The Divorce of Henry VIII from Catherin of Aragon

The Divorce of Henry VIII from Catherin of Aragon

Introduction

Henry VIII was the king of England from the year 1509 till his death in the year 1547. He was the second monarch of the Tudor dynasty succeeding his father Henry VII. He is known for his six marriages as well as for his role in bringing changes to the structure of Church. During his rule as the King if England, the major decision that he took was the Divorce from Catherine of Aragon, his wife for around 24 years. The achievement of this decision required from him to take many steps that especially influenced the workings of the Church.

Discussion

Background

Henry VIII was an attractive and educated king and is remembered mainly because of his six marriages and the English Reformation. It was his desire for a male heir that largely contributed for these two things that he is remembered for. His first and the longest marriage with Catherine of Aragon was a defining factor of his life and his later decisions.

Catherine of Aragon like King Henry was also born in the family of kings and queens. She was married to Henry's elder brother Arthur, the Prince of Wales in 1501 as a political move. The diplomatic relations between Spain and England had been poor and it was common in those times for a royal family to marry off a son or daughter into the other royal family as an initiative for the betterment of ties among each other. These kind of diplomatic marriages were very common. The unexpected death of Arthur just a year after their marriage made Henry VII to take the decision to make Catherine the wife of his younger son Prince Henry in order to continue enjoying the better relations with Spain. After the death of Henry VII, Prince Henry succeeded the throne and married Catherine making her the Queen of England.

Catherine was an intelligent and religious person. She adapted to the English lifestyle so well, that people admired her for her lifestyle. The bond between the two was one of the best one can have. He himself wrote about their relationship stating that 'The bond between them is now so strict that all their interests are common, and the love he bears to Katherine is such, that if he were still free, he would choose her in preference to all others.' The enjoyed a wonderful relationship for many years and six children were born from Catherine including three sons. All died except for one daughter, Mary born in 1516. The desire for a male heir to the throne and for the House of Tudor to continue ruling England then engulfed Henry VIII.

Catherine was under a lot of pressure to produce a male heir. When she reached the age of 40 in the year 1525 without producing any male heir and she became too old to have more children, it resulted in the first cracks in their strong ...