THE DIVORCE

When did Henry want a divorce?

no precise date is known, but by 1524 it was unlikely that Catherine and Henry could have children, by 1527 Henry definitely wanted a divorce

What is the divorce actually?

an annulment

What do contemporaries refer to the divorce as?

the kings great matter

What happened to Mary Boleyn, how did this influence Anne?

Henry had an affair with her, but discarded her and she married William Carey, Anne did not want to be discarded

When did henry marry Catherine?

1509

When was Princess Mary born?

1516

When did Henry start to become worried about the lack of a male heir, what did he do about it?

1521, tried to betrothe Mary to Charles V in the the treaty of Bruges

What questions were raised at the 1527 treaty of Westminster?

questioned Mary’s legitimacy

Who did Henry consider legitimating in the 1520’s, what does Weir claim?

Henry Fitzroy, Alison Weir claims that this was in order to marry Henry and Mary

What are the six reasons for Wolsey’s fall?

political enemies, the failure of the amicable grant, opposition to Wolsey’s foreign policy, Wolsey’s increasing isolation from the king, rise of Anne Boleyn, divorce

When and were does Henry first see Anne?

1522, at a court Pageant with Anne playing perseverance.

When is Henry in love with Anne?

1525

How old is Catherine of Aragon in 1527?

42 years old

When does henry openly acknowledge Anne as his love?

1527, but Anne is not sleeping with Henry yet he still openly flaunts her as his mistress

What are the three main reasons for Henry’s want for a divorce?

pragmatism, lust for Anne and his conscience

How does pragmatism motivate Henry’s need for a divorce?

concern over the succession, still issues with the wars of the roses, attempted rule of Empress Matilda resulted in the anarchy, he needed a legitimate son and heir

How did henry’s conscience motivate his need for a divorce?

divine law stated that he should not have married his brother’s wife, god was angry and thus was not giving him a son

How did Henry’s lust for Anne motivate his need for a divorce?

tired of marriage to an older woman, many love letters sent to Anne, Anne would not have had sex before marriage

How old was Anne in relation to henry?

10-12 years younger

What was Anne’s personality like?

very French in her customs and fashions, intellectual

What gift did Anne give to Henry, what was the impact?

A copy of William Tyndale’s ‘obedience of the christian man’. Tyndale was a protestant who had fled England, translated the Bible into English, book says that the king should not be subject to the Pope. Henry says ‘ this book is for me and all other kings to read’, partially inspires the CofE

What previous king recently obtained a divorce?

Louis XII and Jean of Valois

What was Henry’s plan to obtain a divorce?

Us Leviticus to persuade Pope Clement VII that Pope Julius II’s dispensation was invalid as it clearly says in the Bible that you should not marry your brothers wife

What is the issue with Henry’s argument in regards to Deuternonmy?

It says that you can marry your brothers wife

What is the issue with the Leviticus in regards to kids?

It says that you would be ‘childless’ but Henry had a daughter, Mary

What issue with papal dispensation was there in regards to the Leviticus argument?

It questions papal infallibility

What was Henry’s case weak in?

Canon law

What event occurred due to Charles V in may 1527?

The sack of rome

When did Arthur and Katherine get married, when did Arthur die?

1501, Arthur died in 1502

What actions did Henry undertake in 1527?

Wolsey sent officials to question Henry about the ligitamacy of his marriage, the plan was to hold a secret court with Wolsey as legate and 5 lawyers, the charge would be that Henry was unlawfully cohabiting with his wife and then the court would order them to seperate

Why did the 1527 secret court fail?

Court say in May 1527 but didn’t reach a decision as Be Ty didn’t think it would work after the sack of rome

What did Henry decide to do after the failure of the secret court?

Decided to consult the bishops about Leviticus, who agreed that it was against divine law

What was Catherine’s line of argument?

That she and Arthur had never consummated the marriage

What line of argument did Wolsey wish to undertake?

That Arthur and Catherine had had success but as the papal jurisdiction was given under the assumption that they hadn’t had sec it was invalid

Why was Wolseys line of argument more likely to work?

It didn’t question papal infallibility

Which historian claims that Wolseys technique was likely to have worked?

Scarisbrick

Why did Wolsey and Henry wish for the case to be heard in England?

It would remove the personal involvement of the pope, Wolsey would be in charge as papal legate, waited for papers to arrive to allow this but never arrived, so a compromise was reached in which Campeggio would also oversee the case

Why were Wolsey and Henry happy that Campeggio was selected?

They had already overruled him during the treaty of London and Campeggio was the absentee bishop of Salisbury

Why did Campeggio delay the proceedings?

under secret orders from the Pope to delay the proceedings, also struggled with gout which increased his travel time

What explains Clement VII’s actions?

concerned about the threat of Charles V, Pope was a prisoner after the 1527 sack of Rome, 1529 treaty of Barcelona had been signed so the Pope was no longer prisoner but still under the control of Charles V

When was the blackfriars court opened?

March 1529

How does Wolsey put pressure on Campeggio?

by making it clear that he would be destroyed in the event of failure and the english church would withdraw it’s allegiance with rome

Why was Queen Catherine so stubborn?

didn’t want to gi to a nunnery, inspired by her mother the warrior Queen Isabella and is fighting for her daughter’s rights

Who was the Queen’s singular ally?

John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester

What was Catherine’s blackfriars speech like?

she walked out after it, went on her knees in front of the king

When did Wolsey fall?

October 1529

When was the parliament called?

November 1529

When was the decision about the divorce expected, what happened?

23rd July 1529, Campeggio announced that the court would be adjourned to Rome to meet in October

What happened after Campeggio’s decision about the divorce?

Henry was summoned to Rome in the autumn, Wolsey’s credibilty crumbled, Henry thought he was better than that

What did Ives say about the fall of Wolsey and Anne Boleyn?

‘the fall of Wolsey is the first and foremost of Anne’s succeses’

What was the fall of Wolsey like for the Boleyn faction?

represented the triumph of the Boleyn faction

What was the parliament of 1529 like?

anti wolsey, bill of particulars, very anti-clericalist

What was the final nail in the coffin for Wolsey?

his failure to obtain a divorce

What did Howard and Norfolk accuse Wolsey of, why was this rubbish?

commiting praemunire, which is rubbish as he follows canon law and always has done

What happened to Wolsey after his fall?

all his property surrended to Henry, Wolsey retained escher and Anne gained Hampton, Wolsey was in contact with the french and his enemies used this against him

How did Wolsey die?

on his way to Hampton court to plead for his life (likely to be executed) but died on the way there at Leicester Abbey on the 29th November 1530