Catherine+of+Aragon

media type="custom" key="3410402" Catherine of Aragon was born on December 16, 1485. She was the youngest daughter of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella of Spain. She was only three years old when she was betrothed to Henry’s brother, Arthur. She married him in 1501, when she was 15, and became his widow in less than 6 months. Henry’s father, King Henry VII did not want to give up Catherine’s dowry and did not let her return to Spain. While he was alive, she lived six years in England in poverty because he would not support her. It was his dying with that Henry VIII marries her so they could keep the important alliance between Spain and England. In June of1509, after Henry VII death and Henry VIII inherited the throne, Henry married Catherine when she was twenty-three. She was happy to finally be queen.

The two had much in common. They both loved learning, music, pageantry, dancing, hunting, riding, entertaining, literature and religion. They were very much attracted to each other in very much in love for the most of their marriage. The main unhappiness was caused by not having a son. Henry still desperately wanted a male heir to be able to take over the throne. Between 1510 and 1518, Catherine birthed six children, though only one, Mary, survived. She had two miscarries, one stillborn, and two sons which died in infancy. Most of the unhappiness started after their two month old son died. Catherine began spending more practicing her religion than doing all of her hobbies with Henry. Henry began having many affairs closer to the end of their marriage.

Henry and Catherine were married sixteen years before the main crisis. Catherine was past prime childbearing years and still had not produced a son and at this time Henry met Anne Boleyn. He then fell in love and searched for a way out of his marriage with Catherine. In 1527, after eighteen years of marriage, Henry approached Catherine about a divorce. He felt he was going against God with his marriage and argued that his conscience would no longer allow him to be married to her. To avoid shame, Henry suggested she could become a nun. To sweeten the deal, if she agreed, she could still live in a royal state, she would have the title Princess Dowager of Wales to show her status as a widow. She would have to consent to her daughter, Mary, being lower in the line to inherit the throne. Catherine refused to give up her title as queen.

After her refusal, Henry tried to break her. At first she stayed at court, then Henry moved her away, took away her households and separated her from Mary, not allowing them to be together, even when Catherine was on her death bed. After the divorce not an option, Henry tried to get it annulled. Pope Clement VII refused to annul the marriage. There were many battles to be fought over whether or not Henry and Catherine’s marriage was legit. In order for them to get married, a pope had to announce Catherine and Henry’s brother, Arthur’s marriage illegitimate. Henry at last decided the only way he could annul his marriage was the break from the church. Thus, that is what he did. He broke from the church and sought Parliament and put in place the Act of Supremacy which meant the king was the head of the English church. At last, he was able to marry Anne Boleyn.