HENRY VIII AND HIS SIX WIVES. PART 1: CATHERINE OF ARRAGON

Be careful what you wish for, you might just get it. Being queen bee is not all fun and games, things can and will viciously turn on you in an instant and when you least expect it; like should you attempt to make your own choice which man to love, which boy to seduce. We would like to introduce you to the 6 wives of Henry VIII. Each of them and their individual story. Be intrigued.


01. CATHERINE OF ARRAGON

BORN: 16 DECEMBER 1485
MARRIED: 11 JUNE 1509
DIVORCED/ANNULLED: 1533
DIED: 7 JANUARY 1536


HUMBLE AND LOYAL

Catherine of Aragon was the youngest surviving child of Ferdinand and Isabella of Spain. As was common for princesses of the day, her parents almost immediately began looking for a political match for her.
When she was almost 16, Catherine made the journey to England where she was to be married to Arthur, the son of Henry VII of England, to whom she was betrothes since the age of three. On November 14th 1501, the wedding took place in Old St. Paul‘s Cathedral, London. Catherine was escorted by the groom‘s younger brother, Henry.
Less than six months after the wedding and celebrations, Arthur was dead, possibly of the “sweating sickness”. Although this marriage was short, it was very important in the history of England, as will be apparent.
Catherine was now a widow, and still young enough to be married again. Henry VII still had a son, this one much more robust and healthy than his dead older brother. The English king was interested in keeping Catherine‘s dowry, so 14 months after her husband’s death, she was betrothed to the future Henry VIII, who was too young to marry at the time.
By 1505, when Henry was old enough to wed, Henry VII wasn‘t as keen on a Spanish alliance, and young Henry was forced to repudiate the betrothal. Catherine‘s future was uncertain for the next four years.
When Henry VII died, one of the new young king‘s first actions was to marry Catherine. She was finally crowned Queen of England in a joint coronation ceremony with her husband Henry VIII on June 24, 1509. Shortly after their marriage, Catherine found herself pregnant. This first child was a stillborn daughter born prematurely in January 1510, but this disappointment was soon followed by another pregnancy. Prince Henry was born on January 1, 1511 and the was christened on the 5th. There were great celebration for the birth of the young prince, but they were halted by the baby’s death after 52 days of life. Catherine then had a miscarriage, followed by a short-lived son. In 1516, she gave birth a daughter named Mary, and this child lived. There were probably two more pregnancies, the last recorded in 1518.
Henry was growing frustrated by his lack of a male heir, but he remained a devoted husband. He had at least two mistresses that we know of: Bessie Blount and Mary Boleyn. By 1526 though, he had begun to separate from Catherine because he had fallen in love with one of her ladies (and sister of one of his mistresses): Anne Boleyn. It is here that the lives of Henry’s first and second wives begin to interweave. By the time his interest in Anne became common knowledge, Catherine was 42 years old and was no longer able to conceive. Henry’s main goal now was to get a male heir, which his wife was not able to provide.
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Somewhere along the way, Henry began to look at the texts of Leviticus which says that if a man takes his brother’s wife, they shall be childless. As evidenced above, Catherine and Henry were far from childless, and still had one living child. But, that child was a girl, and didn‘t count in Henry’s mind. The King began to petition the Pope for an annulment. At first, Catherine was kept in the dark about Henry’s plans for their annulment. When the news got to Catherine, she was very upset. She was also at a great disadvantage since the court that would decide the case was far from impartial. Catherine then appealed directly to the Pope, which she felt would listen to her case since her nephew was Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor.
The political and legal debate continued for six years. Catherine was adamant in saying that she and Arthur, her first husband and Henry’s brother, did not consummate their marriage and therefore were not truly husband and wife. Catherine sought not only to retain her position, but also that of her daughter Mary.
Things came to a head in 1533 when Anne Boleyn became pregnant. Henry had to act, and his solution was to reject the power of the
Pope in England and to have Thomas Cranmer, the archbishop of Canterbury grant the annulment. Catherine was to renounce the title of Queen and would be known as the Princess Dowager of Wales, something she refused to acknowledge through to the end of her life. Catherine and her daughter were separated and she was forced to leave court. She lived for the next three years in several dank and unhealthy castles and manors with just a few servants. However, she seldom complained of her treatment and spent a great deal of time at prayer.
On January 7, 1536, Catherine died at Kimbolton Castle and was buried at Peterborough Abbey with the ceremony due for her position as Princess Dowager, not as a Queen of England.

PHOTOS: MARCUS GAAB
FASHION: SARAH COBB
MAKE UP: DEANNA MELLUSO
HAIR: JOHN RUGGIERO
PRODUCTION: JAMES JOLLY (AFG MANAGEMENT)
MODEL: MALLORY (WILHEMINA)

TEXT: LARA E. EAKINS

VIDEO EDITING: THALIA DE JONG
TEXT: LARA E. EAKINS
SOUND: "If Love Now Reigned as it Hath Been" by King Henry VIII

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