#catherine of aragon's dowager years

[realcatalina]

Tudor Week 2024:Day 3

Best Tudor What If? Here are some of my favourite What If scenarios:

-What if Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon had a son, who lived to adulthood.

Very likely despite the marriage crisis of the mid-1510s, the couple would find a way back together and there would be no reason to seek an annulment. No split from the catholic church, nor dissolving the monasteries. Princess Mary would likely end up marrying some prince or King and would have a much happier childhood.

-What if one of Henry VIII's brothers lived?

-If Arthur lived, he obviously would one day become king, with Catherine by his side. They would have several more years to have kids(I am working with perimenopause theory for Catherine and her mum's lack of pregnancies after age 33/4). Catherine would not suffer through her dowager years, however, her dowry not being paid in full would likely still occur, because drought and other circumstances put financial strain on her parents' coffers.

Prince Henry would most likely not pursue priesthood, but would instead live as duke and brother to the King. It would be possible he would be sent to rule over Ireland, away from the English court.

-If Prince Edmund lived?

The prince would be originally in the shadow of his older brother the heir(later his king). But eventually, as there would be no male heir from the royal couple, Prince Edmund's importance would arise tenfold.

But the question is, how would having a living brother affect Henry's mentality? Would it make him feel more secure, and would they get along and he would simply consider him heir? Or would he see him as a threat and still cling to the hope of having his own children(Great Matter scenario).

Aside from the civil war(Matilda vs Stephen), the royals could also try to solve the succession crisis through marriage.

And that might be gross. Because potentially Mary could wed Edmund. Yes, it is incest(uncle and niece). However, in 1496 King Ferdinand II of Naples married his aunt Joanna. (He was the son of her half-brother.) With full approval of the church. He died about a month later, so no kids there.

Another possible scenario is that they would try to Mary to marry Edmund's son(like Claude and Francis). Since Edmund would be 17 years older than Mary, he could be married and have a child of similar age to her. If it was son, the crisis would be over and Mary would get to be Queen Consort. Of course, Catherine of Aragon would not like it. But English would certainly prefer it over a woman on the throne.

-What if the sisters of Henry VIII chose duty?

Mary and Margaret both made stupid decisions regarding their second marriages. Which in the end cost their family and England.

Margaret's decision to remarry to Douglas was a disaster.

She lost custody of her sons and right to be regent due to this. She had to flee country, one of her sons died while she was away, she had to leave her daughter behind to return to Scotland. And her son never seem to truly forgave her(for leaving him) and she failed in making Scotland and England into allies or at least countries living peacefully next to each other.

Had she not remarried, her position as regent would be unshakable. She lost so much, because of stupidly falling for Douglas.

You might have more sympathy for Mary after being married to the old French king, to wish to have a younger husband instead.

-But had she returned as an unwed widow to England, she would very likely have a young husband too. Very likely Catherine of Aragon would be lobbying for her to wed Charles V after all, and it wouldn't be so bad for Mary. Charles though not looker was a good husband. Although a bit too much into his step-grandmother in real life, if he and Mary would get married before he left for Spain, young beautiful Mary would certainly be all he would have eyes for.

The scenario was greatly disappointing for all fans of Isabella and Charles- however beneficial for England, and disadvantageous for France. Would be interesting to see what side would Charles take during great matter if his wife was Henry's sister.

-If Mary Rose was wed to Charles without ever being sent to France, it would be an even better scenario, although she would not have jointure nor some jewels she acquired there.

But she would have a chance to meet Margaret of Austria in the Netherlands.

-What if Catherine of Aragon's ladies called for midwives?

Atypical labor pains resulted in a dead child in 1511 and shock caused ladies to not call upon midwives and hush it up instead. Catherine's stomach then grew, possibly with a huge infection-real cause of the reproduction issues later on.

However, had experienced midwives been called upon Catherine's child might have been revived, or at least she would have received better medical care. Thus potentially she wouldn't later have lost her babies and at least some of them would live.

-What if Mary I's pregnancy was real? And child lived.

Boy or girl, if they lived they would be heir to England. But should Mary indeed die just a few years later, the question is who would be regent and raise the child?

Would it be shipped off abroad for its safety, only for others to put Elizabeth on the throne? And then that child would try to reclaim the throne later?

Or would Elizabeth be imprisoned or even killed by regent, to keep the infant safe?

Or would Elizabeth get to power, but her heart would waver and she would rather raise the child as her own? (Either as its regent or as its Queen). Or would she imprison it simply, and the child would spend decades in the Tower or some other residence, locked away.

-What if Elizabeth of York and/or her daughters lived?

Well, I hope she would talk some sense to her second son, and her daughters too. Her other daughter surviving would affect dynastic relationships in Europe, with far-reaching consequences. Although I am not sure who they would end up marrying, since they would be likely good-looking, they would certainly be highly desirable brides.

[horizon-verizon]

There's something really strange about how HotD allows women to seemingly have power until they actually have to exercise it and maintain it.

The young Rhaenyra fights to be heard but seeks to establish herself, then we jump in time and all her fire has gone out, Alicent denigrates her in the council and in 6 years in DS she has not gained ally for her future council to not speak above her and truly respect her.

Alicent as Rhaenyra's opponent apparently has allies, lords and knights who will follow her (even if it is in the name of her son because exercising power through a man is still power)then we reach her moment of greatest triumph and she... She was left out of the plans and begins to lose more and more influence.

Baela appears confident on e7 but as soon as it's her turn to stand firm on the council she starts to be a scared little girl (which wouldn't be a bad arc because in fact she shares it with Jace in what It could be age discrimination instead of gender, but it's still strange because I'm sure they are already legally adults and AEMOND doesn't seem to have those problems even though some must have objected to a 16-17 boy who may have only strategized in Westeros chess being his main strategist).

Rhaenys has apparently never been afraid to voice her opinion and ruled in her husband's name, so in theory she should know how to deal with men their man·splain and its benevolent misogyny or not. But eventually she needs to ask Corlys for help and be rescued because she's not enough to keep the council in order.

These are our main women and they all express in their plot that women cannot have or maintain power by themselves. Then we also have:

Lady Serena/Sabitha (still confused by the name) who sits at the negotiating table with Lord Frey and Jace in apparent equality. A woman who shows up with several men to shout at Daemon for the Blackwoods without any fear. And Alys and Mysaria whose power depends on what they achieve behind closed doors with more socially influential people.

There is a whole history of women in history clawing and fighting for power and influence any way they could. Henry VII's mother is one of my favorites because she was only the king's mother, not even queen dowager, but she was a constant and influential presence at court, many wives/mothers/sisters of Roman emperors were involved in political intrigues (Caligula's mother had to be exiled for seeking justice for her murdered husband and inviting rebellion, Comudus' mother and Marcus Aurelius' wife when she thought her husband died moved to protect her children by inadvertently causing a political disaster and Comudus's sister thought that power should belong to her and her husband and not her brother, etc) We have, of course, Matilda but there are also Isabella I, Mary I, Isabella of Castile and several of her daughters.What about the power of the consorts? Catherine of Aragon was loved by the fountain even after her death and the legitimacy of her divorce called into question the marriage to Anne and the legitimacy of Elizabeth I, Anne and Parr were well-read women who had a far from insignificant influence. Or Catherine the great? This is a very messy and incomplete list and we wouldn't even have to look at the real world because Asoiaf already has it, I think one of the favorite reviews I read pointed out that Martin managed to show in a world that oppressed women how they were equal in ability and intelligence to men, which made his world misogynistic, but women themselves were no less.

hotD refuses to give us that because every time women have to show real power and not an appearance of it (which is what these women do in the background, Pretend that hey, yes there are women with power, just not any of our protagonists!) is degraded and put in her place carrying a message completely contrary to a supposedly "feminist" narrative.

There is only pain, suffering and the romanticization of that female martyrdom. We don't need it to be a girl power fantasy but at least there should be some nuance, some catharsis and hope because otherwise the message is... Why would you bother leaving the kitchen?

Now, to be clear to any readers: Anon is describing more how the writers have women held back and/or men intervene on for women to have any ability to address or resist other men's pressures: example, Rhaenys and Corlys as Anon said above in that specific scene. This is NOT a in-world character hate spiel!

Getting into it:

Rhaenys didn't directly ask Corlys to step in for her, he did that on his own in the episode...HOWEVER, the WRITING and plot sequence has Corlys have to step in. And I'll add another scene that anon's point reminds me of--Rhaenys didn't know or wouldn't rule Vaemond to just not do shit or face severe consequences....she was the ruling Lady for Corlys in his absence, of course she can order Vaemond around...but she doesn't. (No he can still ignore her, but that in itself would be so much more interesting [and truer to her orig/better character] that she falter in how to address him. Imagine she had ordered him to not go to KL, he goes anyway [thus this is another breach of higher authority], and thus there are TWO levels to his disobedience and duplicitous behavior in trying to become lord against his Lord's wishes and while he's too weak to address such a thing).

I think that we can keep Baela's trepidation as is bc as you say, non, it could be age but it'd also mean her gender and position as a future consort. She'd of course have some "beginning" trouble with addressing the council BUT I think what the issue is 2 things: A) in 1x08, Baela didn't know how to address Vaemond and that's fine, but we need to see progress and that requires more scenes of her growing some confidence. B) those scene before Vaemond's attempt that S1 didn't provide, and thus maybe we could have had a more "fronting"-and-resentful/openly-indignant-but-not-retreating-Baela like we saw then

Aemond has a totally different experience from Baela as a second born prince who was not, at first, to be King or that close to practicing a ruler's power-authority. Despite his position & his belief in his own abilities, he also has been feening for a chance to actually put those abiliities to practice. Other than him being 2nd born, he doesn't experience the layer of misogyny that includes engendering young girls that they can't do a thing AND they shouldn't specifically bc their femaleness is seen as (in)humanely and inherently lacking.

"Alicent as Rhaenyra's opponent apparently has allies, lords and knights who will follow her"--well, in 1x06/07, she tells Larys that she is "alone" and she needs Otto's hand to help her gain more influence in court. Enough to properly intimidate Rhaenyra....but since we don't get to see and witness the actual results of Otto's return to court (Rhaenyra immediately leaves for Dragonstone BEFORE Otto even comes back!), even this is more an appearance of power. Why? Because if Alicent of 1x06 wanted Otto to use against Rhaenyra, and Rhaenyra leaves before he even arrives...what is the point of Ott? Bc Alicent is now #1 bitch at court, at least actively?! Why couldn't we get Otto creeping (not sexual) on Alicent's authority and sorta taking over over her slowly but surely and we see Alicent's quasi-regret in asking him back? Instead we have Otto completely taking over and Alicent totally unaware! Rhaenyra is not there to "negate" Alicent at council, "show off" her "plain-featured sons" (& what...sully Alicent's eyes? or what?), or take possible/present supporting courtiers at court...who we never ever see as you say anon...so Otto comes to court at Alicent's ehest, and she actually doesn't gain much except a man leadign her around more than her making at least some use out of him for use all to WITNESS in key scenes where instead of Otto making announcements at court, it's either her or one of her lackeys....again, this is not about COUNCIL, this is about COURT but why not both with more scenes of Alicent leading court than her at council?

nice pointing out the discrepancy b/t the main lead female nobles vs the fewer side female nobles and Mysaria.

"There is only pain, suffering and the romanticization of that female martyrdom." I mean, there was already much over use of pain-suffering of women compared to men in Rhaenyra's story; problem with HotD is that there was also the stripping down of female rage/defiance/militancy/determination/self-assertion despite some men's most stupid desires. Their own desires for power vs the males' desires to use them for power [again, that example I gave pf Alicent--in real time--realizing Otto trying to use her for his own power trips or just ignoring her & trying to still keep use Otto for her own ends but finding such a tightrope nearly impossible to walk], to be specific. This goes for the Vaemond-Rhaenys thing as well]

"We don't need it to be a girl power fantasy but at least there should be some nuance, some catharsis and hope because otherwise the message is" -- bc of GoT, there is no real message of "hope" for women specifically...as the Dance was always woman-focused, specifically the plight of a woman who has been killed simply bc she demanded the same privileges men had concerning feudal-monarchial authority. There's little-to-no catharsis in Rhaenyra's story--you can maybe find some comfort in her life at Dragonstone after the show is over...oh wait😒--but it is true HotD refuses to handle the moments and spaces of her life pre-end of war that would have showed her both happy and more in control over her body/residence/etc.: Harwin & Daemon, [canonically, both at Dragonstone]; Laena [both Dragonstone & Driftmark]; her own kids,Rhaenys [Dragonstone/Driftmark] -- And I already described more nuanced rewrites for Rhaenys and Alicent

[richmond-rex]

Hi so I have a couple questions on young Henry VIII and Henry VII that I haven't seen addressed in any Henry VII biographies. First do we know why Henry VII didn't marry again to try to have more sons after Arthur and EOY died? Was it just because of his grief over the loss of his wife do you think? Or something else?

Also why didn't Henry VII marry Henry VIII to someone before he himself died? I know they originally got the papal dispensation for Catherine of Aragon to marry young Prince Henry but than the betrothal was broken off after Queen Isabella died. I believe Henry VII began looking into a betrothal with Eleanor of Austria (her niece) and Queen Juana and Philip the Handsome's daughter after that. Do we know why he didn't pursue this further? This seems like it would have been a more ideal match given the similarity in their ages.

Hello! Sorry for taking so long to reply, I haven't had much access to my computer after working hours. The answer to your questions are kind of complex-y. Henry VII did try to marry after Elizabeth of York died, though closer inspection to what evidence we have is that he took at least a year and a half before considering taking another wife (the diplomatic correspondence also seems to coincide with the period when colourful clothes returned to his wardrobe). We don't have access to his thoughts and motivations — we don't know if his council persuaded him to overcome his grief or if he made up his mind himself after overcoming a period of mourning — but the main motivation for remarriage seems to have been diplomatic/trade alliances and economic advantages, far more so than companioship or even having new children.

Henry could have easily have married Ferdinand of Aragon's niece (the dowager queen of Naples) but the advantages she could have brought in terms of dowry and pre-existing dower, trade deals and diplomatic alliances must not have been very high. He seems to have been far more interested in marrying Margaret of Austria, dowager Duchess of Savoy and the Holy Emperor's only daughter. Their marriage would have been part of an incredibly lucrative trade deal with Burgundy (as negotiated with her brother Philip the Handsome before he died) and would have brought Henry closer to her charge, her nephew the future Charles V who was to rule Burgundy AND Spain, and who Henry envisioned for his own daughter Mary.

Another alternative that was of interest to Henry was Juana of Spain who, again, would have brought him closer to her son Charles and who could maybe even bring him the quasi-regency of Spain if Henry was successful enough in divesting her father Ferdinand, who by that time Henry was at odds with (Henry did enquire into Ferdinand's control grip in Spain and whether he was still popular there). Henry pursued Juana's hand at the same time that he pursued Margaret of Austria's so I disagree when historians say he was truly 'in love' with either of these women.

All of this is to say that diplomatic game of chess seems to have been of far more interest to Henry than having other heirs, otherwise he could have easily accepted Ferdinand's niece in 1504 and gotten new children by 1505/6. Having new heirs also seems at odds with his pursuing of Margaret of Austria who had been married twice (technically thrice but the first marriage wasn't consummated) and had not have living issue despite those marriages. Margaret even wrote to her father expressing her fear that her inability to have children would displease a new husband, but surely Henry must have been aware of her record and decided that the other economic and diplomatic advantages of that union would be enough.

This is why I don't agree when historians say Henry VIII got his all-consuming fear of having no heirs from his father when that father seems to have elected having new heirs as a second priority over diplomacy and trade deals (granted, he still had three living children and his son didn't). I'm of the opinion that Henry VII did not want his son to marry Catherine of Aragon because of deteriorating relations with her father Ferdinand (if not because of religious reasons as well). The reason he didn't get to marry his son to some other foreign bride were diplomatic imo — he barely lived long enough to see his daughter's betrothal to the future Charles V, let alone be successful in marrying his heir, the most important chess piece in his diplomatic relations.

Marguerite of Angouleme seems to have been considered for Prince Henry but Henry VII didn't live long enough to drive the necessary wedge between the French king Louis XII and Ferdinand — they had become allies thanks to Ferdinand's marriage to Germaine of Foix. Ferdinand spared no effort to make Louis XII understand he'd see any marriage talk to Prince Henry as an act of disrespect against himself and his daughter Catherine. Eleanor of Austria was also considered as you said, but Henry VII seems to have prioritising securing Eleanor's brother Charles as a son-in-law first (and securing that betrothal took much longer than expected thanks to Ferdinand's interference). He did tell Ferdinand, for example, that he wished to see his daughter Mary married before he died. I think he just didn't have enough time to circumvent all the diplomatic hindrances.

I'm personally of the opinion that marrying Prince Henry to Eleanor would have exhausted an already used avenue. Spain's alliance was secured by Mary's betrothal to the Infant Charles; a new alliance with France, for example, would have been far more advantageous to England's interests, but I can't say that was Henry VII's own view.

I wish I could elaborate further and bring more sources but I haven't had much time to be on this blog, so please forgive me x

[edwardseymour]

This is probably a huge question but do we know much about the six wives and their relationships to their mothers?

you would be much better off asking the coa/ab/kp blogs this about their fave wives, because i don’t know every woman in depth! we naturally don’t have an equal level of source about these relationships for all women, and as it is a relationship between women the scholarship also often underserves us!

catherine of aragon and isabel seem to have been close, but of course i doubt catherine had the opportunity nor inclination to insult or diminish her connection with her mother, considering isabel of castile’s importance. tremlett describes isabel as a surprisingly “affectionate and attentive mother”, citing a source where “the queen held up her youngest daughter” to watch a bullfight with her. catherine’s predicament following arthur’s death leads me to assume isabel must have felt some genuine concern for her daughter, as she attempted to push for catherine to return home or marry henry, and financially maintained the spanish ladies in her daughter’s household iirc.

i believe anne boleyn and her mother, elizabeth howard, were genuinely close. elizabeth played the functional role as mother (acting as chaperone for anne and henry, for example) — but it seems like they had an affectionate relationship. in letters, anne described her affectionately: “next to my own mother, no woman alive I love better”, and when anne boleyn was in the tower, she had an outburst that “oh my mother, thou wilt die with sorrow”.

we know next to nothing about jane’s relationship with her mother, margery, unfortunately!

anne of cleves seems to have been close with her mother, maria! according to darsie: “from henry viii’s ambassadors it is known that maria of jülich-berg shared a close relationship with anna”. anne continued to write to her mother once in england, and reportedly maria was thrilled to hear from her, described as “she showed great joy” upon receiving anne’s letter.

katherine howard’s mother, jocasta, died when she was very young, so they were not able to have a relationship. i suppose you could argue that the dowager duchess, agnes, functionally filled that role, but i do not think there’s evidence that she served that role on an emotional capacity, nor that either felt that intimately close to the other. in any case, katherine left us no evidence of her feelings regarding her parents.

i haven’t focused much on maud, katherine parr’s mother, so i don’t know much about their relationship. she worked hard for her daughter’s prospects, but i don’t know much about their personal relationship. i can’t imagine she was around much in katherine’s early years, considering her court career, but i must confess i haven’t looked too deeply into it so i genuinely don’t know!

[fideidefenswhore]

So I was having an argument with someone on Reddit about whether Chapuys was told to acknowledge Anne Boleyn as Queen after Katherine of Aragon died? I believe he was in a letter? Is there any truth to that?

Also wasn't Mary threatened with death and execution if she refused to sign the Oath of Supremacy? I believe her biographers mention this. This person was a rabid Mary and Catherine of Aragon fan couldn't believe that anyone acknowledged Anne Boleyn as Queen and also insisted Henry never would have dared to kill Mary because he loved her. Like he hadn't just murdered his wife eyeroll.

This was momentous for both sides. We tend to focus on the significance of the event for Anne, but we must acknowledge that this was equally significant for Charles. It has been suggested that the king and Cromwell had engineered the event to send a signal to Charles that Henry could not be manipulated into a rapprochement, yet this is highly unlikely, as Charles was already willing to accept Anne as part of an alliance.

Some qualms with this article aside, this is basically the gist, I don't know of the extant letter offhand, but this is also pretty much the summary of dynamics at this point in time also mentioned in Hunting the Falcon and both of Elizabeth Norton's works on AB (the biography and the primary source collation). However, one important detail missing in this summary: Charles V was willing to acknowledge Anne as Queen in exchange for Princess Mary being acknowledged as heir apparent again, at the expense of Princess Elizabeth (so, basically, Charles was asking Henry to reverse an Act of Parliament...which he would do later, but on his own terms, and with the total subordination of Mary's title as well). This was something neither Anne (or Henry, as it turns out) were willing to allow, but it was in negotiation. It appears that Cromwell overpromised (without permission, in Henry's name) in this regard, to Chapuys, this particular thing in exchange and bore the brunt of Henry's anger because of it (I call the conflict between Cromwell and Henry with Chapuys and Edward Seymour as witness the 'failed Imperial detente').

Yeah, many people acknowledged Anne as Queen....not all royals, and not all unequivocally, for certain, but many did. What tends to be lost in the overreliance on Chapuys' dispatches as source material is that, while he does tend to present the suggestion that no one in England did, the very existence of what he terms 'the Lady's party' precludes that suggestion. If she truly had no support as Queen or prior, she would have no 'party'.

And yeah, I don't know. I tend to think of that as I do Wolsey's arrest, although it technically never went that far. As in, we don't know what we don't know...it was rare that someone would be sent to the Tower and emerge freed at some point, but it did sometimes happen. Maybe Mary would be arrested but sent to Syon instead, even, rather than the Tower. Melita Thomas has argued for the significance of Mary being the only one who 'defied Henry's authority and was forgiven', but while I did enjoy that biography in all its detail, I didn't particularly agree with her thesis...there were many who did and were, although perhaps not defiance in such a prolonged and significant way? (Charles Brandon and Princess Mary/The Dowager Queen of France, Wolsey for several years before his arrest, Gertrude Blount, Elizabeth Darrell, Margaret Douglas, Peto and Elstow were merely exiled after their 'Jezebel' sermon...and for those that did ultimately defy him, none of them became recreants as Mary did, so I don't believe they're really equivalent examples...we can't know if Henry would have forgiven Richard Fetherstone, Thomas More, John Forrest, etc if they recanted, because they didn't).

[thepastisalreadywritten]

Authors Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss found inspiration for their hit musical in the lives and loves of King Henry VIII, but SIX tells the story from the women’s point of view.

Each queen gets her moment in the spotlight to explain her fate of being “Divorced. Beheaded. Died. Divorced. Beheaded. Survived.”

Divorced: Catherine of Aragon

Larger-than-life Henry VIII ruled England for 36 years (1509-1547), raging war against France and Scotland, separating from the Catholic Church, and paving the way for the constitution of England, among other political achievements.

But young Prince Henry was not destined to be king. When his older brother Arthur died in 1502 at age 15, Henry became the heir to the throne.

When Arthur died, Henry didn’t just inherit the throne—he inherited his brother’s fiancée, Catherine of Aragon.

After marrying, the two became parents to a son—who tragically died two months later.

Their daughter Mary was born in 1516, but by 1526, the marriage had not produced the male heir Henry needed to secure the succession.

He began looking for a new bride, even though the Catholic Church made it impossible to divorce Catherine.

In the end, the answer was simple:

Henry believed he was a king ordained by God, so he, not the pope, had ultimate authority over his kingdom; as such, he could grant his own annulment.

This decision led to England’s break with the Catholic Church—and the creation of the Anglican Church.

After their annulment, Catherine was given the title “Dowager Duchess of Wales,” and she lived out her days at Kimbolton Castle. She died in 1536 from cancer at the age of 50.

Mary, by the way, went on to become Queen of England and Ireland from 1553 to 1558, during which time she fought to reverse the English Reformation, brought about during her father’s reign.

Beheaded: Anne Boleyn

While still married to Catherine, Henry had begun wooing a court beauty, Anne Boleyn, and was determined to marry her.

A lady-in-waiting to Catherine, Anne was sophisticated, charming, and confident.

She is commonly believed to be the wife he loved the most.

As his advisers worked on “the King’s great matter” of the divorce, the couple had to wait seven years to be married—though the two flaunted their relationship in court.

He wrote her love letters, which still exist today:

“I hope soon to see you again,” he wrote, “which will be to me a greater comfort than all the precious jewels in the world.”

Anne was six months pregnant when they finally said “I do” in June 1533. Three months later, she gave birth to Elizabeth I.

She had two stillborn children and suffered a miscarriage in 1536; the fetus appeared to be male. Henry still did not have his heir.

Little by little, Henry grew tired of Anne, and his eye caught sight of a new woman: Jane Seymour.

To end the marriage, Henry needed to find a way out—and he found it through accusing Anne of high treason.

For the crimes of adultery, incest and plotting to murder the king, Anne was arrested and imprisoned in the Tower of London.

She went on trial, denied all charges, but was found guilty.

Anne was beheaded on 17 May 1536 at the Tower and buried in an unmarked grave beneath the Parish Church there.

Died: Jane Seymour

While married to Anne, Henry visited the Seymour home. It was believed that was when he first laid eyes on Jane, who served as a lady in waiting for both Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn.

As in his relationship with Anne, Henry began courting Jane while still a married man.

Beautiful and reserved, she was a stark contrast to his first two wives. Before long, rumors of his attraction to her spread. 

He proposed to her the day after Anne Boleyn’s execution, and they were married a month later.

She bore a son, the future Edward VI, in 1537 but died within 12 days of giving birth.

She is the only wife buried with him in the same tomb in St. George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Divorced: Anne of Cleves

Henry’s ministers searched high and low for a new wife for the king, whose abysmal marital reputation preceded him.

Anne of Cleves, the daughter of a German duke, became a prospect for diplomatic reasons:

The marriage would ally England with a Protestant duchy, thus solidifying England’s religious reformation.

But Henry needed to know what she looked like, so, on the advice of Thomas Cromwell, he sent his favorite court painter, Hans Holbein the Younger, to the German duchy.

He approved based on the portrait.

When Anne arrived, however, he was crestfallen to see she was not as fair as reported.

(Remember, he was no great looker at that time of his life—obese, in chronic pain, with an unpredictable temper.)

Nevertheless, they were married at Greenwich Palace on 6 January 1540, but he was already looking for a way out.

The marriage was annulled six months later, on the technicality that it hadn’t been consummated.

She was given Hever Castle (Anne Boleyn’s former home) and the title “King’s Beloved Sister.”

Thomas Cromwell was not so fortunate; Henry had him executed for his miscalculation.

Beheaded: Catherine Howard

Henry was 49, and Catherine was 19 or 20, when he spotted her among the ladies in waiting to his previous wife, Anne of Cleves.

Vivacious and full of energy, the young Catherine had no choice in the matter. The pair married in 1540, three weeks after his separation with Anne.

She became his trophy wife.

No doubt turned off by her much older husband (who suffered from various ailments including ulcerous legs), she fell in love with Thomas Culpeper, one of Henry’s young advisers.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, found out, and he reported her indiscretions—including those that occurred before their marriage with other men—to Henry.

She was charged with “unchastity” before her marriage, concealing her indiscretions, and adultery: acts of treason.

She was executed on 13 February 1542.

Survived: Catherine Parr

Twice married and twice widowed, the down-to-earth Catherine was reluctant at first to marry Henry. Who wouldn’t be?

She knew the fates of his previous wives, though she also knew that refusing the king could have drastic consequences.

She had caught his eye when she had been part of the household of Princess Mary, the king’s daughter.

They were married in 1543. By all reports, she was a loving, pious wife who offered comfort to Henry in his old age.

She helped Henry to reconcile with his two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, and ensured they were educated and restored to succession.

She outlived him and married for a fourth time.

[thdilettante]

the dilettante, earl of allington and, in some people's view, the concubine's wastrel

penned by velvet for @bloodydayshq

BULLETPOINTS:

name: thomas wyatt age/dob: fifty-five / 12th september 1503 status/rank: earl of allington country of origin: england place of birth: allington castle, kent birth order: second mother & father: sir henry wyatt ✟ & lady anne skinner ✟ siblings: henry wyatt (premature) ✟, margaret lee (nee wyatt) ✟ sexuality: heterosexual? horoscope: virgo virtues: passionate, sympathetic, eloquent vices: disloyal, over-imaginative, perverse martial status: married to dowager queen anne boleyn issue: thomas wyatt the younger (1521-1554) ✟ henry darrell ✟ francis darrell, edward darrell ✟ alliance(s): the tudors, the boleyns adversaries: not many, tbh

TIMELINE:

1503 — born at Allington Castle, Kent 1508 —Margaret Wyatt is born 1515 — made "Sewer Extraordinary" at Henry VIII's court 1516 — attended St John's College, Cambridge 1518 — graduated with a Bachelor's degree 1520 — married Elizabeth Brooke, the daughter of Thomas Brooke 8th Baron Cobham & Dorothy Heydon 1521 — his son, Thomas Wyatt, is born at Allington Castle 1524 — made an ambassador and Keeper of the King's Jewels whilst publishing his poetry, his sister Margaret marries Sir Anthony Lee 1525 — Wyatt meets Anne Boleyn at Hever Castle, before going on a Spanish meeting. Upon his return he takes part in the Christmas Tournament at Greenwich, his mother dies at the end of the year 1526 — accompanies Sir John Russell, Earl of Bedford, to Rome to petition for the divorce of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon, before being sent to negotiate with the Republic of Venice 1527 — is captured by the Holy Roman Empire by Emperor Charles V in whilst in Rome, alongside the Pope before managing a valiant escape back to England in the same year 1528 — made High Marshal of Calais for his bravery 1530 — given leave of Calais 1532 — is a member of the party that accompanies King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn to Calais 1533 — attends Boleyn's coronation 1535 — knighted by the King 1536 — created High Sheriff of Kent before being arrested and held in the tower for a few months of suspected adultery, though he is later released when Boleyn's own warrant is overturned 1537 — takes a former maid of honour to Catherine of Aragon as his formal mistress, her name is Elizabeth Darrell and in the same year they have a son called Henry who dies some months after his birth 1538 — He is given a post of English Ambassador to the court of Charles V, HRE. 1540 — granted the site of Boxley Abbey which had been dissolved in 1537, Darrel gives birth to a third son, Edward 1541 — Elected Member of Parliament for Kent, before being arrested on charge of treason after being rude to the King and dealing with Reginald Pole, is later released due to the interference of Anne Boleyn, Darrell gives birth to a second son, Francis who takes his mother's name 1544 —Darrell gives birth to Edward, who only survives a few months 1549 — Certayne Psalmes, 7 palms by Wyatt is published, 1556 — Elizabeth Darrell dies in Dorset 1557 — Songes and Sonnettes, a collection of 96 songs is published, and he is made Earl of Allington 1559 — marriage between himself and Anne Boleyn is arranged

BIOGRAPHY

A polymath in a number of skills, Thomas Wyatt (the poet) was always a wonder in a flock of English men. His story is long and detailed, with many complex sudden turns that lead the man into worlds previously unknown. From a family originally from the wilds of Yorkshire that were quickly named black sheeps after their deflection to the Lancastrian side in the War of the Roses, Thomas Wyatt was meant to be unsuspecting, to be normal. 

Henry Wyatt, who had been earlier imprisoned and tortured by Rihard III, had been a Privy Councillor of Henry VII and remained a trusted adviser when Henry VIII ascended to the throne in 1509. Married to Anne Skinner, the daughter of John Skinner of Surrey, they welcomed Thomas in 1503 but were cursed with a stillborn son only a few years later, a sadness that plagued the family until the birth of their last child, Margaret. Whilst his childhood was peaceful at best, he nurtured an artistic personality. He’d often brood over life’s most important questions, swoon over the ladies in his life and spent many hours taken to his bed writing poems that would be the starting point of what was to become his published works.

It was at thirteen years old when everything changed for the young lad, whilst following his father to the court of Henry VIII, he caught the eye of many courtiers with his love for the arts, leading the King to bestow upon Thomas the role of a “Sewer Extraordinary”, which meant he waited the King’s table. Court itself influenced the boy to adopt a way of speaking that frequented the royal household and ultimately left him to observe the many goings on of romance, foreign ambassadors and the ladies in waiting who very obviously caught his eye. He remained there until 1518, where he was enrolled into a prestigious Cambridge University. Though school was a good and fulfilling experience, Thomas often yearned for what was to come - for the glory of court and the King who seemed benevolent and a master one would do anything for. But it was there, in the final years of his Bachelor’s degree ,that Thomas fell hopelessly in love with Elizabeth Brooke, the daughter of Baron Cobham, Thomas Brooke, and Dorothy Heydon, daughter of Sir Henry Heydon.

This so-called love soon manifested itself into spite once the usual honeymoon phase burnt itself out. By the time Thomas grew bored with his wife, Elizabeth had given him a son named after his father - but that was not to fix the marriage. With both partners growing dispatched, especially with Thomas’ new position at court as a diplomatic ambassador for England, they both fell into the realm of adultery. Both furiously unhappy, they two separated from one another on the grounds of adultery, leaving them scandalised but not unsuccessful. Where his career triumphed, she remarried and had her second set of sons, but she mostly cared for her firstborn, leaving the first Thomas separated from his firstborn son. 

Whilst travelling Europe with a keen eye, he divulged himself with poetry, art and music. INfluenced by Italian, Spanish and German couplets, Thomas would send work back to the King and his court for evaluation and eventual praise. Nurturing a love for various stanza forms (rondeau, epigrams, terza rima & ottava rima), Thomas’ fame grew steadily along with his various conquests. Whilst he wrote poems for many women he admired, none stuck so heavily as the one that fell on Anne Boleyn’s doorstep. 

And now I follow the

 coals that be quent,

From Dover to Calais 

against my mind. 

//

Graven in diamonds with letters plain,

There is written her fair neck round about, 

“Noli me tangere [Do not touch me], Caesar’s, I am.” 

It was this poem that the Seymour Loyalists strove to use against Thomas Wyatt and Anne Boleyn, and which caused his first bout in the Tower of London for a mere few months by lay of Thomas Cromwell and Boleyn herself. Released without charge, Thomas sought life by the horns, writing many poems that strung on heartstrings - eventually finding peace in the arms of Elizabeth Darrell, who was Catherine of Aragon’s former maid of honour. This love affair, still strained by adultery, resulted in three illegitimate sons and finally forced Thomas to finalize a divorce with the help of the King between himself and his first wife. 

Many things occurred between these times set in stone including hostage situations, audiences with the Pope and many, many women due to his youthful complexion. But time had done its work on Thomas Wyatt, who was once the most handsome of his kind. By 1549, after the death of Elizabeth Darrell and finally of Elizabeth Brooke, Thomas Wyatt returned to court revigorated with a new lease of life. For ten years he continued on with spirit, offering discourse to the aging king and then to the son upon the succession as a gilded Earl. But, mostly, he found himself tied amongst the old love of the ever-bewitching Anne Boleyn, and though he would've been quite happy to ponder his years among the great splendour of court, he found himself suddenly intertwined into a marriage once thought untouched or unthought off. Anne was his, but at what cost? Now a step-father to the King and the Princess, Thomas finds himself both safe and entirely at sea.

[aesthetic-solar-space]

Katherine Howard

like Catherine of Aragon this Catherine also has a secondary spelling to her name, Katheryn.

She was Henry's fifth wife for two years (1540-1542). Fun fact she is cousin to Anne Boleyn, who was Henry's second wife. However she is also second cousin to Jane Seymour, who was Henry's third wife.

Growing up she was raised in the household of her step-grandmother, The Dowager Duchess of Norfolk. However due to her uncle, Thomas Howard, being a prominent politician at court, he secured her a place within Henry's fourth wife's household, Anne of Cleves. This is where Catherine caught the King's attention.

She married him on July 28th 1540, only 19 days after the annulment of his marriage to Anne of Cleves. At the time he was 49 years old, and she was just a teenager, likely near 18 years old.

On November 1st 1541, Henry was informed of Catherine's alleged adultery with Thomas Culpeper, a distant cousin. As well as with a Henry Maanox, who had given her private music lessons whole she lived with her step-grandmother. Lastly he was also informed of a Francis Dereham, who had been a previous teenager boyfriend of hers.

Catherine was stripped of her title as Queen in November of 1541 and then beheaded in February 1542 on the grounds of treason for committing adultery.

[famousinuniverse]

Catherine of Aragon

Queen of England

Reine consort d'Angleterre

Born: December 16, 1485, Archbishop's Palace of Alcalá de Henares, Alcala de Henares, Spain

Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, Spanish: Catalina; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until their annulment on 23 May 1533. Born in Spain, she was Princess of Wales while married to Henry's elder brother.

The daughter of Isabella I of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon, Catherine was three years old when she was betrothed to Arthur, heir apparent to the English throne. They married in 1501, but Arthur died five months later. Catherine spent years in limbo, and during this time, she held the position of ambassador of the Aragonese crown to England in 1507, the first known female ambassador in European history.

She married Henry shortly after his accession in 1509. Catherine's second wedding took place on 11 June 1509, seven years after Prince Arthur's death. She married Henry VIII, who had only just acceded to the throne, in a private ceremony in the church of the Observant Friars outside Greenwich Palace. She was 23 years of age.

The King's great matter

In 1525, Henry VIII became enamoured of Anne Boleyn, a lady-in-waiting to Queen Catherine; Anne was between ten and seventeen years younger than Henry, being born between 1501 and 1507. Henry began pursuing her; Catherine was no longer able to bear children by this time. Henry began to believe that his marriage was cursed and sought confirmation from the Bible, which he interpreted to say that if a man marries his brother's wife, the couple will be childless. Even if her marriage to Arthur had not been consummated (and Catherine would insist to her dying day that she had come to Henry's bed a virgin), Henry's interpretation of that biblical passage meant that their marriage had been wrong in the eyes of God.

Whether the pope at the time of Henry and Catherine's marriage had the right to overrule Henry's claimed scriptural impediment would become a hot topic in Henry's campaign to wrest an annulment from the present Pope.

It soon became the one absorbing object of Henry's desires to secure an annulment. Catherine was defiant when it was suggested that she quietly retire to a nunnery, saying: "God never called me to a nunnery. I am the King's true and legitimate wife.

Henry married Anne Boleyn in a secret ceremony.  Some sources speculate that Anne was already pregnant at the time (and Henry did not want to risk a son being born illegitimate) but others testify that Anne (who had seen her sister Mary Boleyn taken up as the king's mistress and summarily cast aside) refused to sleep with Henry until they were married. Henry defended the lawfulness of their union by pointing out that Catherine had previously been married. If she and Arthur had consummated their marriage, Henry by canon law had the right to remarry.  On 23 May 1533, Cranmer, sitting in judgement at a special court convened at Dunstable Priory to rule on the validity of Henry's marriage to Catherine, declared the marriage unlawful, even though Catherine had testified that she and Arthur had never had physical relations. Five days later, on 28 May 1533, Cranmer ruled that Henry and Anne's marriage was valid.

The Trial of Queen Catherine of Aragon, by Henry Nelson O'Neil (1846–1848)

Until the end of her life, Catherine would refer to herself as Henry's only lawful wedded wife and England's only rightful queen, and her servants continued to address her as such. Henry refused her the right to any title but "Dowager Princess of Wales" in recognition of her position as his brother's widow.

Grave of Catherine of Aragon in Peterborough Cathedral

Died: January 7, 1536, Kimbolton Castle

Children: Mary I, Henry, Duke of Cornwall, stillborn daughter Tudor

Spouse: Henry VIII (m. 1509–1533), Arthur, Prince of Wales (m. 1501–1502)

Siblings: Juana I of Castile, Isabella of Aragon, Queen of Portugal, MORE

Parents: Isabella I of Castile, Ferdinand II of Aragon

Buried: January 29, 1536, Peterborough Cathedral, Peterborough, United Kingdom

‘It’s not every day that new Tudor artifacts are discovered. Earlier this morning, researchers at the British Museum announced the discovery of a heart-shaped gold pendant, attached to a gold chain, dated to around 1521. Perhaps the most significant part of this discovery is the interwoven ‘H’ and 'K’ initials, confidently linking this find back to Henry VIII and his first wife, Katherine of Aragon. It is possible that this pendant was part of the Tudor court’s famed pageantry. It may have been presented to Queen Katherine by Henry himself at a jousting tourney at Westminster, intended to celebrate the birth of their son, Prince Henry, Duke of Cornwall. However, that would place the pendant’s origins to January of 1511 at the latest. At the tournament, King Henry proudly wore symbols of the heart, Katherine’s initials, and Katherine’s emblem – a pomegranate – woven throughout his clothes and resplendent caparisons. He spared no expense for the celebrations, although sadly, his son Henry, would breathe his last less than a month later. Little of the object’s provenance has been revealed. It was discovered by a metal detectorist in a field in the Midlands, who 'shrieked like a school girl’ upon unearthing the pendant. Hopefully in the coming months, more information about this enigmatic object will be released.’

Source: TudorExtra on Instagram

[brookstonalmanac]

Events 6.11

173 – Marcomannic Wars: The Roman army in Moravia is encircled by the Quadi, who have broken the peace treaty (171). In a violent thunderstorm emperor Marcus Aurelius defeats and subdues them in the so-called "miracle of the rain". 631 – Emperor Taizong of Tang sends envoys to the Xueyantuo bearing gold and silk in order to seek the release of Chinese prisoners captured during the transition from Sui to Tang. 786 – A Hasanid Alid uprising in Mecca is crushed by the Abbasids at the Battle of Fakhkh. 980 – Vladimir the Great consolidates the Kievan realm from Ukraine to the Baltic Sea. He is proclaimed ruler (knyaz) of all Kievan Rus'. 1011 – Lombard Revolt: Greek citizens of Bari rise up against the Lombard rebels led by Melus and deliver the city to Basil Mesardonites, Byzantine governor (catepan) of the Catepanate of Italy. 1118 – Roger of Salerno, Prince of Antioch, captures Azaz from the Seljuk Turks. 1157 – Albert I of Brandenburg, also called The Bear (Ger: Albrecht der Bär), becomes the founder of the Margraviate of Brandenburg, Germany and the first margrave. 1345 – The megas doux Alexios Apokaukos, chief minister of the Byzantine Empire, is lynched by political prisoners. 1429 – Hundred Years' War: Start of the Battle of Jargeau. 1488 – Battle of Sauchieburn: Fought between rebel Lords and James III of Scotland, resulting in the death of the king. 1509 – Henry VIII of England marries Catherine of Aragon. 1559 – Don Tristan de Luna y Arellano sails for Florida with party of 1,500, intending to settle on gulf coast (Vera Cruz, Mexico). 1594 – Philip II recognizes the rights and privileges of the local nobles and chieftains in the Philippines, which paved way to the stabilization of the rule of the Principalía (an elite ruling class of native nobility in Spanish Philippines). 1748 – Denmark adopts the characteristic Nordic Cross flag later taken up by all other Scandinavian countries. 1770 – British explorer Captain James Cook runs aground on the Great Barrier Reef. 1775 – The American Revolutionary War's first naval engagement, the Battle of Machias, results in the capture of a small British naval vessel. 1776 – The Continental Congress appoints Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Roger Sherman, and Robert R. Livingston to the Committee of Five to draft a declaration of independence. 1788 – Russian explorer Gerasim Izmailov reaches Alaska. 1805 – A fire consumes large portions of Detroit in the Michigan Territory. 1825 – The first cornerstone is laid for Fort Hamilton in New York City. 1837 – The Broad Street Riot occurs in Boston, fueled by ethnic tensions between Yankees and Irish. 1865 – The Naval Battle of the Riachuelo is fought on the rivulet Riachuelo (Argentina), between the Paraguayan Navy on one side and the Brazilian Navy on the other. The Brazilian victory was crucial for the later success of the Triple Alliance (Brazil, Uruguay, and Argentina) in the Paraguayan War. 1892 – The Limelight Department, one of the world's first film studios, is officially established in Melbourne, Australia. 1895 – Paris–Bordeaux–Paris, sometimes called the first automobile race in history or the "first motor race", takes place. 1898 – The Hundred Days' Reform, a planned movement to reform social, political, and educational institutions in China, is started by the Guangxu Emperor, but is suspended by Empress Dowager Cixi after 104 days. (The failed reform led to the abolition of the Imperial examination in 1905.) 1901 – The boundaries of the Colony of New Zealand are extended by the UK to include the Cook Islands. 1903 – A group of Serbian officers storms the royal palace and assassinates King Alexander I of Serbia and his wife, Queen Draga. 1917 – King Alexander assumes the throne of Greece after his father, Constantine I, is deemed to have abdicated under pressure from allied armies occupying Athens. 1919 – Sir Barton wins the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first horse to win the U.S. Triple Crown. 1920 – During the U.S. Republican National Convention in Chicago, U.S. Republican Party leaders gathered in a room at the Blackstone Hotel to come to a consensus on their candidate for the U.S. presidential election, leading the Associated Press to coin the political phrase "smoke-filled room". 1935 – Inventor Edwin Armstrong gives the first public demonstration of FM broadcasting in the United States at Alpine, New Jersey. 1936 – The London International Surrealist Exhibition opens. 1937 – Great Purge: The Soviet Union under Joseph Stalin executes eight army leaders. 1938 – Second Sino-Japanese War: The Battle of Wuhan starts. 1940 – World War II: The Siege of Malta begins with a series of Italian air raids. 1942 – World War II: The United States agrees to send Lend-Lease aid to the Soviet Union. 1942 – Free French Forces retreat from Bir Hakeim after having successfully delayed the Axis advance. 1944 – USS Missouri, the last battleship built by the United States Navy and future site of the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, is commissioned. 1955 – Eighty-three spectators are killed and at least 100 are injured after an Austin-Healey and a Mercedes-Benz collide at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, the deadliest ever accident in motorsports. 1956 – Start of Gal Oya riots, the first reported ethnic riots that target minority Sri Lankan Tamils in the Eastern Province. The total number of deaths is reportedly 150. 1962 – Frank Morris, John Anglin and Clarence Anglin allegedly become the only prisoners to escape from the prison on Alcatraz Island. 1963 – American Civil Rights Movement: Governor of Alabama George Wallace defiantly stands at the door of Foster Auditorium at the University of Alabama in an attempt to block two black students, Vivian Malone and James Hood, from attending that school. Later in the day, accompanied by federalized National Guard troops, they are able to register. 1963 – Buddhist monk Thích Quảng Đức burns himself with gasoline in a busy Saigon intersection to protest the lack of religious freedom in South Vietnam. 1963 – John F. Kennedy addresses Americans from the Oval Office proposing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which would revolutionize American society by guaranteeing equal access to public facilities, ending segregation in education, and guaranteeing federal protection for voting rights. 1964 – World War II veteran Walter Seifert attacks an elementary school in Cologne, Germany, killing at least eight children and two teachers and seriously injuring several more with a home-made flamethrower and a lance. 1968 – Lloyd J. Old identified the first cell surface antigens that could differentiate among different cell types. 1970 – After being appointed on May 15, Anna Mae Hays and Elizabeth P. Hoisington officially receive their ranks as U.S. Army Generals, becoming the first women to do so. 1971 – The U.S. Government forcibly removes the last holdouts to the Native American Occupation of Alcatraz, ending 19 months of control. 1978 – Altaf Hussain founds the student political movement All Pakistan Muhajir Students Organisation (APMSO) in Karachi University. 1981 – A magnitude 6.9 earthquake at Golbaf, Iran, kills at least 2,000. 1987 – Diane Abbott, Paul Boateng and Bernie Grant are elected as the first black MPs in Great Britain. 1998 – Compaq Computer pays US$9 billion for Digital Equipment Corporation in the largest high-tech acquisition. 2001 – Timothy McVeigh is executed for his role in the Oklahoma City bombing. 2002 – Antonio Meucci is acknowledged as the first inventor of the telephone by the United States Congress. 2004 – Cassini–Huygens makes its closest flyby of the Saturn moon Phoebe. 2007 – Mudslides in Chittagong, Bangladesh, kill 130 people. 2008 – Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper makes a historic official apology to Canada's First Nations in regard to abuses at a Canadian Indian residential school. 2008 – The Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope is launched into orbit. 2010 – The first African FIFA World Cup kicks off in South Africa. 2012 – More than 80 people die in a landslide triggered by two earthquakes in Afghanistan; an entire village is buried. 2013 – Greece's public broadcaster ERT is shut down by then-prime minister Antonis Samaras. It would open exactly two years later by then-prime minister Alexis Tsipras.

[realcatalina]

Catherine’s dowager years: 1502-Isabella and Ferdinand’s corespondence with their ambassadors

We all heard the story. Henry VII forcibly kept Catherine of Aragon in Spain, refused to pay her any jointure, her parents wanted her to return home immediately and English were desperate for alliance with Spain.

But is it a true? Let’s find out. 

I have been researching correspondence between England and Spain between 1500 and cca 1503(intedning to all the go up to 1509). For this I am relying mainly on  Calendar of State Papers, Spain, Volume 1, 1485-1509 on webpage of British History online. Letters are translated(and in some case deciphered also) into English and something might have been lost in translation and many times it is mere summary of the letters. But some are there in almost full lenght.

And if they are to be believed to be even slightly accurate, then I am most intriqued and at some cases bit at shock at what I learnt about Catherine of Aragon’s time as dowager-hence after Arthur died on 2 April 1502 and what her parents actually thought and were doing in that year:

15 April-Ferdinand and Isabella received all letters from December and are glad to hear of good health of King and Queen of England and Princess and PRINCE of Wales. (Yes, I don’t believe Arthur was sickly and yet I still believe Catherine. I just don’t believe many people around her, lies they spread about Arthur. But on 15 April Arthur was already dead, Isabella and Ferdinand just didn’t know yet.)

10 May-They found out and her parents  immediately sent new ambassador Duke of Estrada to reclaim 1st half of her dowry, to demand that Catherine receives all of her jointure as widow, to sent Catherine back to Spain as soon as possible. 

But ALSO to conclude marriage between their daughter and new Prince of Wales! And renegotaite again the terms of marriage.

(They plan diplomatic ruse, more about it later.)

12 May-They express the sorrow on death of prince Arthur.

They also asked for princess to be removed from unhealthy place where prince died (later further described as unhealthy situation)-people might think this points to Ludlow being in horrible state-but word situation more likely refers to outbreak of disease in the area. 

(She was removed before they even sent that letter-question is,why don’t they inquire about her health more? She nearly died.)

29 May Order to servants of Princess-Princess must not borrow money. (Apparently they’ve been told Henry VII has not given Catherine yet any revenue. They word it very strongly and it sounds as accusation of misconduct, instead of friendly remainder to man who just lost his eldest son and was for while very taken by it! And didn’t immediately asign her money.)

They also demand Catherine is given all towns manors and lands within her jointure-(This should in theory mean that by this point they consider her widow, not virgin. But in fact it does not, as is clear from rest of letters)

To Dona Elvira and Juan de Cuero they command that all gold, silver, jewels etc. fo Princess must be kept well and nothing to be sold. 

14 June, more commands to ambassador to make King of England believe they want their daughter to come back to Spain ‘Do it in such way he may believe we are desirious of it, for in this manner the bussiness(the marriage with new prince of Wales)  may best be furthered.’

(This is reoccuring a lot in those letters-Catherine’s parents were playing diplomatic ruse, never truly intending on sending for their daughter!)

16 June Henry VII promises he will do what was promised(regarding taking care of Catherine as widow, providing her financially etc.) and ask them to keep their promises. 

Catherine’s parents mention their daughter wrote to them stating that King Henry is in HASTE to give her estates to her!  

(So he is not keeping her jointure from her as estates are big part of it! I so badly wish to know content of this letter in full!)

But Don Pedro Ayala(one of ambassador at England) believes Henry wishes to give Catherine her estates, because then he will not have to return 1st half of her dowry. 

(Which according to English law, if marriage was consumated he wouldn’t have to. But it is clear later on, consumated or not, Isabella and Ferdinand wanted that dowry back either way.)

Then there is statement(presumably by Spanish monarchs): ‘There is no right or reason why this should take the place.’ 

(Do they not wish for their daughter to receive her estates? They were strongly telling Henry VII to hand those to her! Made up your mind!)

Then they explain their mindset about the dowry-when marriage is dissolved, dowry returns to parents, as stated clearly in both cannon and civil law.

(They ask for it from day 1, and only later in this letter it is inquired about consumation of that marriage. I am very confused about this  because I never heard od dowry being returnable in case groom dies, even if marriage was consumated and I am European. Royals married foreigners all the time and this is first time I hear of supposed different customs regarding dowry. Nowadays people think that Isabella and Ferdinand only wanted that dowry back because Catheirne was virgin-but that is not the case.They want the dowry back even if marriage was consumated!)

Therefore they are not bound to pay rest of the dowry (according to Ferdinand and Isabella) , but he(Henry VII) is obliged to pay back what he received of it and pay the jointure.

(They wanted dowry back AND the jointure be paid to Catherine. No sane person would agree to that!)

Catherine also wrote to her parents that Henry VII pretends to not care for new match(he might have been mourning still) and that they must make 1st move.

(So Catherine already written to her parents. Yet they still weren’t informed about her virginity-I am just giving Thistle new munition by this point(she believes marriage was consumated) But Catherine might have been still unwell from Sweating Sickness and not thinking straight.)

Only then in letter they inquire about her virginity, stating nobody told them anything about it, and they ambassador to use all flattery to prevent them from conceiling it. 

(Do they mean English or Spanish? Surely spanish would tell their own ambassador, or do they not trust each other?)

12 July-King of France treatends their possesions in Italy(intending to attack) and is bound to prevent marriage of their daughter to new prince of Wales in favour of sister of Monsieur d’ Angoulême(future Francis I, whose only sister was Margaret of Valois Angoulême). 

They command there must be no delay in contract of marriage between their daughter and new Prince of Wales. They know by now Catheirne is Virgin and wish to conclude matter swiftly. They wish to pay 2nd half of dowry when marriage is consumated if ambassador is not able to get more time than that!

‘On no account agree for us to pay what is still remaining of dowry until marriage shall have been consumated.’

(You know I had such big arguments with Thistle about which country was rich and which poor, who was desperate and now I might have to go and apologize to her. This really is beginning to sound as if they are desperate and out of money!)

They aslo wanted King of England to immediately provide for Catherine and her people, arrangement of her household, in eveerything should be done to his satisfaction. (Because they needed him! So at this time they gave him authority over Catherine household and were doing their best to please him-hence if at this point he dismissed most of Catherine’s household as he did in late 1505, her parents would probably not object much if at all) + to keep her duena and anybody she wishes to retain.

They also don’t want the new marriage be concluded too rashly, without any suspision of hindrance nor showing too much eagerness, they want it done prudently. (They don’t want to appear desperate.)

In other part of letter they want reneaval of treaty with England, which would then oblige Henry VII to aid them in defence of their lands(including those in Italy French King was threatening.)-all except Apulia and Calabria, which they obtained after previous treaty was signed. Ambassador is to avoid topic of King of France before treaty is renewed and act as if he doesn’t believe it when he hears anything about him(at court, at public).

After treaty is renewed, ambassador is to inform King Henry of French King’s intention to attack their holdings. And that mutual aid is to be given between them. They want ambassador to persuade King Henry to attack Guienne and Normandy.  (Guinenne seems like Aquitania region to me, iam not 100% sure though.)

18 July-Demand of assistance in hardship from Henry VII(he to assist Spain, he is not asking for help, they are.), more about rushing the marriage treaty in letter to de Estrada, to Puebla the message is barely same, just written in much gentler manner(they also previously told de Estrada to use Puebla, as he is better at talking with Henry VII).

In 2nd letter from 18th July once again they demand dowry is return and despite that they want Catherine to fully enjoy her jointure. They specifically say she is entitled to have received already her rents(probably annual)-accounting to 25,000 scudos. (that is 1/4 of of dowry already paid to English).

(You cannot have this both ways. Either she is virgin not entitled to jointure and entitled to her dowry or she is widow entitled to jointure and not to her dowry. Not both! And I am absolutely in desbelief, they already knew by this point that she is virgin and still keep demanding the jointure. 

By this point it is showcase of Ferdinand AND Isabella being totally unreasonable and greedy. Not Henry VII! They want the money, they want the alliance, military help,  every single perk, yet none of the of the responsibilities.)

Anyway, very unfavourable report against Dr Puebla was at same time sent to Catherine’s parents by her(something other people told her) and in fallowing letter it is revealed and he and don Pedro(de Ayala probably) had quarrels and don Pedro was hindering things 

10 August. Departure of Princess for Spain to be hastened.

(They are playing with Henry VII again.) Entire letter in detail tells ambassador how to best pretend they intend for princess to really leave, including making her servants believe it, finding people to escort her to port etc. Putting on the show!

It is very very long summary, so i believe it was very very long letter. 

Furthermore demand of dowry returned again, this time suddenly remembering Catherine is virgin and only now it seems they found out he is pretending to not know. (Which was not the case, he always believed his son-or wanted to believe his son, he never pretended to believe Catherine over Arthur.), they say they cannot believe suddenly he would act dishonoruably and not fallow what he promised. 

(After them accusing him of wrongdoing when he did nothing wrong so far and them planning to trick him-I am starting to believe them less and less. They had habit of strongly accusing him even when he did nothing.)

They point out to ambassador that Henry will point that there is article in treaty which says in this case he is not bound to return the portion of dowry.

(But I don’t get what they mean then get by ‘sucha article is not to be found on it’. Is it like the article doesn’t exist, or don’t let him take out this argument?)

Then there is detailed instructation of what to do if he objects(presumably by pointing out that artile, they mention. Why would they expect him to point such article, if it didn’t exist? I am more suspicious of them more I read this.)

If he says that according to laws of his kingdom he is not bound to pay it back, ‘then you shall tell him that we are not acquainted with the laws of his kingdom’ (clearly you are! Otherwise it wouldn’t sound like this. You’re expecting him to object-so you know!) 

More how to argument against Henry(basically pushing meaningless word salad on him, which just sound right but is without any real strong argument, and is full of indirect threats-that is my summary of it). 

then in latin more or less ambassador is instructed not to negotiate Princess’ dowry further so that English believe more that they(Ferdinand and Isabella) wish Princess to come to Spain. 

If English should speak of bethrohal, then ask details, not showing any wish or goodwill towards it. If they ask ambassador to comment on it, he must say that unless they(english) only proposed it in order to delay departure of Princess, then he shall discuss it with Isabella and Ferdinand. 

But in such case, ambassador is to put down all the particulars, without showing that he has any wish to have matter urged. And ambassador can condlude it without consulting them further( as he was already instructed on details further in this letter).

But if bethrohal is not spoken about by English, appear as if you had nothing else to negotiate’ (apart from Princess departure and her dowry returned.) 

Then details of what bethrohal treaty should include. One of those details is if either one of bethrohed should die before marriage or marriage was childless the dowry is to be returned to Spain. 

(more greed!)

Ambassador is given letters of autority one fo which enables him to freight ships of Spain in order to demonstrate preparation for departure. 

More details how to make Puebla to convince Henry VII(by making don Pedro Ayal leave England), they discuss having Doctor(presumably puebla) return to Spain and giving him 2,000 ducats for him to leave. 

More urging for conclusion, ‘for then all our anxienty will cease and we shall be able to seek aid of England against France, for it is the most efficient help that we can have.’ 

Then matter turns to Dona Elvira and Pedro Manrique, they must tnot be forced to give up, by hair’s breadth, their charge(Catherine) and ambassador is to protect dona Elvira and everybody else(but ambassadors) should obey her.

Still 10 August-they received report of Catherine’s good health,  from Estrada and say they have been very anxious about her. (Catherine took long to recover from Sweating sickness). 

Puebla wrote to them that Henry VII is obliged to restore wihin year of Prince of Wales death(arthur probably) return the 100,000 scudos of portion given to princess of wales and that King of England is obliged to give princess her jointure and her dowry, as was stipulated.  They instruct de Estrada to have marriage settled immediately. 

(once again they want all the perks.)

Isabella in another letter from that day, also states that her ambassador at England should work together with ambassador Don Juan Manuel about Suffolk bussiness, and to settle matter in way KIng of England desires. (They are talking about handing de la Pole back to England.)

Then from August to September more worried letters about French King’s troops in Italy to Spanish ambassadors in England. Fearing he might take Naples and be sole ruler of Italy. More suggestion for Henry to attack France and restore old territories of England. And finallyadmiting French King has caught them unprepared and is bound on taking their territories. Propose confederation(pact) against French King, united Spain and England against French. It is directly stated much is at stake and gaining Henry VII  would be remedy for much anxiety. 

By 1st september Puebla already wrote that bethrohal of Catherine is possible and treaty also.  It is instructed thaen that they should observe what would be given to Catherine for her expences, ‘ Namely, that she is to have what was promised as camera or donatio propter nuptias(idk what that phrase exactly means), or that which was assigned her in place of it.’ , and to make sure such payments can’t be diminished later on.(finally a reasoable statement! By this point it seems Catherine was at Durham House) 

30th September-Ambassadors instructed to push bethrohal and not mention Guienne and Normandy. Ambassador is instructed to use flattery and words such as ‘on accoun of love which we bear him, and because it is good for both parties, we have agreed to conform to his wishes’ (as if they weren’t pushing for this bethrohal too)

17 Novemeber More threats of sending for Catherine if bethrohal doesn’t take place. If it is, speak of guienne and Normandy. More about Dona Elvira is to be obeyed by all. Dona Elvira should also excuse her husband’s conduct as best she can. (But there is no mention what he did.)

13 December Recall of Don Pedro de Ayala-Since he came to england, their affairs were conducted in much worse manner than they were before. (He was reasigned elsewhere, but appears to have returned by 1505 when Puebla complains about him and Dona Elvira)

(by the way remember Ayala’s recall was suggested earlier to sway Puebla)

But as parting gift, he sent letter of complain against Puebla describing events from December 1502(but as it is deliver in 1503 it will be there). If it is lie against rival ambassador it is beyond nasty. If it is true, then Puebla was dishonourable as hell. But either way  Henry VII was at that time beyond understanding and nice. But more about it in part two which will deal with year 1503.  

I was wrong, the letter actually spoke of events of December 1501. So it wasn’t parting gift, and rivalry was full-blown already when Catherine arived in England, and Puebla appeared to be very dishonourable. But question is, can we trust Ayala’s words and words of other ambassadors? Truth might be entirely different and good guys and bad guys might not necessarly be the ones you think. (Chinese harem drama taught me that.)

However, there were multiple complains against Puebla over the years and it appears often he might have often lied, and that his loyalties were more with England than Spain. And being fully depended on Henry VII financially, he often did what he thought would please him(even his assumption was wrong and he didn’t know King’s real wishes.) However to be fair. Isabella and Ferdinand didn’t give THEIR ambassador any money to live from abroad. Puebla was mocked by some english courtiers, because he was often begging at court to be allowed to take some food and wine with him home, for himself and his servants.In my opinion he was in such dire strands as Catherine as dowager. Just for way longer!

Since this is the end, I would like to extent my apologizies to Thistle, for she was right all along. English weren’t desperate for match, Spanish were. I admit I was wrong, she was right and yes, she is entitled to be all smug about it as last time. God I hate it when she is proven right! 

Spanish truly had no intention on Catherine returning, it was all diplomatic ruse. Nothing in this suggest Henry VII kept Catherine in England by force or that he insisted on not paying her anything. On contrary he offered her the jointure, while still believing his son. But Catherine’s parents indirectly admitted in those letters that they knew English laws regarding jointure and dowry and still they acted oblivious to push their interests. 

They were telling their ambassadors to actively lie and deceit.

You know. I hate that Thomas More and John Fisher were made into saints for exactly same reason. Those two men instructed their servants that it was ok to lie if cause was good. But who decides if cause is good? 

People with such minset eventually end up doing selfish things and excusing their bad actions as ‘for good cause’. But sadly Catheirne was surounded by such people. Who thought nothing of lying or consequences for future(for Catherine, or their own souls).

These constant deceit were good for momentary gain for Isabella and Ferdinand, but were  bound to backfire upon Catherine. Because while Henry VII  wished for alliance with Spain, nobody would be ok with such behaviour for long. Plus, they used same threat of sending princess back to Spain still in late 1508. He’d have to be fool to not realise by then it was ruse they never planned to go along with.

Tbh, this is exactly what Ferdinand did in 1512-1513 to Henry VIII, so I am not surprised by Ferdinand. What I am surprised about is that Isabella’s own letters among this are in exactly same manner. 

But to be objective, I will be going also through corespondence of Henry VII and see what he was saying, to find if he wasn’t exactly the amount of shrew and calculation as Catherine’s parents.

[fabledenigma]

In the Source Link, you will find a gif pack of Charlotte Hope in The Spanish Princess Season 1 pilot.

Charlotte plays the role of Catherine of Aragon, who became the first wife of King Henry VIII and the longest of his marriages. At 15, she was married to Henry's older brother Arthur Tudor. The marriage only lasted around 4 months as Arthur passed away from the sweating sickness both had contracted in the country, Catherine survived. Several years later, after testifying that her marriage to Arthur was never consummated and a dispensation from the Pope, Catherine and Henry were married when he ascended the throne.

A strong Queen consort, Catherine bore many children for her husband, however only one - a daughter - Mary Tudor, reached adulthood. Her other children were stillborn, or lived a few months. Catherine passed her love of religion on to her daughter and both were devoted Catholics throughout their lives.

Catherine was later divorced from Henry, in the eyes of the Church of England, after Henry was unable to be granted an annulment from the Pope to dissolve his and Catherine's marriage. Although divorced, Catherine maintained that she had only ever been with Henry and was his one true wife in the eyes of God. However, Henry gave her the title of Dowager Princess of Wales and no other title, before going on to marry his second wife.

Source - FabledEnigma

[thquldnunc]

If she thought him an unfaithful servant, then so be it, for when did Walsingham spend precious moments thinking of the reputation savoured among the Spanish faithfuls? Never, would be the answer, his apathy hailed from land to ocean in one whisper caught behind cupped hands. But, there was a charm that refused to escape his attention, and so akin to a moth to the flame he continued, rubbing shoulders with her as if the ghosts of old haunts were not present with every step, or every turn of such a beautiful head. With his brows falling, however, Walsingham was not known for his easily read expressions, for every muscle was guarded with fore-thought, every calculation made behind the dark glean of his eyes as he escorted the Spaniard out into the gardens. 

It was true that the Dowager had preferred the gift of sparkling jewels to the lone thought of a cold meeting cast against varnished wood and adorned tapestries — but Thomas knew better than to give way to Anne’s simmering temper, to her constant need to be the great Boleyn Queen known across Christendom for fracturing all that had once been taken for certainty. For he had been raised beneath the boldness of Cromwell, then cast into the fires to aid him in the ascension of both his name and his future legend. But what else did he heed, when the time was right? He did not yearn for his name to be pressed with glory as Cecil or Wyatt may have craved, but there was surely a part of him that wanted nothing more than to be some aid in the cultivation of something grand. With the waver of a rare smile, Walsingham bowed his head, practising a coyness before the air stroked their warm-blooded cheeks.

“Ah, yes, his Majesty thought to continue the position offered by his late Majesty…” He answered, somewhat making note that the guest had either not been aware of his posting under Henry or thought it useless to comment upon the past. With hesitation, however, he remained her walking partner and bowed his head to her height to hear her tongue that grew complex with an accent he had once thought only to belong to the late Catherine. There had been no love between the past Queen and himself, that and he was barely recognised for Thomas was but a shadow lingering to pass on news of her complicit death to his own Master who waited beyond city walls.  Had he thought to talk about her, perhaps he would nudge a wound partly healed, splitting skin to reveal the wrath that came with being the enemy of — in her tongue — la concubina.

Though it had been some years since he had watched the daughter of Aragon take her last prayer whilst under heavy guard and solemn maids, he could not help but hear a stitch of her from within her country woman. Bare rooms. A warm bed. Then let the luxury of England be taken from beneath her feet, let the true reality of poverty rub against her the sole of satin feet — then the truth may omit some audience! And yet, Thomas allowed her to pretend, his lips sewn shut with the promise of being gentle and kind, to allow the space to sow seeds of her own greatness, to let this foreigner pretend was not a defeat but an orchestrated withdrawal. There was no need to burn the first embers of warfare among such a pretty atmosphere. “Well, as modest as it may be to eat upon the floor with nothing but God for company, I would be blessed to invite you among the greatness of English cuisine, if you are lucky I may organise something of which you may desire. What is it that has drawn you to our shores? To Suffolk and her kin? Should I also ask you, your Grace, to perhaps make merry with our King? Or our Princess?” He asked, thus forth refusing to mention the first born of Henry Tudor, the girl he had once twisted and manipulated to bring before her father once more.

The Duchess knew Thomas Walsingham to be a devoted servant, but an unfettered one, his reputation for guile and perfidy leaking into the oft-mangled reports her emissaries collected from the rabble of London. Walsingham’s loyalties, like his very faith, blew hot and cold; he swapped masters like playing cards, his former warden having been Thomas Cromwell, who was, himself, sculpted by the fat hands of a butcher’s son – the disgraced Cardinal Wolsey. Maria’s lip curled into an alluring smile as she twined her arm through the crook of Waslingham’s elbow, like a brocade-sheathed serpentine, admiring the blinking chain of estate wreathed reverently around Thomas’ thick throat. She’d met Cromwell, only once, many years ere his neck had been slashed from his body; so long ago that the memory, itself, was pale and warped at the edges, like a damp scroll of parchment. She mustered a diaphanous image of a serious gentleman who was, dare she say – a little dull? His conversation had been well-informed, as one might expect of such an august Caesar, risen from the ditches of Blackfiars into glory-basted eminence, but except with his henchman, Maria found him restrained by his own scheming and servitude.

One could overcome a vulgar tongue, an unlearned mind; but never the perversion of a low-born birth. His fortitude could not disguise the fact that he was a weary man, clinging to borrowed time, grasping at dimming favour, relying on the whispers of his apprentices and acolytes who were already rapidly retreating to the white-hot heat of another master, fluttering like moths to a flame, the tips of their brown wings molten. Walsingham, she found, was nothing like his former employer. His sparkling wit and natural grace might even awe Queen Mary’s stiff – albeit grandiose – Spanish entourage, lending animation to the distinguished furrow of his English brow.

Maria bowed her head to the Secretary’s entreaty, but refused to bend to the Boleyn’s authority; averting the liquid caramel of her gaze in mock-humility. With her hands folded against the dark material of her dress, the Duchess leveled, ‘I should think the Dowager would prefer the jewels I sent.’ She bit her tongue, on which clustered most foul words of condemnation, and simpered. If Maria had it her way, she would have sent the concubine a pair of leather gloves to hide the extra digit reputedly sprouting from the mounds of her palm – a lurid tale spread across the length and breadth of Spain that she took a particularly perverse delight in. In muttered tones, Maria grumbled, though it would appear she would have my written surrender before my goodwill.

‘It would be an honour, Lord Secretary.’ The Duchess spoke evenly, her thick skirts rustling across the pavement as the sun illuminated the rubies inlaid in her hood. ‘I understand you are now one of the King’s chief ministers. If you ever think to come to Spain, I vow to provide my services in turn. Ah, but I know you are married to England, sir, and would not think to whisk you from your post.’ His pleasantries elicited a deep rumble of laughter from Maria’s breast, ringing like the chiming of a Vespers bell. ‘Oh, good sir, flatter me not. My Lady the Duchess of Suffolk is this magnificent manor’s touch of brilliance. My late husband would tell you I have the tastes of a poor man, and indeed I would be contented with bare walls and a warm bed. It is but for the generosity of my kinswoman that I live in such grand estate.’ Her sherry-hued eyes cut across the Secretary, for her words, festooned with gratitude, made her case plain: it was Lady Suffolk, her blood as thickly royal as King William himself, to whom Maria referred to as a sister, confidant, and lodestar in England.

‘And if we were in Spain, and alone, Sir Walsingham, we would eat on the floor, and consume until God himself commanded us cease, speaking only in the rich Italian tongue, for that is how it is done in Alhambra. Instead, I ask you to lay bare to me the many wonders of a true English feast.’

[thetudorslovers]

Anne Parr was born around 1514 to Sir Thomas Parr and his wife, Maud Green. She was the youngest child of Thomas and Maud.

Sir Thomas died of the sweating sickness in 1517, leaving Maud, only twenty-two years old, to fend for her three very young children. Maud decided to not remarry, so that she might retain her wealth left to her from her husband, and decided to devote her attention to her children. Maud Parr was a lady in waiting to Catalina of Aragon.

As the Parr children came of age, their mother made designs for them to marry well. William was the first, when he married Anne Bourchier in 1526. Anne was placed in Catalina of Aragon's household two years later as a lady-in-waiting. Anne's sister, Catherine, was married off to Baron Borough in 1529. That same year, their mother, Maud, died, and Anne became a ward of King Henry VIII.

After Henry's divorce from Catalina of Aragon and subsequent marriage to Anne Boleyn, the teenage Anne Parr remained in the King's household as a lady-in-waiting to the new Queen. Anne Parr remained as a lady-in-waiting to each of Henry VIII's wives, and is one of the few people to have been lady-in-waiting to all six.

By 1537, as 'Mrs Parr', Anne had become one of Jane Seymour's maidens. She was barely sixteen, sweet and, thanks to her mother's foresight, eminently marriageable. As we have seen, her father had left her a substantial marriage portion, to which her mother's will added 400 marks in plate and a third share of her jewels. The whole fortune, Lady Parr had directed, was to be securely chested up 'in coffers locked with divers locks, whereof every one of them my executors and my ... daughter Anne to have every of them a key'. 'And there', Lady Parr's will continued, 'it to remain till it ought to be delivered unto her' on her marriage.As Lady Herbert, she was keeper of the Queen’s jewels to Catherine Howard, although she left court briefly to give birth to her first child, Henry, ABT 1540. She was back at court in time to attend the disgraced Queen at Syon House and in the Tower. When her sister Catherine became Henry VIII’s sixth Queen in 1543, Anne returned to court. John Dudley, who was now Lord Admiral and Viscount Lisle, wrote to William Parr from Greenwich on 20 Jun: 'but that my Lady Latimer, your sister, and Mrs Herbert be both here at Court with my Lady Mary's Grace and my Lady Elizabeth'.Anne, along with Catherine Willoughby and Anne Stanhope were part of the Queen Catherine's inner circle, and they were all Protestants. After Anne Askew, a Protestant was arrested, those who opposed Queen Catherine tried to gain a confession from Askew that the Queen, her sister, and the other women were Protestants. Askew refused to name any names, even under the pain of torture; still, warrants for the arrest of the Parr sisters and the other two were sent out. Gardiner and his new ally Wriothesley got Henry's agreement to a coup against the Queen. Her leading women, Ladies Herbert, Lane and Tyrwhitt, would be arrested; their illegal books seized as evidence; and the Queen herself sent 'by barge' to the Tower. The Queen, however, warned of what awaited him, apologized to Henry. Quickly reconciled, and when Wriothesley arrived with forty yeomen of the guard at his back and an arrest warrant from the Queen in her pocket, was greeted with a barrage of real abuse and sent packing with his tail between his legs.Anne and her husband used Baynard’s Castle as their London residence. For the birth of her second son Edward, Anne's sister loaned her the manor of Hanworth in Middlesex for her lying in. After the birth, Anne visited Lady Hertford, who had also just given birth, at Syon House near Richmond. In Aug, the Queen sent a barge to bring Anne by river from Syon to Westminster. A girl was the hird child of William and Anne, named Anne. After Henry VIII's death, when the Queen dowager's household was at Chelsea, both Anne and her son Edward were part of the household there. At the time of her death, Anne Parr was one of Princess Mary’s ladies. 

In 1551, William Herbert was created Earl of Pembroke. Anne died quite unexpectedly at Baynard's Castle and was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral next to the tomb of John of Gaunt. Her memorial there reads: "a most faithful wife, a woman of the greatest piety and discretion".

Source: http://www.tudorplace.com.ar/Bios/AnneParr.htm

[bforbetterthanyou]

Queen consorts of England and Britain | [34/50] | Catherine of Aragon

Catherine was Queen consort of England from 1509 until 1533 as the first wife of Henry VIII. She was born on 16 December 1485 as the daughter of Ferdinand II of Aragon and Isabella I of Castile. As the daughter of the Catholic Monarchs, Catherine was highly educated in a variety of topics including history, philosophy, and arithmetic. She also learned various domestic skills and the arts. As a toddler, Catherine was betrothed to Price Arthur of England. The two were first married by proxy on 19 May 1499 and then began corresponding with each other in Latin since Catherine didn’t speak English. In 1501, Catherine travelled to England bringing a large household with her, including many African slaves. Catherine and Arthur finally met in person on 4 November 1501, but when they tried to converse with each other in Latin, they realized they couldn’t understand each other because they’d learned different pronunciations. They were married ten days later and then went off to live at Ludlow Castle in Wales. Only four and a half months later, both Arthur and Catherine fell ill, possibly with sweating sickness. Catherine survived the illness, but Arthur did not, dying at just 15 on 2 April 1502. After Catherine was widowed at 16, her future became uncertain. King Henry VII didn’t want to send her back to Spain because that would risk losing her dowry. After Henry’s wife, Elizabeth of York, died, Henry briefly considered marrying Catherine, but nothing ever came of this. Ultimately, Catherine was betrothed to her late husband’s younger brother, Prince Henry, who was five and a half years her junior. The Pope had to issue dispensation for the marriage and it was meant to take place once Henry reached the age of 14, but the betrothal was called off before that time. Catherine had many years of uncertainty and became so poor she had to sell off her clothes and plate. In 1507, she briefly served as the Spanish ambassador. On 21 April 1509, Henry VII died and his 17 year old son became Henry VIII. Two months after his ascension, Henry decided to marry Catherine. The ceremony was held on 11 June 1509 and thirteen days later, the two were crowned in a joint coronation. Catherine got pregnant very quickly after the wedding, but in January 1510, suffered a miscarriage. This would be the first in a long string of stillbirths and infant deaths. Despite this, Catherine held considerable influence in government. In 1513, she was left as regent while Henry went to fight a war in France. While regent, she faced an invasion from Scotland. Catherine and the Earl of Surrey raised an army to fight the Scots and, at the Battle of Flodden, Scotland was defeated and the Scottish king, James IV, was killed. During her time as Queen, Catherine was a patron of the arts and religion and would frequently go on pilgrimages. Unfortunately, the one thing Catherine failed at was having a living son and by the 1520s, her husband had grown tired of waiting and tired of her. He began proceedings to annul the marriage on the grounds that Catherine had previously been married to his brother. Catherine defended herself and tried to fight the annulment, but on 23 May 1533, their marriage was declared null and void and Catherine was banished from court. Her official title became Princess Dowager of Wales, but she continued to call herself Queen. After the annulment, not only was Catherine not allowed at court but she was forbidden from seeing her only surviving child, Mary. Eventually, she died in disgrace on 7 January 1536, possibly of cancer.

[minervacasterly]

5 September 1548: The Death of an Evangelical Royal Consort & Influential Protestant Writer & Defender of her Faith

Six days after Queen Dowager and Baroness of Sudeley had given birth to a daughter she named Mary (after her stepdaughter, the Lady Mary Tudor) Catherine Parr died of puerperal fever. Little before her death, while in a state of delirium she claimed: "Those that are about me care not for me". Her husband, Thomas Seymour, was by her side comforting her the entire time. Jane Grey and other ladies were also with her, reading her the scriptures.

Historian Amy Licence theorizes she could have been infected after the birth by the midwives' unclean hands which would have made possible the passage of bacteria to her body. (The lack of hygiene during childbirth was not uncommon. If she had lived through the same ordeal now she would have been treated right away and saved but as it was, the only medicine then was based on plants and folklore beliefs that Catherine, given her extensive knowledge of the former would have known very well. It is not known if he midwives or she used any of these methods. In any case it was too late, the fever spread rapidly and claimed her on the morning of September fifth).

Her husband was grief-stricken, unable to believe that she was gone that he later said: "I was so amazed that I had small regard to either myself or to my doings".

Catherine was buried days later with full pomp and ceremony, with Jane Grey acting as her chief mourner, walking behind her coffin with Lady Elizabeth Tilney carrying the long train. Catherine Parr was the first Royal and only Queen of Henry VIII's, to have a Protestant Funeral. Miles Coverdale headed the funeral which was in English and concluded it with this eulogy:

"A beautous daughter blessed her arms,

An infant copy of her parents' charms.

When now seven days this tender flower had bloomed

Heaven in its wrath the mother's soul resumed

Our loyal breast with rising sighs are torn,

With saints she triumphs, we with mortals mourn."

Her husband Thomas Seymour, Baron Sudeley and daughter, Mary Seymour, did not survive her for long. Sudeley was arrested at his house while entertaining a guest, and sent to Tower under charges of treason. He was found guilty and beheaded on March 20 1549. Afterwards, their daughter was given over to Catherine Brandon nee Willoughby, Duchess Dowager of Suffolk in whose care she probably died as she disappears from the records a year after.

Despite leaving everything to her husband, the Protectorate took her wealth and this made Sudeley angry, and he ended up conspiring with the Marquises of Dorset (Henry Grey) and Northampton (William Parr -Catherine's brother), against his brother. The Duchess Dowager of Suffolk begged the Council many times to help her with her charge's finances but they never took her pleas seriously until 1550 when Catherine Parr's wealth was given back to her daughter, but by then she was probably sick or dying because she is never mentioned again.

Catherine Parr has gone down in fiction and popular media as nothing more than Henry's nurse and staunch Reformer but she was so much more than that. She and Mary I's mother were the only two of Henry's wives who served as Regents during his absence, and they were two of the most learned women in England who caused great impact on their respective faiths and both were known for being kind and generous. Eustace Chapuys before he left England on the summer 1545, commented that out of all of Henry's Queens, with the exception of Katherine of Aragon, Catherine Parr was the only one who was worthy of her position. She was a good friend with Mary I, who was encouraged by her to translate one of the gospels of the New Testament and who followed her wherever she went.

Sources:

Katherine Parr by Linda Porter

Sister Who Would Be Queen by Leanda de Lisle

In Bed With The Tudors by Amy Licence.