I have written previously about the plot to help Mary flee England in 1535 and 1536. Following Katherine of Aragon’s death, there was an increased …
HENRY VIII’S TREATMENT OF MARY – FEBRUARY 1536
Katherine of Aragon
THE SPANISH CHESTNUT ROOF: HENRY VIII’S GIFT TO KATHERINE OF ARAGON
St Peter ad Vincula is a fascinating site, most notably for the burials of Anne Boleyn and Catherine Howard. There is one feature that was …
A GENEALOGY FROM ADAM AND EVE TO KING EDWARD VI OF ENGLAND
Just like today, people in the medieval and early modern periods were fascinated by their genealogies, especially kings and noblemen. Henry VIII possessed a particularly …
WOULD A SON HAVE SAVED HER?
I realise this question could apply to several of Henry’s wives, but right now I’m thinking about Katherine of Aragon. If she had had a …
HENRY VIII & KATHERINE OF ARAGON’S PATERNOSTER
These spectacular rosary beads are believed to have belonged to Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon. No written records survive relating to this beautiful item, …
MARY’S PLANNED FLIGHT FROM ENGLAND
It is well known that in 1550, Mary almost went through with a plan to flee England into the welcoming, Catholic embrace of Charles V …
KATHERINE OF ARAGON’S POMEGRANATE EMBLEM
As a daughter of Spain, Katherine of Aragon’s personal emblem was the pomegranate. The fruit had strong ties with motherhood, Christianity, and the Virgin Mary, …
THE EMPEROR’S INSTRUCTIONS TO EUSTACE CHAPUYS
On the 25th June, 1529, Emperor Charles V appointed Eustace Chapuys, a lawyer and diplomat from Savoy, as his ambassador to England. When Chapuys arrived …
HENRY VIII AND KATHERINE OF ARAGON’S ANULLMENT
It is a familiar story – man leaves his devoted wife of many years for a younger woman. It is easy to look at Henry …
