Wolsey & Catherine of Aragon (Edexcel GCSE History)

Why was Henry VIII's Marriage to Catherine of Aragon Controversial? - Summary

Henry's married Catherine of Aragon in 1509. The marriage was controversial from the start. Catherine married Henry's eldest brother, Arthur, in 1501. In Tudor times, a lawful marriage required the couple to consummate. Catherine insisted that she had never consummated her marriage to Arthur so it should not be considered a lawful marriage. The uncertainty about Catherine's previous marriage led some people to question the legitimacy of Henry and Catherine's union.

Another controversy surrounded Catherine's age. Catherine was six years older than Henry. This limited the amount of time that Catherine had to have children. There was a lot of pressure on Catherine to have a son. One of the most important duties of a Tudor monarch was to secure the line of succession through a male heir.

Henry's Marriage to Catherine

The successes of the marriage

• Henry was a supportive and affectionate husband to Catherine

• Henry trusted and valued Catherine

  • During Henry's war with France from 1512 to 1514, Henry left Catherine as regent of England whilst he was away from England

  • Catherine proved herself capable of the role. She sent an army to defeat King James IV of Scotland

    • Catherine sent James' blood-stained shirt to Henry as a gift

• Catherine was a popular queen in England

  • She participated in a lot of charity work

• Catherine improved Henry's relationship with Spain and the Holy Roman Empire

  • Catherine was the aunt of Charles V (Charles I of Spain)

  • England was more likely to gain the support of Spain in times of war

The failures of the marriage

• Catherine did not give birth to a son

  • Between 1509 and 1520, Catherine was pregnant at least six times

    • Only a daughter, Mary, survived

  • Henry blamed Catherine for their inability to have a son

    • Henry had an illegitimate son with his mistress, Bessie Blount

    • Catherine was 42 in 1527. She was running out of time to have any more children

    • Henry thought that not having a son damaged his reputation and masculinity

  • By 1527, the succession was not secured

    • Claimants from inside and outside of England started to see an opportunity to become Henry's heir

    • The chance of civil war increased the longer that Henry did not have a legitimate male heir

  • Henry believed that his marriage with Catherine was cursed

    • Henry thought that God was punishing him for marrying his brother's wife by not giving him a male heir

    • The Old Testament states:

• Henry began to be attracted to Anne Boleyn

  • She promised to provide Henry with a son

  • She refused to be Henry's mistress

How Did Wolsey Attempt to Gain an Annulment?

What is an annulment?

• An annulment is a method of ending a marriage

• It is different from a divorce

  • A divorce is where someone ends a valid marriage due to an issue that occurred during the marriage

  • An annulment is where someone proves the marriage was invalid from the beginning so is not considered a legal marriage

Why was it tricky for Henry to annul his marriage to Catherine?

• Only the Pope could annul marriages

• Catherine's nephew, Charles V (Charles I of Spain), would be angry with Henry

  • This anger could trigger a war

• Catherine would resist an annulment

  • Catherine's daughter, Mary, may lose her claim to the throne

  • An annulment would discredit Catherine's reputation

Wolsey's actions

Opposition to the Annulment