Henry VIII Catherine Of Aragon Wedding and Coronation

It was always a king's duty to marry as soon as possible, mainly for political advantage, and more importantly, to produce a son and heir. For Henry, he would wed Catherine of Aragon, his brother's widow, to whom he had been betrothed since 1503. Catherine was six years older than Henry at the time. She was the daughter of Ferdinand of Aragon and Isabella of Castile, both sovereigns of a united Spain. Sadly, Henry VII had treated Catherine with contempt during her short period of widowhood. He kept her hidden away in a world of almost destitution, and refused her to marry his other son, Henry. Because Isabella had died in 1504, Catherine had now been relegated to the status of Princess of Aragon. This gave the king reason to believe that there were better matches for his son out there. The Pope had granted a dispensation, even though it was considered wrong for a man to marry his brother's widow. However, Catherine swore her marriage had never been consummated. Henry VII moaned and grumbled about it. Yet there was nothing he could do to stop Henry, who completely disregarded all the advice from his father. Catherine was a petite, shapely lady with a regal and dignified bearing, despite her small stature. And like the majority of Spaniards, she had a fair and beautiful complexion, grey eyes and auburn hair. She, like Henry, had also been referred to as the most beautiful creature on the face of the planet. But Catherine had refined her patience and discretion to the point where Henry referred to her as a woman of the greatest gentleness. Although Catherine was a lively lady with a kind and gracious disposition, she would also possess a stubborn streak, and at times be uncompromising. Although her strengths always outshined her weaknesses, with Erasmus claiming she was a brilliant example of her sex, the one serious side of Catherine was her religion. She would spend hours at prayer, at times kneeling with a cushion before a Spanish crucifix, and a statue of St Catherine with her wheel, and St Margaret with her crown and cross. In 1509, Henry and Catherine were together at Greenwich in preparation for their marriage. The design of Greenwich Palace was unique. It had no moat, and the apartments were stacked on top of each other, forming a keep, as you'd see in a castle. However, there were no fortifications, it was classed as a residence, and its design would be repeated throughout the Tudor period. But Henry loved it here, and it was his birthplace, and the first half of his reign, he would be seen here more than any other palace. On the 11th of June 1509, Henry and Catherine were married in a quiet ceremony, officiated by William Warren, the Archbishop of Canterbury. There were no public celebrations, and the whole event was carried out in the privacy of the palace. It would be now the new queen consort's duties would kick in. Her first and most crucial role was producing children, preferably a son, and giving her new king a male heir. But being a lady, Catherine had a great interest in fashion. She was always dressed well and in beautiful gowns, and her hair would flow over her shoulders. But this was only permitted to unmarried girls and queens. But Catherine also introduced to England the Spanish Farthingale, a petticoat of linen stiffened with increasing cane hoops. Ladies would wear it underneath their gown, and as a fashion, it would remain throughout the 16th century. Henry truly loved his wife. In a letter to Catherine's father, he said, If I were still free, I would choose her for wife before all others. The couple were pretty much inseparable. Henry would often be found in the queen's chamber discussing religious matters or books, in fact everything and anything that could retain his stay. Catherine was happier than she had ever been to this point, and all she needed to do now to complete it was give the king a son. Henry inherited a vast amount of wealth, it's been suggested around £1.2 million. Roughly today, it's in the £800 million ballpark. His abundance of riches gave him cause to do whatever he wanted, and it was a time of plenty for the Tudors, especially after the years of dynastic struggles. On the 21st of June, 1509, the king moved his court to the Tower of London, traditionally used for monarchs to stay before their coronation. Although the crown jewels were not held here at this time, to see them, you'd have to visit Westminster Abbey, where they would remain until 1661. Henry rarely visited the tower due to his mother dying there in childbirth, and her brothers. The princes in the tower were widely reported to have been murdered by the late Richard III. The tower held little in the way of comfort for the king, it was looking run down, a cold, dark piece of architecture, with a moat used mainly as a 16th century dump site. However, Henry had some rooms decorated, and fully refurbished, for his big day. On the 22nd of June, Henry would participate in a ceremony for 26 new knights of the Bath, most of them close friends who attended his privy chamber. The following day, London was rejoicing as Henry and Catherine rode through the streets in a glittering procession to Westminster Palace. Back then, the city skyline was dominated by spires, set poles amongst the 80 churches to be seen. Henry's grandmother, Margaret Beaufort, glanced down at the couple from a window, and as they passed, she wept with joy. Henry would wear a crimson robe, furred with ermine, alongside his future queen. By late afternoon, the couple would arrive at the Palace of Westminster, the seat of royal government, and the monarch's chief residence since the 11th century. The palace was a sprawling complex covering six acres, mainly medieval stone and timber buildings. Throughout the night before the coronation, Henry and Catherine kept vigil within St. Stephen's Chapel. It was founded by King Stephen in the 12th century, and remodelled by Edward III in the 14th century. The big day arrived. Henry and Catherine were both wearing royal robes of crimson. They walked towards Westminster Abbey, and unlike today where we might see a red carpet, back then it was a striped cloth, sprinkled with herbs and flowers. Thomas More said, This day consecrates a young man who is the everlasting glory of our age. Henry then swore the oath before being anointed with holy oil. Placed on his head was the crown of St. Edward the Confessor, and the choir broke out into a song as the newly crowned king was led away to his throne to receive the homage of his chief subject. Catherine would be crowned but in a ceremony much shorter than the king's. The coronet was set with diamonds, rubies and pearls. The couple would now walk away together and back to Westminster Hall for their coronation banquet. After Trumpet's fanfare greeted them, the guests devoured the first course. The king's champion Sir Robert Dimmock would ride his horse up and down the hall, throwing down the gauntlet to anyone who dared to contest the king's title. A customary job in which you can imagine no one offered to take up the opportunity. The celebrations would continue for the foreseeable future. Jousting tournaments were common practice, and what better time to show off in front of the newly crowned monarch. The Palace of Westminster was turned into an arena, a pavilion was built for the royal party, and everywhere you could see the Tudor rose and gilded pomegranates, the badge of Catherine. The shields of the jousters were displayed on a wall, and it was now time for the battle to commence. The challengers who wore plumed golden helmets called themselves the Knights of Diana, and they included Edward Neville amongst their ranks. Charles Brandon, another close friend to Henry, would also take part. In one round he found himself up against a substantial German challenger. Still, Charles battered him about the head, his nose bled, and he was led away defeated. The following day, dear was slaughtered in the yard and hung on hooks, then presented to the Queen and her ladies. However, sadness was just around the corner. On the 29th of June, Lady Margaret Beaufort died. Before her death, she had asked Henry to take Bishop John Fisher as his mentor. He had been Margaret's confessor and close associate. Fisher was a man with a distinguished career. He was labelled as the most holy bishop in Christendom, a man who held high morals and principles, and Margaret had given her blessing to him, knowing he would be the right man to guide the inexperienced king. But it seems Henry gave little time or attention to his grandmother's suggestion. Church bells would toll for the next six days, Fisher would pay tribute to Margaret at her funeral, and Erasmus would write her epitaph. For Henry, it was time to move forward. He had now gathered a majority of court, and his rule was about to begin in earnest. Thanks for watching History Roadshow. Don't forget to smash that like button, subscribe and hit the notification bell so you never miss a new video release.