On the 11th June 1509, 17 year-old King Henry VIII married 23 year-old Catherine of Aragon, widow of his brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales, in the Queen’s closet at Greenwich Palace.
The wedding was a private one, with just two witnesses, Lord Steward Shrewsbury and William Thomas, a groom of the privy chamber. The wedding was probably low key because the couple’s joint coronation was scheduled to take place in less than two weeks later, and that would be a lavish affair.
You can read more about the wedding in my article 11 June 1509 – Henry VIII Marries Catherine of Aragon.
Henry and Catherine were married for nearly 24 years, with their marriage being annulled in May 1533. During their marriage, Catherine was pregnant at least six times but only one child survived infancy: Mary I. See The Pregnancies of Anne Boleyn and Catherine of Aragon for more details.
Also on this day in history…
- 1544 – Bishops ordered by Henry VIII to ensure that the new litany was “in our native englysshe tonge”.
