Historical Timeline of Katherine of Aragon

Historical Timeline of Katherine of Aragon aka Katharine & Catalina

Young Katherine aged 15/16 c 1502

Young Henry aged 18 1509

aged 39/40 c. 1525 Part of a set to the miniature on the right

aged 34/35 c. 1525 Part of a set to the miniature on the left

1485 - December 16	Born in Alcala de Henares, Spain
1497	Betrothal to Prince Arthur Tudor
1499 - May 19	Marriage by Proxy to Arthur
1501 - November 14	Actual Wedding (aged 16 & Arthur is 15)
1502 - April 2	Widowed 4 1/2 months later
1503 - June 25	Betrothed to Prince Henry who is aged 12
1504	Mother Isabella dies
1505 - June 27	Henry repudiates his betrothal to her
1505 - 1509	Suffers from financial troubles
1509 - Early June	Members of the Privy Council urge Henry to marry her
1509 - June 11	Marries Henry (aged 23 & he is 18) & re-allies Spain & England
1509 - June 24	Crowned Queen of England
1510 - January 31	Stillborn daughter. Although she had lost her baby, Katherine’s abdomen stayed rounded and actually began to increase in size, leading her physician to conclude that “the Queen remained pregnant of another child and it was believed”.
1510 - February	Henry ordered the refurbishment of the royal nursery and Elizabeth Denton, the former Lady Mistress of Henry’s own nursery, was brought out of retirement in anticipation of the birth
1510 - March	Katherine entered her confinement and waited for her labour to begin. It never did. Eventually Fray Diego reported that the swelling had decreased and that she was not pregnant after all. It seems to have been a phantom pregnancy
1510 - Late May	Eventually Fray Diego reported that the swelling had decreased and that Katherine was not pregnant after all. It seems to have been a phantom pregnancy or an infection. When she emerges from her birthing chambers, without a child, she & Henry violently quarrel.
1510 - May 27	Katherine finally wrote to her father telling him that she had just miscarried, a blatant lie but understandable in the circumstances. Rumours then began to circulate that she was barren.
1510	Finds out Henry has taken an interest in Anne Stafford, Duke of Buckingham's sister & she is sent from court. Henry is angry that she has spied on him & sends Lady Elizabeth Fitzwalter (who was in her retinue & told her brother about the dalliance) from court in retaliation.
1511 - New Year's day	Son Henry is born
1511 - February 22	Katherine & Henry's new baby boy dies just 52 days old.
1513	Acts as Regent in Henry's Absence (aged 28) She is appointed Captain-General of the Home forces & Governor of the Realm
1513 - c. October	Still born son
1514 - December	Son Henry born and dies
1514	Rumours circulate in Rome that Henry means "to repudiate his wife ...because he is unable to have children by her" [Starkey] Though this seems extremely unlikely as she was pregnant at the time.
1514	Elizabeth Blount catches Henry's eye at the Christmas Mummery
1516 - February 18	Daughter Princess Mary Tudor is born
1516	Her father Ferdinand dies
1518 - November 10	Daughter born, dies within a week - it is said, she went into premature labour after noticing Bessie Blount was plumper & blooming and she never recovered her health.
1519 - Summer	Learns that Henry's teenaged mistress, Elizabeth Blount had given birth to a son, Henry Fitzroy. She is upset & humiliated & begins to withdraw from court life.
1520	Attends "The Field of Cloth of Gold" summit with Francis I
1521 - 22	Sometime between those dates, Mary Boleyn becomes Henry's mistress
1522 - March 2nd	The Shrovetide joust had the theme of unrequited love and Henry VIII rode out on a horse decorated with a wounded heart and wearing the motto “elle mon coeur a navera”, meaning “she has wounded my heart”. This was thought to refer to Mary Boleyn, Anne Boleyn's sister
1522	Henry prompted by doubts raised by his confessor, John Longland, Bishop of Lincoln, starts questioning the validity of his marriage to Katherine
1523 - summer	Secret Betrothal between Anne Boleyn and Henry Percy son of the 5th Duke of Northumberland
1524	Cardinal Thomas Wolsey breaks the betrothal, Anne Boleyn was sent back home to Hever Castle and it is thought she only returned in 1525
1524 - March 10	Henry forgets to put down his visor during a tilt and the Duke of Suffolk splinters his spear on the Kings headpiece, however Henry ran six courses very well, by which all men could see that he had taken no hurt
c. 1524	Doctors are brought from Spain to help Katherine conceive but it becomes obvious she can no longer fall pregnant probably due to the onset of menopause.
1524	After 15 years of marriage, Henry stops sexual relations with her. He begins to have serious doubts about the validity of their marriage & believes that God is punishing him for marrying his brother's wife by not giving him a son. (aged 39 & Henry is 34)
1524	Mary Boleyn gives birth to a daughter, named Catherine
1525 - Summer	In June Henry attempts to build up Henry Fitzroy as an alternative heir & creates him Duke of Richmond. The Venetian Ambassador reports that Katherine is deeply offended and 3 of her ladies are dismissed from court for supporting her.
1525 - August	Princess Mary Tudor (9 years old) is sent to Ludlow to establish her own court.
1526	Henry ceases to co-habit with her
1526 - February/March	Henry begins courtly pursuit of Anne Boleyn but she keeps her distance for more than a year.
1526 - Christmas	She is reunited with her daughter Mary but becoming isolated at Court.
1527 - April	Henry consults his advisers about annulling his marriage to Katherine
1527 - Spring	Henry informs her he wants an annulment after 18 years of marriage.
1527	Treaty of Westminster. Treaty between King Henry VIII of England and Francis I of France against Charles V of the Holy Roman Empire
1527 - Easter	Henry asked Anne Boleyn to be his mistress (maitresse en titre). She refused saying she will only surrender her virginity to the man she marries.
1527 - May 6	German and Spanish troops under Emperor Charles V sack Rome, Pope Clement VII is taken prisoner
1527 - May 17	Preliminary annulment hearing of Henry and Katherine's marriage held in secret
1527 - June 22	Henry tells her that they must separate because they have been living in sin. He asks her to co-operate & to choose a house to retire to until the matter is resolved. She is stunned & upset & makes it quite plain that she will resist any divorce/annulment.
1527 - June/July	Anne Boleyn sends Henry a trinket - a ship with a lone woman on board & a diamond pendant signifying her surrender to the King.
1527 - July 22	Cardinal Thomas Wolsey left for France knowing of Henry's plan to reject Katherine but unaware of any serious liaison with Anne
1527 - August	Henry sends Anne Boleyn an emerald ring, the first in a torrent of expensive gifts of jewellery (rings, bracelets, brooches, diamonds for a head-dress etc) indicating Henry and Anne had an understanding - they were now betrothed.
1527 - August 27	Henry applied to the Pope for the dispensation to marry again but Anne Boleyn is not mentioned by name.
1528 - February 28	The Venetian ambassador first becomes aware of Anne Boleyn
1528 - Summer	There is public support for her and the people shout "Victory over your enemies" when she is in public
1528 - Autumn	She is still living at court but is becoming increasingly isolated.
1528 - September 29	The Pope sends Cardinal Campeggio to hear Henry's case
1528 - October 24	Campeggio, the Pope's emissary meets with her and advises her to enter a convent & retire gracefully.She refuses.
1528 - Late October	Receives a letter telling her that by riding out & attracting the cheers of the people, she was inciting rebellion. The council also tells her that if she continues to work against the King in this way she will be completely separated from both the City & Princess Mary.
1528 - November	She continues to fight the divorce & is now separated from her daughter
1529 - June 18	She makes her famous impassioned speech at the Legatine Court at Blackfriars & challenges the authority of the court
1529 - October 9	Cardinal Thomas Wolsey is charged with praemunire (being an agent of a foreign power ie. the Pope)
1529 - October 17	Henry VIII strips Cardinal Wolsey of his titles of office. This was due to his failure to secure an annulment of his marriage to Katherine from the Pope.
1529 - November	Henry became concerned about the popular support of Katherine and called a meeting of leading citizens in London where he stated what a good wife she was but received a poor reception to his speech.
1529 - November 30	Henry dines with Katherine in an effort to appear civil but it doesn't go well & she is angry with him.
1529 - December 9	Du Bellay, the french ambassador reported that Anne Boleyn was back at court and lodged near the king
1529 - December 24	Henry tells her that even if the Pope declares their marriage to be lawful he would still have his divorce. He tells her that the Church of Canterbury is more important than that of Rome & that if the Pope found against him then he would declare the Pope a heretic & marry whomever he chooses.
1530 - New Year	From The New Year, Henry spends more time with Anne Boleyn than Katherine
1530 - Christmas	Anne Boleyn has the livery coats of her servants embroidered with the motto "Ainsi sera, groigne qui groinge" (Let them grumble, that is how it is going to be) but has it removed a few weeks later
1531 - February	Parliament first recognises King Henry VIII as the Supreme Head of the Church of England
1531 - Early	An angry King Henry VIII summons the clergy to Westminster, where he demands reimbursement for the costs of sending a delegation to Rome after it failed to achieve its goal of securing an annulment of his marriage. Henry also demands that he be recognized as the "sole protector and supreme head of the English Church and clergy." In the Parliament, Bishop John Fisher, the Bishop of Rochester, expresses strong disagreement with giving this new title to Henry.
1531 - March	Sir Thomas More tells the House of Lords that King Henry VIII is seeking annulment of his marriage not "out of love for some lady," but for reasons of conscience.
1531 - April	Henry and Anne fall out over Princess Mary and Henry complains to Norfolk about her attitude saying that Katherine had never spoken to him like that.
1531 - Spring	Duke of Suffolk openly espouses a pro-Imperial policy and in the summer he tells the King that he is the 3rd person Katherine would obey. When Henry asks who the first two were and expected the reply to be "the Pope" and "the Emperor", the duke answered that God was first and her conscience was the second.
1531 - May 3	Katherine suggests that Mary should pay them a visit. Henry replies that Katherine can visit her if she wants to.
1531 - May 31	A delegation of some 30 nobles, courtiers and clerics visit Katherine at Greenwich and ask her for the sake of the country and to save Henry's dignity to consent to settle the case. Katherine was impervious and they leave empty handed.
1531 - June	Katherine sees her daughter, Mary
1531 - July 14	Henry officially separates from her after 22 years of marriage & never sees her again. She is banished from court.
1531 - Christmas	Henry returns her gift saying that they are no longer man & wife it is not proper for them to exchange gifts.
1532 - January	Her daughter, Mary is allowed to visit her
1532 - May 16	Sir Thomas More resigns as Lord Chancellor
1532 - August	Her closest friend, Maria de Salinas, Lady Willoughby, is ordered to leave her household & she is told not to make any attempt to communicate with her.
1532 - Sept 13	She is told to move to Enfield
1532 - Late October	Anne Boleyn begins living openly with Henry at Greenwich
1533 - Feb	Henry orders her to move to Ampthill which was some distance from London. She writes letters to both the Pope and Charles saying that she wanted no bloodshed and would not sanction any invasion of England on her behalf.
1533 - April 1	Convocation declared by 14 votes to 7 that if Catherine's first marriage had been consummated, then her marriage to Henry was against God's law and as such invalid.
1533 - April 5	Convocation ruled that the Pope did not have the authority to issue a bull setting aside the ruling in Leviticus that no man shall marry his brother's wife. The ruling was opposed by Bishop John Fisher.
1533 - April 9	Thomas Howard, 3rd Duke of Norfolk and Charles Brandon, 1st Duke of Suffolk were sent to Ampthill to tell Catherine that Henry and Anne were married. She was told that as she was now no longer queen she must use the title Princess dowager of Wales. She was allowed to keep her property but her servants and household expenses would now be her responsibility. She was also told that if she submitted to the King's will she would be generously provided for.
1533 - May 13	Thomas Cranmer pronounces judgement on Henry's marriage to Katherine. He declared the marriage null and void on the grounds that it was contrary to divine law. Bishop John Fisher was the only bishop to protest against the decision and secretly appealed to Charles V to intervene, using force if necessary. However, although angry, Charles had no intention of starting a war.
1533 - June	She has her entourage put into new liveries embroidered with H & K to celebrate their marriage of 24 years.
1533 - July 3	She is visited by a deputation of Councillors led by Lord Mountjoy. She is told that if she would submit to the King's wishes he would provide her with a handsome estate but that if she persisted in her obstinacy things would go badly for her daughter and servants.
1533 - July 11	Henry is excommunicated by the Pope
1533 - late July	Henry is furious with Katherine's continual obstinacy and orders her to move to the Bishop of Lincoln's Palace at Buckden in Huntingdonshire
1533 - early December	She writes to Henry asking if she might be allowed to move to a healthier house. Henry replies that she could move to Fotheringay Castle if she chose. Knowing it to be worse than Buckden, she declines.
1534 - March 23	Act of Succession. This Act was introduced to exclude Mary from the succession and settle it instead on the children born from his marriage to Anne. It registered the invalidity of Henry's first marriage and proclaimed his second to be legal. Severe penalties were to be imposed on all those who opposed Henry's second marriage and this Act, either openly or secretly. The Act also gave Henry the power to extract oaths from any of his subjects regarding the provisions of the Act. Anyone refusing to swear the oath would be guilty of treason.
1534 - early April	She refuses to swear the oath of succession. She starts to fear for both her own and her daughter's life. She only eats food prepared by trusted servants.
1534 - May 23	Pope pronounces their marriage as still valid
1534 - May	She moves to Kimbolton and her apartments were more comfortable than those of Buckden
1534 - June	The Bishop of Durham is sent to make her swear to the Oath of Succession. However, she steadfastly refuses to take the oath.
1534 - July	Her health deteriorates & both Chapuys & Maria De Salinas are denied permission to visit her. However, Ambassador Chapuys makes a great show of the journey although five miles from the castle he is met by one of her messengers who tells him that she has been forbidden to meet him. He turns back satisfied that the people knew Spain supported Katherine
1535 - April/May	There are plans for her to escape organized by Chapuys & Charles V but they are cancelled because of the fear that if they were discovered both she and her daughter would be executed.
1535 - December 1	Katherine is seriously ill. She is complaining of chest pains, unable to eat and confined to bed.
1535 - December 14	She has recovered slightly and able to sit in a chair. She writes to Charles V asking for money to pay her servants as her funds were depleted
1535 - December 17	Katherine celebrates her 50th Birthday
1535 - December 26	She is taken ill and was forced to take to her bed again.
1535 - December 30?	Ambassador Chapuys is given permission to visit her because she is considered to be dying. Henry is still considering if he will allow Mary to visit.
1536 - January 2	Chapuys arrives at Kimbolten Castle to see Catherine. She tells him that she could die happy now she knew she was not abandoned.
1536 - January 4	Chapuys tells her physician that if her condition deteriorates she is to swear on her deathbed that her marriage to Arthur had not been consummated. Much store was set by deathbed confessions.
1536 - January 5	Maria de Salinas, Lady Willoughby, forces her way into Kimbolten Castle to see her despite being refused permission to visit.
1536 - January 6	Katherine makes her will, despite it being against the law for a woman to make a will while her husband lives. She asks for her debts to be paid and her servants rewarded for the good service they have given. She bequeaths a collar of gold that she had brought from Spain to Mary as well as her furs. Chapuys leaves Kimbolten as she seems so much stronger.
1536 - January 7	Katherine awakes with stomach pains and nausea. She quickly becomes very weak and her confessor is summoned. She dictates two letters, one to Henry and one to Charles V. She receives Holy Communion and extreme unction then prays aloud for two hours. She dies at 2 p.m.(aged 50 and Henry is 44) at Kimbolton Castle, Huntingdonshire, probably of cancer. She lived the longest of all Henry's wives.
1536 - January 8	An autopsy was carried out on her body. A black growth was found on her heart but no other abnormalities. . It was believed by Chapuys & the catholic faction that Anne Boleyn had slowly poisoned Katherine to death and the death of Mary was rumoured to follow. .
1536 - January 29	Katherine is buried at Peterborough Cathedral. Her successor Anne Boleyn bears a still born son the same day which is the beginning of her own demise.

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