Claire | June 27, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 27th June 1505, the eve of the date chosen for their wedding, thirteen-year-old Henry, Prince of Wales, the future King Henry VIII, repudiated his two-year betrothal to nineteen-year-old Catherine of Aragon, his brother’s widow. Why would Henry do this to Catherine at the last minute? Find out in this […]
Claire | June 25, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 25th June 1503, in the reign of King Henry VII, the nearly twelve-year-old Henry, Prince of Wales, the future King Henry VIII, got betrothed to seventeen-year-old Catalina de Aragón (Catherine of Aragon). The betrothal took place at the Bishop of Salisbury’s palace in Fleet Street, London. Henry was the […]
Claire | June 23, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 23rd June 1509, twelve days after their marriage, King Henry VIII and Queen Catherine of Aragon processed through the streets of London dressed in their finery. This was their coronation procession. In this video, and transcript below, I share contemporary descriptions of the king and queen’s appearance and outfits, […]
Claire | June 21, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 21st June 1529, ten days after her 20th wedding anniversary, Queen Catherine of Aragon appeared at the Legatine Court at Blackfriars and delivered an impassioned speech which stole the show. This court was hearing the case for the annulment of Catherine’s marriage to the king, and Catherine was going […]
Claire | June 12, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 12th June 1530, twenty-one years and a day after they got married, Queen Catherine of Aragon got rather angry with her husband, King Henry VIII. Catherine accused the king of leading an evil life and setting a bad example. What led to these accusations? What had Henry VIII done […]
Claire | June 11, 2022
On this in Tudor history, 11 June 1509, two months after his accession to the throne of England, seventeen-year-old King Henry VIII married Spanish princess, Catherine of Aragon (Catalina de Aragón) at a private ceremony at Greenwich. This was twenty-three-year-old Catherine’s second marriage. Her first husband, Arthur Tudor, Prince of Wales, Henry VIII’s older brother, […]
Joel Ridgway | February 22, 2022
On this day in Tudor history, 22nd February 1540, twenty-four-year-old Marie de Guise, or Mary of Guise, queen consort of King James V of Scotland, was crowned queen at Holyrood Abbey. Did you know that Henry VIII was keen on making Marie de Guise his fourth wife? She declined, saying that her neck was small! […]
Joel Ridgway | November 30, 2021
On this day in Tudor history, 30th November 1601, sixty-eight-year-old Queen Elizabeth I delivered her famous Golden Speech to the House of Commons. In this final speech to Parliament, Elizabeth spoke of her position as Queen and her love and respect for her realm, her people, and for her members of Parliament. It was a […]
