One of my readers asked me the question what would have happened if Holy Roman Emperor Charles V had invaded England and had dethroned King Henry VIII. First of all, I want to say that it is highly unlikely that the emperor would have decided to invade England. The Imperial ambassador Eustace Chapuys, who was...
Death of Catherine of Aragon’s first son
On the 22nd of February, 1511, Prince Henry, the Duke of Cornwall, suddenly died only after only 52 days of life. He was born on the 1st of January 1511 at Richmond Palace, eighteen months after his parents’ wedding and their joint coronation. Little Henry was the first son and first...
Anne Boleyn’s marriage to Henry VIII: what is the true date?
In many biographies and historical books, we find that Henry VIII married Anne Boleyn on 25th January, 1533, after long years of fierce struggle against Catherine of Aragon, the pope, England, and the whole world. Anne’s romance with Henry truly became an outrageous scandal throughout Christendom! The traditional version of events...
The relationship of Anne of Cleves and Catherine Howard
Henry VIII didn’t like Anne of Cleves from the very beginning, and an annulment of their marriage was inevitable; it was just a matter of time. At first, Anne was shocked by the news which the king’s delegation brought to her visiting her at Richmond Palace, where she had gone...
The Doomed Romance of Anne Boleyn and Henry VIII
My dear friends and readers! I am delighted to inform you that I’m currently having a book tour, in which I’m visiting various blogs and discussing Anne Boleyn for my new book Between Two Kings. Today, this new article was published in Kyra Kramer’s research blog “Through the Eyes of Anne...
Catherine of Aragon’s death
On the 7th of January 1536, Catherine of Aragon, Henry VIII’s expelled first wife, died at two o’clock in the afternoon at Kimbolton Castle. Catherine of Aragon's death from Showtime series 'The Tudors' For years, Henry wanted to rid himself of Catherine and marry Anne Boleyn, but the Great Matter...
Pope Clement VII prohibits Henry VIII from remarrying
Throughout many years, King Henry VIII was loyal to Roman Catholicism, and his publication of Assertio Septem Sacramentorum (“Defence of the Seven Sacraments”) in 1521 earned him the title of Fidei Defensor (Defender of the Faith) from Pope Leo X. Catherine of Aragon failed to give the king a male heir, and Henry decided to...
Henry VIII’s meeting with Anne of Cleves
On the 1st of January 1540, King Henry VIII met Anne of Cleves for the first time in Rochester, where she was having a short rest during her journey to Greenwich. Henry wanted to surprise his wife-to-be, not knowing how negatively surprised he himself would be after this meeting. After...
Henry VIII’s last appearance before Parliament
On 24th December 1545, Henry VIII appeared before Parliament and made his final speech, where Henry mixes threats and flattery as he chastises the Lords and the Commons for the absence of religious unity in England and for some other things. Henry comes across as a belligerent and absolute monarch, who...
Henry VIII’s excommunication
On this day in history, on 17th December 1538, Pope Paul III excommunicated King Henry VIII of England. Pope Clement VII threatened the king with excommunication in March 1530, when Henry wasn’t married to Anne Boleyn. Henry didn’t abandon Catherine and continued courting Anne, and soon he banished his aging...