On the 7th of September 1533, Anne Boleyn birthed a daughter – the future Queen Elizabeth I of England. It happened at Greenwich Palace, where Queen Elizabeth of York had given birth to King Henry VIII. At first, Anne’s pregnancy had been without any complications, and the proud mother coped...
The visit of Holy Roman Emperor Charles V to England in 1522
On the 26th of May 1522, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V arrived at the English city-port of Dover. Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, Archbishop of York, as well as his entourage of approximately 300 Englishmen, specially selected for this occasion in advance, greeted the Habsburg emperor. At the time of the emperor’s...
A royal speech pulling at your heartstrings
On the 21st of June 1529, Catherine of Aragon spoke her famous speech at the Legatine Court at Blackfriars. After years of Henry VIII’s unsuccessful attempts to annul his union with Catherine, Cardinal Wolsey convened an ecclesiastical court in England with a representative of the Pope presiding – Cardinal Campeggio. ...
Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon
Today is another anniversary of Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. Henry married his brother’s widow nearly six years after they had originally been betrothed, and almost 7 years after Prince Arthur’s death. The wedding took place in a private ceremony in the queen’s closet at Greenwich Palace, and...
A Tudor Tragedy: death of Little Prince Hal
On the 22nd of February, 1511, Henry VIII and his first wife, Catherine of Aragon, experienced a devastating loss. Their infant son – Henry, Duke of Cornwall – died, suddenly and expectedly, at the age of only fifty-two days at Richmond Palace. The cause of his death was not recorded....
Henry VIII’s Two Wives: Death Comes Uninvited
Death comes into people’s lives without any rules, inconsiderately and irrationally as a thief. It brings pain and suffering when one we love departs. The end of January 1536 was a tragic time, marked by catastrophic loss and sadness, for both Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon. There is an old...
The Pope Urges Henry VIII to abandon Anne Boleyn
On the 11th of July 1533, Pope Clement VII declared that Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon was valid and legal. Effectively, it meant that the King of England’s marriage to Anne Boleyn was declared null and void. This is the excerpt from Letters and Papers (the source is...
An AU scenario: Spanish invasion in England
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...
The tragic end of some Januaries for Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon
In various years of the 16th century, the end of January was quite a tragic time for Henry VIII’s two wives – Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon. It was a time of unhappiness, distress, loss, and tragedy for both Catherine and Anne. The end of January 1535 was the official...
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...
Birth of Catherine of Aragon
On 16th December 1485, Catherine of Aragon, a daughter of Spanish monarchs King Ferdinand II and Queen Isabella of Castile, was born at Alcala de Hernares, near Madrid, the capital of Spain. She was the youngest of the five royal children, the others being Isabella, Juan, Juana, and Maria. Catherine’s...