Had Catherine and Arthur’s union been consummated was God punishing him for marrying his brother’s widow? Her birth proved Catherine could bear a living child, but could she provide a son? Henry, it seemed, had his doubts.īy 1525, with his wife no longer able to bear children and with only one legitimate child – a daughter at that – Henry began to question his marriage. The prince’s death devastated the couple but hope was restored with the birth of Princess Mary in 1516. 11 key dates: Young Henry VIII, Prince Arthur and Catherine of Aragon.Young Prince Hal was the toast of the kingdom but, just 52 days after his birth, Henry’s much-loved heir died. One longed-for boy, Prince Henry, was born in 1511 and a huge tournament was held in his honour, the third most expensive event of Henry’s reign. Catherine, now 33, had at least six pregnancies in nine years, but only two children had survived. The pair shared a passion for learning, religion and court entertainment, and Catherine proved herself a competent regent while Henry campaigned in France between 1512–14.īut by 1518, relations had soured. Henry himself wrote that the love he bore his wife was such that “if he were still free, he would choose her in preference to all others”. Henry had known Catherine for nearly a decade on their marriage, and she is described as being every inch the beautiful queen.įor the first 10 to 15 years, the marriage appears to have been a happy oneįor the first 10 to 15 years, the marriage appears to have been a happy one. The union seems to have been, initially, one of mutual love as well as dynastic advancement. The real history behind The Spanish Princess.
Five years of wrangling over her dowry ensued, but Catherine’s patience was rewarded when, in 1509, she married the new king, 18-year-old Henry. So papal dispensation was sought, and granted, to permit the union – but only after Catherine had sworn that her short marriage had not been consummated. In Tudor eyes, Catherine’s marriage to Arthur had made her Henry’s sister. To avoid handing back Catherine’s dowry, and to maintain the Spanish alliance, a new betrothal was made between the widow and Prince Henry, five years her junior. It was the perfect royal match but, just six months later, Arthur was dead.
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