Hugh Despenser the Younger, Favorite and Chamberlain of the King

During the good ol' days of King Edward II of England, there lived a man named Hugh Despenser the Younger. He was the King's favorite, his chamberlain and possibly even lover. So why exactly was happy, hearty Hugh's ultimate fate to be so brutally hanged, drawn and quartered?

When King Edward I (nicknamed “Longshanks,” haha!), Edward II's father, was still ruling England, he was buddies with Hugh's dad. So much so that he arranged a marriage for his granddaughter, Eleanor de Clare, and lil' Hugh. This gave Hugh a good name around nobility.

Fast forward a few years later, while Longshanks's son is on the throne. Eleanor's brother passed away in 1314, so Hugh went to inherit his brother-in-law's lands. Now he was rich. He had a great reputation and beautiful lands.

In 1317 Hugh became King Edward II's chamberlain. He replaced Roger d'Amory's exclusive spot as the King's favorite. What a great life, right? Being the King's best friend, being rich, being well-known... I'd be pretty satisfied. But this wasn't enough for Hugh. He wanted more.

A beautiful contemporary representation of King Edward II

The sly and manipulative chamberlain cheated people out of their land. He was cruel and terrible towards anyone that could give him something. And worst of all it was easy for him to get away with it. He was the King's best friend. But maybe Hugh forgot that he wasn't everyone's best friend. Nobody else liked Hugh. Queen Isabella certainly hated him. John of Nottingham, a renowned magician during the time, had a plot to kill him and the King by sticking pins into dolls that looked like them. And if a famous medieval magician hates you, my friend, everybody hates you.

In 1321 the people revolted against Hugh and had him and his father exiled from England for a while. During this brief period in his life he became a pirate. But only about a year later he was let back into England, and became the King's favorite once more. Most of Hugh's enemies were gone someway or another. Hugh was back to the usual stuff: taking land, robbing people, torturing people if they didn't listen to him. He was incredibly powerful once again and practically acted as King. Happily ever after, right? Not for long.

In 1325, Queen Isabella was basically separated from the King. She packed up her bags and went back to France. This separation made the King even more unpopular than he already was. Roger Mortimer, a member of a rivaling family with the Despensers, was exiled and living in France during this time. And so Roger and Isabella both began the very famous affair.

It was 1326. Everyone hated the Despensers and King Edward II. It was time for someone to do something about it, and the chosen ones were Isabella and Roger. After much strategic planning, and with about 1,500 soldiers, the invasion was to commence.

Hugh and an earl before Isabella

The invasion was a complete success. The Despensers and the King tried to run, but they were captured. Hugh's father was hanged. Hugh tried to starve himself before he was brought to trial. When his trial came he was judged as a traitor and a thief.

Accounts of his execution greatly differ, and we will never know how the execution really went. Jean Froissart gave an incredibly colorful description of a horrid execution (which, honestly, is so disturbing that I'm not going to include, for the sake of humanity). In a less sickening—yet still nasty—account, he was hanged on 50 ft. high gallows, but was cut down before he choked to death. He was probably just quartered, hanged, and beheaded, as most contemporaries described. Whichever telling you choose to believe, this is clear: he was grossly executed.

King Edward was forced to abdicate in favor of his son, Edward III. The King, who was crying, said, “I greatly lament that I have so utterly failed my people, but I could not be other than I am.” (Source) It's not really known how he died, but he was most likely murdered.

Poor Edward. I don't think he himself was a really bad guy. Those around him probably just took advantage of his friendliness and power. Hugh certainly did.

Well, Hugh, now you have what you deserve. You tortured and ruined the lives of tons of people—rich and poor—because you wanted lands and power. That all led to you and your friend's death. I hope you're satisfied with your reward, Hugh.

Juana la Loca

Philip

Well, my friends, today is the day! You guessed it: it's Philip I of Castile's 536th birthday! On July 22nd, 1478, in Bruges, Flanders (today: Belgium), Philip was born. He was the son of then-future Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I and Mary of Burgundy. He was nicknamed “Philip the Handsome” because the courtiers were simply astonished at his sheer beauty: he had long, light hair, a prominent under-bite and chin (characteristic of the Habsburg family), a chubby face, a long, thin nose, and a skinny figure. (It's really just a posthumous nickname that stuck.) Later, Philip became one of the worst husbands the history of monarchy has ever known. (Fun fact: King Henry VIII, who definitely takes the crown of being the worst husband of monarchy, admired this man and was his brother-in-law!)

Juana

But Philip couldn't become King by himself; he was to get married! Infanta Juana of Castile was the oldest daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon (she is also the older sister of Katharine of Aragon, King Henry VIII's first wife). A marriage between Philip and Juana would create a strong alliance between the Habsburgs, Philip's family, and the Trastámaras, Juana's family. Not only was the infanta pretty, but she was very bright and lavishly educated. She could understand all of the Romance languages. However, she was also quite emotional and dramatic. She enjoyed spending time alone, perhaps to read, which she did often.

In 1496, Juana arrived in Flanders to see her fiancé. Philip sent his sister, Margaret, to meet her, rather than himself. How romantic. When Philip finally met his fiancée for himself there was an immediate attraction between the two, and they ordered that they'd be married as soon as possible.

Philip

It wasn't a fairy-tale, happily-ever-after marriage. Philip was quite a ladies' man and Juana was very faithful and loyal to her husband. She was possessive over him, and he really did not enjoy that. Juana would throw jealous fits, and Philip would ignore and avoid his heart-broken wife.

The miserable couple arrived in Spain after both of the heirs to the Spanish throne, Juan and Isabel, had passed away. Juana therefore was the new heiress to the Spanish throne. Philip didn't like Spain at all. It was a very religious place, and it bored him to tears. The women were more modest here, and were not interested in coquetting with a married man. Not to mention Philip got very sick. Philip really wanted to go home, but his pregnant wife held him back. So, after a bad fight, he went back to Flanders by himself. Isn't he just a dream husband?

Juana

The depressed Juana wanted to run back to her husband, but her mother wanted her to be properly trained in being Queen. She was locked up in a castle after she really did try to go back to her husband. There she cried over her sleaze-ball husband, who probably didn't even care. He was home in Flanders with his three children, Eleanor, Charles (later becoming Holy Roman Emperor Charles V), and Isabella.

After the birth of her son, Ferdinand, in 1503, she was even more depressed. How can you blame her when her husband was absent during the birth of their child? The sad mother was bitter and sour. She returned to Flanders in 1504. Then she found out that he was now taking a mistress. She became so angry and so jealous that she cut the mistress's hair off. Then Philip hit his faithful, loving, yet jealous wife in the face. (What a jerk head! I hate you, Philip! It took me, like, 10 minutes to digest that terrible fact.) They made up, but they were still very on-and-off.

Philip

Queen Isabella passed away not too long after, and now Juana was Queen. The Royal couple, now in Spain, were unhappier than ever. Ferdinand, Juana's father, and Philip both believed Juana too unstable to rule, with her jealous rage and melancholic attitude—the two, of course, wanted some power for themselves, too. So they wrote a treaty behind her back which deemed her unfit to rule due to mental disability, thus alienating her from any sort of power.

The 28-year-old Philip got sick again in Burgos, Spain. His wife, pregnant again, stayed with him the whole time at his bed-side. Philip had a bad fever with chills, and constantly was sweating. It is speculated that Ferdinand poisoned him, therefore directing all the power towards himself. When her husband closed his eyes for the last time in 1506, you can imagine how grief-stricken she was. It is said that she stayed with the dead body and talked to it all day. I even read that, when it was time for his burial, she suggested that they go at night to make sure other women would not be tempted. They say that she would open the coffin and kiss the remains. Whether these bizarre, macabre stories are true or not, they prove to be what she is mainly famous for today.

Juana la Loca by Francisco Pradilla Ortiz

Juana was confined to a castle in Tordesillas by her father, who ruled as regent for her. She lived there with her youngest daughter, Catalina. Her other children, Eleanor, Charles, Isabella, Ferdinand, and Mary were home in Flanders, being cared for by their aunt, Margaret of Austria. Juana's father passed away in 1516, and that's when her son, Charles, comes into the picture.

Juana la Loca, imprisoned in Tordesillas by Francisco Pradilla Ortiz

Charles

Charles claimed his inheritance of the throne. He visited his mother and 10-year-old sister in the castle. His mother probably wouldn't be able to recognize him if it wasn't for his humongous Habsburg jaw; he was now a young man. The lonely site of his supposedly mentally unstable mother and his bored sister made him pity them. He wrote to their guardian,“It seems to me that the best and most suitable thing for you to do is to make sure that no person speaks with Her Majesty, for no good could come of it.” (Source)

Juana

In 1525 Catalina moved out to marry King John III of Portugal. The rest of Juana's days she spent alone, depressed and shunned by her entire family. In 1555 the rightful Queen passed away alone in the desolate castle. She outlived her husband by 47 years, being 75-years-old. She is now believed to have had either melancholia or severe clincal depression. Her loyalty is admirable, and I believe she would have been a great Queen if only selfish people didn't use her.

Mean as the Dickens

Charles Dickens is a well-known, beloved author, who penned classic and great works. Although he was a dedicated writer, he wasn't the friendliest husband a Victorian lady could ask for.

Maria Beadnell

When Charles was a young man, only eight-teen, he met a girl named Maria Beadnell. Vivacious, coquettish, and sweet, she stole Charles's heart, but—alas! Maria's parents did not believe this match was suitable. She was sent to school in Paris. Her memory, with Charles, always remained. The short-lived romance inspired David's feelings for Dora in his novel, David Copperfield.

While Dickens was working at the Morning Chronicle, he met George Hogarth. This man had a daughter only three years younger than Charles. Her name was Catherine. She was very sweet and lovable, but not as flirtatious as Maria. Nevertheless, Charles took her as his wife in 1836.

Catherine Dickens

Once the couple were happily married, Catherine's younger sister moved in (as was custom in those days.) The sister's name was Mary. She passed away at only seventeen in 1837. This devastated Charles. Mary was reflected in several of Dickens's characters, such as Rose Maylie and Little Nell.

Catherine and Charles had ten children. Obviously, that was not an easy job for Catherine to keep up with, so another sister of hers, Georgina, moved in. Georgina was a big help to the tired Catherine. Meanwhile, the relationship between Dickens and his wife was growing tense. Raising children cost money, and Charles was now having money-troubles. He blamed the birth of his kids on Catherine. His wife was growing older, just as he was, and he did not find her attractive anymore. She also became fatter—but what do you expect after ten kids‽

In 1855, Charles got a letter in the mail. It was from a woman named Mrs. Winter. It turned out it was Maria Beadnell, who was obviously now married. They met each other, and Charles was surprised to see his childhood sweetheart in her forties—and yet, she was still preserved all of the youthful vivacity! His memories of her when she was young did not live up to the older woman he saw. Somewhat disappointed, I imagine, he didn't talk to her very much after that.

Ellen Ternan

In 1857, Charles, forty-five years old, fell in love with an actress named Ellen Ternan, who was eight-teen—about the same age of his daughter, Kate. (Classy, Charles. Very, very classy.) Ellen was charming and liked to read. Poor Catherine had lost Charles's affections (by this time, they didn't even share the same bedroom). Can you imagine Catherine's reaction when she opened the mail, and saw a beautiful bracelet addressed from her husband to some other girl? I would have been so angry, and I really don't blame Catherine if she was too. Although Charles denied his having an affair, it was all too obvious for his wife.

In 1858, the unhappy couple separated. This caused a scandal for Dickens. The children were, too, separated from their mother, except for Charley, the oldest. They never really talked again. On her deathbed, to her daughter, Kate, she gave her the love letters Charles had written to her. She said to her, “Give these to the British Museum, that the world may know he loved me once.”

Charles Dickens is, even today, a very influential and popular author. He has inspired countless writers with his famous, moralized works. Though he is surely a master in the art of literature, he is but an ignoramus when it comes to being a good husband.

Dickens as a young man, Daniel Maclise

The Life of Commodus - a Comedy

Marcus Aurelius is known for being a great emperor of Rome. But what about his son?

Commodus à la Hercules

Commodus was born on the 31st of August, AD 161. He was the only son of the family to survive into adulthood. He was given the title of Caesar when he was five. In 177 he received the title of Augustus, making him co-ruler with his father.

When his father passed away in 180, Commodus was now a single ruler. But it wasn't until about 10 years when he started showing signs of megalomania. He believed he was the reincarnation of Hercules. He had a vast amount of statues of himself dressed as Hercules set up around Rome. He even took off the head of the Colossus of Nero, a huge statue of the god Sol, and replaced it with a likeness of his own.

Gladiators may seem heroic and awesome nowadays with all these movies about them, but when the Roman people saw their emperor acting like one, they were shocked. A gladiator was one of the most humiliating things you could be in those days. He was a disgrace to Rome.

To show his god-like strength, he would put on (what he thought were) heroic displays. These feats were just plain hilariously embarrassing for the spectators. Cassius Dio describes one of his exhibits:

“And here is another thing that he did to us senators which gave us every reason to look for our death. Having killed an ostrich and cut off his head, he came up to where we were sitting, holding the head in his left hand and in his right hand raising aloft his bloody sword; and though he spoke not a word, yet he wagged his head with a grin, indicating that he would treat us in the same way. And many would indeed have perished by the sword on the spot, for laughing at him (for it was laughter rather than indignation that overcame us), if I had not chewed some laurel leaves, which I got from my garland, myself, and persuaded the others who were sitting near me to do the same, so that in the steady movement of our armies we might conceal the fact that we were laughing.” 

(Source)

The city of Rome was damaged by a fire in 191. Commodus restored the city. He acted as the new Romulus. He renamed the city to “Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana.” The Senate was named the “Commodian Fortunate Senate.” All of the citizens of Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana were named “Commodianus.” The Emperor's full name was Lucius Aelius Aurelius Commodus Augustus Herculeus Romanus Exsuperatorius Amazonius Invictus Felix Pius, and the names of the twelve months were changed to each of his names.

Traditionally, on the Roman New Year, the emperor would appear before his people at his palace in purple robes. Commodus, instead, wanted to dress as a gladiator, waving to his people in the gladiator barracks. When he told Marcia, his mistress, about his plan, she was quite frank: she told him it was stupid and disgraceful. Commodus was annoyed by this. He told his servant, Eclectus, and a Praetorian prefect, Aemilius Laetus about it. They, too, thought it was idiotic. On a tablet he wrote a proscribed list with their names on it.

A servant boy found this list. He gave it to Marcia. She was angry and wasn't going to put up with this. Eclectus and Aemilius Laetus were gathered with her and they devised a plan. Marcia always gave Commodus a drink after his bath. She could simply and easily poison the drink and it would all be done and over with.

After drinking the poisoned wine he vomited constantly. Their plan had failed. All of the poison was out of him now. A wrestler and personal trainer of Commodus was named Narcissus. The three ordered him to strangle Commodus to death in his sleep. On the 31st of December, 192, one of the silliest and most ridiculous Emperors of Rome was killed.

When he died, his name-changes were reverted. Septimius Severus had him deified in 197.

Commodus will always be remembered as one of the worst Emperors Rome ever saw.

The Wives of King Henry VIII - Chapter VI: Queen Katherine Parr

Katherine Parr

Katherine Parr was 31, yet widowed twice. She came from a noble family and married noble husbands. She was the quintessential noblewoman. She enjoyed learning and writing. Her godmother was Katharine of Aragon, and she was named after her. Perhaps this was ominous.

Katherine fell in love with Thomas Seymour, brother of Jane Seymour. They wanted to marry each other. The King, however, intervened. Katherine felt it was her duty to accept Henry's hand in marriage. After all, she only had one head.

On the 12th of July, 1543, Katherine became the new Queen of England. She cared for all of her stepchildren, and helped educate Elizabeth and Edward. Katherine was interested in Protestantism. This made her unpopular towards the Catholics at the court. Henry was concerned with her, as some courtiers tried to get him to turn against her. She told him she was only concerned with it to make him forget about his sore leg.

Henry

The sore leg was caused by a jousting accident. His doctors could not treat the nasty wound. It hurt so much that it stopped him from doing things he enjoyed doing. He also was very obese. It's been said only his jester, Will Sommers, could keep him happy during this time—but let's save that for another blog post.

The sickly King passed away on January 28th, 1547. He was only 55 years old. Now the second Tudor King had left the throne, and the third was to take it. The 9-year-old Edward VI became King of England.

Katherine was expected to act as regent for him until he was old enough, but she had other ideas. She married Thomas Seymour not long after she was widowed for the third time. Elizabeth lived with Thomas and Katherine, but when Thomas started flirting with his 14-year-old stepdaughter, Elizabeth's governess decided she had to move out.

Katherine passed away in 1548 due to childbirth—just how Thomas's sister did. She was only 36, but was married four times and was the Queen of England.

Thus passed King Henry VIII and his sixth and final Queen, Katherine Parr. Her motto was “To Be Useful in All That I Do.” The King's motto was “Coeur Loyal,” meaning “true heart.” His heart, ironically, was not exactly true to many of his wives.

The Wives of King Henry VIII - Chapter V: Queen Kathryn Howard

Henry

While King Henry VIII's short-lived marriage to Anne of Cleves was not yet annulled, Henry became infatuated with a very young and pretty girl named Kathryn Howard. The King was considerably older, but that didn't matter to him. Perhaps Henry was reminded of his younger days, when he first fell in love with the charming Anne Boleyn. After all, Kathryn was Anne's cousin.

She was a lady-in-waiting to Queen Anne of Cleves. While at court her flirtatious manner and vivaciousness enticed the King. Compared to his then-current wife, who he found grotesque and unattractive, Kathryn was like a gift from Aphrodite.

Only two weeks after his short-lived marriage to Anne, he was married to Kathryn. He called her his “rose without a thorn.” He gifted her with beautiful, expensive things. To the King, she was absolutely perfect. He said she was “the very jewel of womanhood.” The King really loved her—perhaps more physically than emotionally.

But how did Kathryn feel about him? She enjoyed the gifts and attentions, I can imagine, but as for the King himself? She seemed indifferent. While married, she had an affair with Thomas Culpeper, a favorite of the King. The courtiers began to take notice of their relationship. Thomas Cranmer finally broke the news to the King during Mass. At first, the King could not believe his perfect and innocent wife would do that. After further investigation she did not seem so innocent.

Kathryn

The now ex-Queen was imprisoned and never saw Henry again. She was executed at the Tower Green and buried next to Anne Boleyn. Her known lovers, as well, were executed.

Thus quickly passed the fifth Queen of King Henry VIII. Kathryn's motto was “No other will than his.” However, it was against Henry's will, I am sure, that she should be so promiscuous.

The Wives of King Henry VIII - Chapter IV: Queen Anne of Cleves

King Henry VIII and his ministers were searching for an alliance with another Protestant country that went against the Pope. What better way to do that than marriage? Thomas Cromwell, chief minister for the King, heavily approved of Amalia and Anne of Cleves, two sisters of a duke. But he did not know what either of them looked like, and he did not want an unattractive wife, so he sent his portrait painter, Hans Holbein the Younger, to Cleves to paint the two young women.

Amalia and Anne were both young and beautiful. Anne especially had a reputation for being a great beauty. Christopher Mont said of her:

“Everyone praises the lady’s beauty, both of face and body. One said that she excelled the Duchess [of Milan] as the golden sun did the silver moon.”  

(Source)

Hans Holbein returned with his two portraits. He presented them to him, and the King chose Anne.

Anne of Cleves by Hans Holbein the Younger

Anne of Cleves, although very appealing visually, was not very well educated. Anne knew domestic skills such as cooking and needlework, but not musical skills or literature. Henry loved music and literature was popular at court. (Little known fact: he wrote a LOT of music!) She could not read or write in English. The future Queen and King already did not share a lot of hobbies.

When the Queen-to-be arrived in 1540, on New Year's Day, Henry decided to be romantic, but the whole thing went wrong. The incident is described here, by Eustace Chapuys:

“And on New Years Day in the afternoon the king's grace with five of his privy chamber, being disguised with mottled cloaks with hoods so that they should not be recognized, came secretly to Rochester, and so went up into the chamber where the said Lady Anne was looking out of a window to see the bull-baiting which was going on in the courtyard, and suddenly he embraced and kissed her, and showed here a token which the king had sent her for New Year's gift, and she being abashed and not knowing who it was thanked him, and so he spoke with her. But she regarded him little, but always looked out the window.... and when the king saw that she took so little notice of his coming he went into another chamber and took off his cloak and came in again in a coat of purple velvet. And when the lords and knights saw his grace they did him reverence.... and then her grace humbled herself lowly to the king's majesty, and his grace saluted her again, and they talked together lovingly, and afterwards he took her by the hand and led her to another chamber where their graces amused themselves that night and on Friday until the afternoon.” 

(Source)

Thomas Cromwell, Hans Holbein the Younger

I'm sure you can imagine his mortification of his failed attempt at being romantic. “I like her not,” the King famously remarked. “She is nothing so fair as she hath been reported,” he said. He referred to her as a “Flanders Mare.” Although known for being pretty, the King did not agree with the rumors at all. Maybe if that incident never occurred, he would be content with her. But what was done was done. He was now so embarrassed by this ridiculous folly that he did not want to marry her.

He tried to put the marriage off, but it had to happen some time. On the day of the wedding, Janurary 6th, 1540, he told Cromwell, “My Lord, if it were not to satisfy the world, and my Realm, I would not do that I must do this day for none earthly thing.” His relationship with Cromwell was very sour by this point. After all, he was the one who set the King up with this so-called “Flanders Mare.”

The wedding night, likewise, was an awkward failure. He could not bring himself to consummate the marriage. He openly spoke of her in a very vulgar and ungentlemanly manner. Cromwell asked him how he liked her. The King said, “I liked her before not well, but now I like her much worse.” Yikes.

The Queen was completely ignorant of all this, however. She said:

“When he comes to bed, he kisses me and taketh me by the hand, and biddeth me 'Goodnight, sweetheart,' and in the morning, kisses me, and biddeth me, 'Farewell, darling.' Is this not enough?” 

(Source)

At least the King was nice enough to do that!

The marriage was easily and simply annulled after four loveless months of marriage. Anne even confirmed that the marriage was not consummated. The couple parted on good terms. Anne took the title of the “the King's Beloved Sister,” and was given Anne Boleyn's old home, Hever Castle. After the annulment she lived a quiet life away from court. She out-lived both her ex-husband and his son, and attended the coronation of Mary I.

Thus came and went Anne of Cleves, the fourth wife of King Henry VIII. Her motto was “God Send Me Well To Keep.” Her story is quite an entertaining one.

And as for Cromwell? He was executed on the very day of the King's marriage to another girl, Kathryn Howard. Henry came to regret this decision, but it is quite certain that Anne of Cleves indirectly caused it.


Bibliography

• “Anne of Cleves – Flanders Mare?” The Anne Boleyn Files RSS. N.p., 10 Feb. 2011. Web. 11 July 2014 <http://www.theanneboleynfiles.com/anne-of-cleves-flanders-mare/>.
• “Anne of Cleves.” Tudor History. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 July 2014. <http://tudorhistory.org/cleves/>.
• “Anne of Cleves: Biography, Portraits, Primary Sources.” English History. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 July 2014. <http://englishhistory.net/tudor/monarchs/cleves.html>.
• “Anne of Cleves.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 11 July 2014 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_of_Cleves>.
• “Thomas Cromwell.” Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 07 Nov. 2014. Web. 11 July 2014 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cromwell>.

The Wives of King Henry VIII - Chapter III: Queen Jane Seymour

Jane Seymour was a simple woman. She was not as grandly educated as Katharine of Aragon or Anne Boleyn, but she could perform housework very well. She enjoyed needlework very much, and was known to create beautiful embroideries. In court, she was a lady-in-waiting to both Queen Katharine and Queen Anne.

Jane

In 1536 the King was showing new affections for this unpretentious lady. He bought her fancy gifts. Jane was quite put off by the fact that he was still married to Anne. How respectable!

Only a day after Anne Boleyn was harshly executed, Jane was betrothed to the King. They were married on the 30th of May. He felt that she was his first “true wife.” The King gave her a vast amount of land and manors as a gift. On the 4th of June, the people of England were introduced to their third (or second, as many refused to recognize Anne Boleyn as the rightful Queen) Queen consort. She could not have a coronation due to a plague in London.

Nevertheless, she was very popular and well-liked at court, unlike Queen Anne. Polydore Vergil described Jane as “a woman of the utmost charm in both character and appearance.” Mary, daughter of Queen Katharine, certainly enjoyed her too, as Jane was sympathetic towards the fate of her mother. Jane, in return of Mary's kindness, made her next-in-line of succession behind any of her future sons. She felt sympathy towards the participants of the Pilgrimage of Grace, and requested that they were all pardoned, but Henry rejected. He reminded her of what happened to the previous Queens when they “meddled in his affairs.”

Jane was pregnant not long after, in early 1537. The King gave her many gifts. Festivities were held in celebration. Edward Hall records:

“On 27 May 1537, Trinity Sunday, there was a Te Deum sung in St Paul's cathedral for joy at the queen's quickening of her child, my lord chancellor, lord privy seal and various other lords and bishops being then present; the mayor and aldermen with the best guilds of the city being there in their liveries, all giving laud and praise to God for joy about it.”

Henry

It was a great time for the King. Nothing would go wrong this time. He already had his perfect wife, and now he was to finally have a legitimate son.

It was the 12th of October, at two in the morning, when the heir to the throne was born. The healthy baby boy was named Edward. Mary was the godmother. The whole royal family was happy. Finally the King had his son. No more would he have to remarry. He loved Jane; she was his perfect wife.

Jane had difficulty giving birth, and the Queen was very sick after. She passed away on October 24th. This very unfortunate and untimely death sealed the remembrance of a perfect wife in the King's mind. For three months he wore black and mourned. For three years he had no interest in remarrying. During this period his health worsened. He also became very interested in needlework. When the King passed away, he was buried with her. Her epitaph reads:

Here lies Jane, a phoenix

Who died in giving another phoenix birth.

Let her be mourned, for birds like these

Are rare indeed.

Thus passed the third Queen of King Henry VIII. Her motto was “Bound to Obey and Serve,” and that certainly made her more likable to the King. The King should have married Jane in the first place, if only fate allowed it. I believe if she survived, he would never remarry.

The Wives of King Henry VIII - Chapter II: Queen Anne Boleyn

While still married to Katharine of Aragon, King Henry VIII was in love with Anne Boleyn. Henry hated
writing, but he wrote her letters. You can see just how infatuated he was with her in this heartfelt letter:

“MY MISTRESS & FRIEND, 

my heart and I surrender ourselves into your hands, beseeching you to hold us commended to your favour, and that by absence your affeftion to us may not be lessened: for it were a great pity to increase our pain, of which absence produces enough and more than I could ever have thought could be felt, reminding us of a point in astronomy which is this: the longer the days are, the more distant is the sun, and nevertheless the hotter; so is it with our love, for by absence we are kept a distance from one another, and yet it retains its fervour, at least on my side; I hope the like on yours, assuring you that on my part the pain of absence is already too great for me; and when I think of the increase of that which I am forced to suffer, it would be almost intolerable, but for the firm hope I have of your unchangeable affeftion for me: and to remind you of this sometimes, and seeing that I cannot be personally present with you, I now send you the nearest thing I can to that, namely, my picture set in a bracelet, with the whole of the device, which you already know, wishing myself in their place, if it should please you. This is from the hand of your loyal servant and friend,  

H.R.”

 (Source)

On Janurary 25th, 1533, there was a secret marriage between Henry and his long-time lover, Anne Boleyn. It was not until May 23rd that his marriage to Katharine of Aragon was declared invalid, but to the stubborn
King it didn't matter. There was an elaborate coronation ceremony held for her. The King's hopeless infatuation for the enticing Queen would not prove to last too long.

Anne was already pregnant before the marriage. Henry VIII was so glad to finally have a son. He had been wanting this for so long, and the time was fast approaching! The great, new heir to the English throne was to be finally born! On September 7th, 1533, the Queen gave birth to a healthy and happy child. Her name was Elizabeth. Henry was glad, yet he already had a daughter. He would do anything to have a son.

Anne's charms were quickly wearing off by this point. She was not his ideal wife; she did not obey each of his orders, she had a
viscous temper and attitude, and she was unpopular at court. In 1534, Anne was pregnant again, but the child did not survive. Henry did not want to deal with her anymore. Again he was searching for a way to get out of marriage. By around this time he was having an affair with a lady named Madge Shelton, while he was searching for ways to get rid of Anne.

The King arrested Anne on charges of incest, witchcraft, and adultery. He locked up several male friends of Anne, including her own brother. By this time, the King's affections for a pretty lady named Jane Seymour were quite known.

On the 19th of May, at the Tower Green, there was a private execution. The constable describes the very morning to Thomas Cromwell:

“This morning she sent for me, that I might be with her at such time as she received the good Lord, to the intent I should hear her speak as touching her innocency alway to be clear. And in the writing of this she sent for me, and at my coming she said, ‘Mr. Kingston, I hear I shall not die afore noon, and I am very sorry therefore, for I thought to be dead by this time and past my pain’. I told her it should be no pain, it was so little. And then she said, ‘I heard say the executioner was very good, and I have a little neck’, and then put her hands about it, laughing heartily. I have seen many men and also women executed, and that they have been in great sorrow, and to my knowledge this lady has much joy in death. Sir, her almoner is continually with her, and had been since two o'clock after midnight.” 

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Before she was killed, according to Edward Hall, she said:

“‘Good Christian people, I am come hither to die, for according to the law, and by the law I am judged to die, and therefore I will speak nothing against it. I am come hither to accuse no man, nor to speak anything of that, whereof I am accused and condemned to die, but I pray God save the king and send him long to reign over you, for a gentler nor a more merciful prince was there never: and to me he was ever a good, a gentle and sovereign lord. And if any person will meddle of my cause, I require them to judge the best. And thus I take my leave of the world and of you all, and I heartily desire you all to pray for me. O Lord have mercy on me, to God I commend my soul.’ After being blindfolded and kneeling at the block, she repeated several times: ‘To Jesus Christ I commend my soul; Lord Jesu receive my soul.’” 

(Source)

The Queen was put in an arrow box, as no coffin was supplied. She was buried in an unmarked grave.

Thus passed the second Queen of King Henry VIII. Her motto was “The Most Happy.” I have to admit that's quite ironic, but I'm sure she's in a happier place now.

The Wives of King Henry VIII - Chapter I: Queen Katharine of Aragon

King Henry VIII is undoubtedly one of the most scandalous Kings ever. When beginning a blog about scandalous historical figures, the story of this licentious King is not that bad of a start. So let us begin.

Katharine, c. 1500

Little Henry was the third kid of King Henry VII, the first Tudor King. His older brother, Arthur, Prince of Wales, was heir to the throne. Arthur was betrothed to a beautiful princess named Katharine of Aragon, the daughter of Queen Isabella I of Castile and King Ferdinand II of Aragon. Not only was she beautiful, but she was very well-educated. On the 14th of November, 1501, they were married. This created a great Anglo-Spanish alliance.

As for the marriage itself? Unfortunately, it did not last very long. The young couple were both ill from what is suggested to have been the sweating sickness, a strange disease that had outbreaks during that time. Katharine recovered, but for Arthur, that was not to be. The 15-year-old prince passed away, leaving Henry to be the new heir to the throne.

Although Henry was too young to be married at the time, 14 months after the passing of his brother he was betrothed to Katharine. However, by the time when Henry was old enough to marry, his father then disagreed, not being on good terms with the princess's father. Thus ended the betrothal—at least until 1509.

Henry at the time of his marriage

That was the year King Henry VII, the first Tudor King, was reunited with Arthur. The younger Henry was now the King of England. One of his first kingly doings was to marry Katharine and make her his Queen. The wedding ceremony was humble. Their joint coronation, to the contrary, was magnificent. Katharine certainly thought so; she wrote to her father that “our time is spent in continuous festival.” However, the merriness and joviality of the newly married King and Queen was not to last happily ever after.

Katharine sadly gave birth to a stillborn daughter in 1510. In 1511, on New Year's Day, she gave birth to a beaming baby boy named Henry. Hope was not lost; the royal family rejoiced and held festivities in celebration. Seven weeks later, the child passed away. The King was grieved and frustrated; the marriage grew tense. After a miscarriage in 1514, Katharine gave birth to a beautiful and healthy daughter named Mary. The King and Queen were both happy, but in the back of Henry's mind he knew he needed a son. The last pregnancy was recorded in 1518, and no other child was surviving except Mary.

In 1526, the King became infatuated with an attractive and charming woman named Anne Boleyn. She was a lady-in-waiting to Katharine and sister of one of his mistresses, Mary Boleyn. Anne was around 25, pretty and enchanting. Katharine was 42, and she could not have children anymore. Henry desperately needed a legitimate son, and he felt that Anne would be a perfect mother. Anne repudiated his attempts to solicit her, but that made Henry all-the-more enamoured with her.

Henry was reading the Leviticus, and something struck him. It said “if a man marries his brother's wife, the couple will be childless.” (Never mind the fact that they had a lovely daughter.) Henry desperately wanted to annul his loveless, barren marriage. He even began to believe the Queen was cursed. Katharine herself was appalled and insulted at the way her husband acted. (And who can blame her‽) She was a religious woman; divorce was disgraceful. She wrote to her nephew, Emperor Charles V, about it in 1531:

“My tribulations are so great, my life so disturbed by the plans daily invented to further the King’s wicked intention, the surprises which the King gives me, with certain persons of his council, are so mortal, and my treatment is what God knows, that it is enough to shorten ten lives, much more mine."

Katharine, c. 1520

The King petitioned to the Pope for annulment while the Queen appealed to the Pope. The battle lasted for six years. Katharine pleaded that she and Arthur had never consummated their marriage—and to her dying day insisted she hadn't—to prove that they were not truly married, in response to Henry's finding in the Leviticus.

In 1533, Anne was pregnant. He could not bear to have another illegitimate son, as it was very difficult for them to succeed their fathers. He went to the Archbishop of Canterbury, Thomas Cranmer, and he granted the annulment of the miserable marriage. Katharine was now considered the Princess Dowager of Wales, and treated like her marriage to Henry never happened.

The Princess Dowager was banished from court. For the rest of her life she lived in very humble castles. Although now officially acknowledged as nothing more than Prince Arthur's widow, she still believed she was the true wife of Henry. Her servants still referred to her as the Queen. When she lived in Kimbolton Castle, she only resided in a single room, which she left only to attend Mass. There she fasted alone. She was forbidden to see or even to send messages to her daughter. The child was officially recognized as illegitimate after the divorce. In 1535, she felt she was going to die soon. She wrote to her nephew, Emperor Charles V, asking him to protect her daughter. Mary was betrothed to him, but the betrothal was broken off later in life and she married his son, Philip II, instead.

To her ex-husband she wrote:

“My most dear lord, King and husband,The hour of my death now drawing on, the tender love I owe you forceth me, my case being such, to commend myself to you, and to put you in remembrance with a few words of the health and safeguard of your soul which you ought to prefer before all worldly matters, and before the care and pampering of your body, for the which you have cast me into many calamities and yourself into many troubles. For my part, I pardon you everything, and I wish to devoutly pray God that He will pardon you also. For the rest, I commend unto you our daughter Mary, beseeching you to be a good father unto her, as I have heretofore desired. I entreat you also, on behalf of my maids, to give them marriage portions, which is not much, they being but three. For all my other servants I solicit the wages due them, and a year more, lest they be unprovided for. Lastly, I make this vow, that mine eyes desire you above all things.
Katharine the Quene."

She passed away not very long after. It is said that Henry and Anne wore yellow in celebration of her death. Whether or not they wore yellow in celebration, the King did not attend the funeral and did not allow Mary to go. Today we can conclude that Katharine probably died from cancer of the heart.

Thus passed the faithful first wife of many of the licentious King Henry VIII. I believe her motto, “Humble and Loyal,” really describes her marriage to him. “Nature wronged her in making her a woman,” Thomas Cromwell said of her, “but for her sex she could have surpassed all the heroes of history.” I always think of her as the true wife of Henry.