The Second Wedding of Catherine of Aragon

Catherine of Aragon became a second time bride on June 11th 1509. After years of waiting, often in difficult circumstances, her story seemed to have finally reached a happy new beginning. Her wedding to Henry VIII ended a troubling period which had seen her bartered over and neglected. Her groom had insisted on marrying her in a sweeping rush to the altar that was as romantic as it was dramatic. And the events of June 11th began a new chapter in her story that would end in further trauma and an argument that changed Europe forever.

Catherine of Aragon as a young queen in the years after her marriage to Henry VIII

All that was a long way away when Catherine arrived at the Church of the Observant Friars at Greenwich to marry England's new king. Henry VIII had held the throne for just 41 days following the death of his father, Henry VII. One of his first gestures as monarch had been his decision to wed Catherine. She had arrived in England in 1501 as a bride for his older brother, Arthur. He had died soon after their wedding and she had spent over seven years in her new country as Dowager Princess of Wales. During that time, Henry VII had talked about marrying her to his second son, Henry. But nothing had come of that until the start of a brand new reign.

Henry VIII in 1509 - a very different proposition from the towering figure of history

Henry VIII was 17 when he became king and it took him less than six weeks to decide that Catherine was his ideal bride. She was 23 at the time of their marriage. Her pedigree and connections were far superior to those of her new husband while she also brought links to some of the greatest powers on the continent. Henry, on  his part, seemed to have fallen in love with his bride.

Greenwich Palace in the time of Henry VIII - it was one of his favourite residences

But that, as it turned out, was very Henry. What Catherine couldn't have known as she took a second set of marriage vows on that June day was that her new husband was beginning a pattern of behaviour that would turn him into one of the most talked about royals of all time. For his very first wedding became a template for the five others that followed. The groom portrayed the courting lover to perfection, feting his new wife and indulging in all the public displays of romance that were expected at the time. But he kept his wedding celebrations low key - there was no grand ceremony, just a short service in a discreet venue. And he dictated how his wife would be received in her new role as queen. In this instance, there was a coronation with Catherine crowned at Henry's side a few days later.

Catherine of Aragon became known as the plain, patient but rejected queen. However, on her sescond wedding day she was the object of a king's romantic desire

The wedding gave rise to the most famous divorce in history. But it's always worth remembering, especially on the anniversary of their marriage, that for 15 years they were the very pattern of a medieval royal marriage. Henry and Catherine were a power couple, playing the parts of king and queen to perfection. However, the patience that had seen Catherine arrive at the altar for a second royal wedding would prove less useful when the man she married that day turned his mind to modernisation and his marital plans to another. The second wedding of Catherine of Aragon would prove to be the start of a royal revolution.

All images from Wiki Commons.