On 7th January 1536, Henry VIII’s first wife, Catherine of Aragon, died at Kimbolton Castle, where she had resided since April 1534.
Catherine had defied the king by refusing to accept the annulment of their marriage and her new title of Dowager Princess of Wales. She had actively fought against the annulment proceedings and had been a thorn in Henry’s side. The king was relieved at her passing and on hearing the news of her death from a messenger, Henry VIII cried out “God be praised that we are free from all suspicion of war!”.
On Sunday 8th January 1536, according to Eustace Chapuys, the imperial ambassador, “the King was clad all over in yellow, from top to toe, except the white feather he had in his bonnet, and the Little Bastard [Elizabeth] was conducted to mass with trumpets and other great triumphs.”
Chapuys makes no mention of Queen Anne Boleyn dressing in yellow, but what do the other sources say? I discuss this in my article from 2015 – click here to read it now.
