Henry VIII’s Wives: History in an Hour. Julie Wheeler
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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 VII’s 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 Katherine’s 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.
Pope Julius II presided over the matter, albeit reluctantly, drawing up a dispensation in 1504 for the marriage to proceed legally. The document was backdated to 1503 and received at the court of England in 1505. It was believed that had the relationship between Arthur and Katherine been consummated this would have created what was known as an ‘affinity’, in other words Henry, in the eyes of the Church, and therefore, contemporary law, had become a real brother to Katherine. It was sexual relations and not a wedding ceremony that caused an affinity.
King Ferdinand remained committed to the Anglo-Spanish alliance. He willingly accepted Katherine’s word that she was still a virgin. After a few uncertain objections passed between the two powers, the wording for the dispensation was settled. The Latin word forsan was used. It does not translate exactly but rather ambiguously means ‘perhaps’ or ‘even if’. The dispensation was awarded on the basis that ‘perhaps’ the marriage had been unconsummated.
On 25 June 1503, the future Henry VIII (pictured below as a youth) and Katherine were formally betrothed. Two years later, Prince Henry had reached the legal age for marriage, but his father had cooled towards the idea of a Spanish alliance and insisted his son publicly renounce the betrothal. By this time Katherine’s mother, Isabella, and Henry’s mother, Elizabeth of York, had died. This left Katherine somewhat alone, a helpless pawn in a masculine world. The Spanish retort came: if Katherine was to be sent back to Spain then the dowry would have to be returned. At this point Henry VII began to prevaricate. He too was now in the market for a new spouse, as was Prince Henry’s youngest sister, the Princess Mary. The English king was determined to make the best possible strengthening alliances.
Young Henry VIII. Painted c. 1509, by an unknown artist
As King Henry VII dithered, he kept Katherine, along with her advisers and servants, isolated in the Bishop of Durham’s house, away from the devices of court politics, and left her to cope on minimal means. Henry was, in turn, misled and repeatedly let down by Ferdinand regarding the second portion of Katherine’s dowry. In fact, the settlement was not received by London until 22 February 1508. Katherine also experienced limited access to Prince Henry and was denied the privilege of being given confession in her own language. Her confessor, Alessandro, had been forced to leave the English court in 1503, and in 1506 correspondence to her father reveals desperate pleas for him to send her a Spanish friar. Katherine and her entourage continued to endure this existence until they despaired utterly of the marriage ever taking place. She even had to resort to pawning some of her jewels when her allowance was withdrawn. Later she moved to Richmond, and she was so upset and discomfited that she even asked to join a convent back home in Spain.
In April 1509 a stroke of luck befell them: Henry VII died. The new king, Henry VIII, decided to honour the 1503 betrothal. The only conditions implemented were that the dowry should be paid in full and King Ferdinand must agree it would not be returned should either Katherine or Henry die prematurely.
The couple shared a joint coronation on 24 June 1509. Katherine was twenty-three and Henry just days short of his eighteenth birthday.
In the first weeks of marriage they revelled in a joyous honeymoon that quickly resulted in pregnancy. It was common practice for an announcement to be withheld until midwives had confidently felt movement; accuracy was crucial, especially in the instance of a royal heir. In Katherine’s case public declaration was made on 1 November. Sadly, at the end of January 1510, the queen gave birth to a stillborn daughter. This was followed by a phantom pregnancy and then a real one. The court was jubilant when, on New Year’s Day 1511, a prince was born. Baby Henry was christened on 5 January. But again the royal couple were soon blighted by grief. Their son died, at just twenty-three days old.
The following years saw events across Europe become increasingly fractious as the English fought wars against France and Scotland. While Henry was on campaign in France, Katherine proved herself an excellent regent and, in the case of Scotland, a skilful military co-ordinator.
The only talent she seemed to lack was the ability to substantiate her maternal credentials. She is said to have conceived again in spring 1513, only to lose this son in September. A stillborn male came in 1514. Another pregnancy was confirmed in May 1515, which resulted in the birth of their only surviving child, Princess Mary, on 18 February 1516. By this time Katherine was well aware of her husband’s occasionally roving eye, although by the royal standards of the day, it was not quite as roving as it could have been.
Henry VIII had sustained romantic liaisons with at least two mistresses. Bessie Blount had had a healthy son whom Henry publicly recognized, and Mary Carey, née Boleyn had a son and a daughter that many attributed to the king but whom he never acknowledged. These attachments never induced Henry to separate from Katherine. But in 1526 things changed. Affinity aside, he had fallen in love with Mary Boleyn’s sister, Anne. The king began looking into the validity of his marriage to Katherine.
Born: c. 1500. Died: 19 May 1536. Queen: 28 May 1533–17 May 1536.
In the 1520s no one could possibly have imagined how Anne was so cleverly to succeed where Henry’s previous extra-marital lovers had failed. Anne proved herself the ultimate career woman in a world where one of the few career choices for women was wedlock.
On her father’s side, Anne Boleyn’s lineage was made up of the merchant middle class. Her great-grandfather, Geoffrey Boleyn, was the family’s original entrepreneur. Trading success had made him mayor and he received a knighthood. He invested for his descendants by purchasing Blickling Hall in Norfolk and Hever Castle in Kent. The following Boleyn men married well, none more so than Geoffrey’s grandson, and Anne’s father, Thomas Boleyn. He married Elizabeth Howard, daughter of the second Duke of Norfolk, whose ancestry was peppered with dukes and earls.
This painting is inscribed with ‘Anna Bullen at Hever Castle’ and there is uncertainty on the date and artist
Anne’s parents married by 1500. They then had their three children in quick succession; Mary, Anne and George. There is no certainty for Anne’s date of birth, but she was born around 1500, certainly by 1503.
Thomas’ political talent enabled him to join the royal service where he excelled and earned continued promotion, becoming a servant of the body for Henry VIII and a knight of the Bath. Having worked on matters of state at the court of Margaret, Duchess of Savoy, in Brussels, Thomas was able to secure a position there for his daughter, Anne. This appointment saw Anne flourish and her father clearly recognized her emerging talents. She understood courtly politics and was rapidly learning French. In 1514 Anne was transferred to the court of France. Here, she was able to develop her burgeoning skills.
Anne loved the French language and soon became fluent. She learnt how to impress with music and poetry. French culture enabled her to become a clever conversationalist and release a ready wit.