Anne Stafford, sister of the Duke of Buckingham. It's not known whether it was just a flirtation or whether there was a bit more to it, but Catherine was furious with her husband, so much so that as an ambassador noted, almost all the court knew that the queen had been vexed with the king and the king with her, and thus this storm went on between them. Catherine knew, however, that she had to accept it as her mother had, and how other queens had. The storm blew over and Catherine soon became pregnant again. Henry VIII was delighted, and before Catherine had to take to her chamber, Henry surprised her once more, dressing up with 15 of his men in splendid costumes and dancing before her and the court. This time, on New Year's Day 1511, she gave birth to a healthy baby boy, Henry, Duke of Cornwall. London celebrated with bonfires, processions and prayers of thanks, while the king gave thanks at the Shrine of Our Lady at Walsingham. Then special jousts were organised, accompanied by banqueting, dancing, pageants and more. It was all in Catherine's honour. It must have been a time of real joy for the couple. Of course, their joy was short-lived, as little Henry died just 52 days after his birth. One thing that is often forgotten about Henry VIII's marriage to Catherine is Catherine's influence. Catherine was a few years older than her husband, and she was intelligent, shrewd and had got a good head for politics. She wasn't just Henry's wife, she was his confidant and advisor, and she'd acted as an ambassador during her time in limbo between her two marriages, so she had experience too. Henry VIII was determined to be a warrior king, like his namesake Henry V, and it was Catherine who helped him plan his war and who he chose to appoint as regent while he was away campaigning in France. While he was away, Scotland took advantage of the king's absence and advanced on England. Catherine worked with the council that had been left to support her and began planning and organising England's response, the defence of the realm. She even seemed prepared to lead an army herself, setting off from London for Buckingham. But as she reached there, English forces led by the Earl of Surrey met those of Scotland at the Battle of Flodden in September 1513. England was victorious and Catherine was ecstatic, wanting to send her husband, King James IV of Scotland's body in celebration. Henry wasn't quite so victorious in France, it was a bit of a non-event and all he could do was send her a captured French duke. As Julia Fox points out, things changed for Catherine following her husband's return from France. Her influence waned as Henry looked to Thomas Wolsey, who'd been with him in France, for advice, both political and personal. Things worsened when Catherine's father, King Ferdinand, betrayed Henry by making peace with France instead of fighting them with Henry. Catherine was sensible and didn't try to defend her father at all, but it wasn't good for their relationship. And unfortunately, Catherine had not been able to give Henry a son and heir. Records suggest that between their wedding in 1509 and November 1518, Catherine experienced four stillbirths, lost a son at 52 days and had a healthy baby girl, Mary, who was born on the 18th of February 1516. Catherine never got pregnant again after the stillbirth of November 1518. She went on pilgrimages, prayed for hours and attended Mass frequently, but no baby boy came and it must have been heartbreaking for her when one of her ladies, Elizabeth Blunt, gave birth to the king's son in 1519. Then her ecstatic husband made the little boy Earl of Nottingham and Duke of Richmond and Somerset. Catherine must have worried for her daughter's status as it must have looked like Henry was considering legitimising the boy. And at some point, Henry VIII also had an affair with Mary Boleyn. Catherine must have felt increasingly vulnerable. Catherine couldn't give her husband what he wanted and needed. He didn't need her advice anymore and instead was looking to Wolsey and his council and he was looking to other women for fulfilment in the bedroom. No longer was he her knight in shining armour and instead he was coming to believe that their marriage was wrong and that it had never been valid. Things were going to get even worse though.