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Social Change and 16th Century England

largely motivated by political objectives. His father had arranged the marriage between Arthur and Catherine in order to unite with Spain against the French, particularly in the struggle over Brittany. The two had married on November 14, 1501, when Catherine was only sixteen and Arthur only fifteen. After Arthur's untimely death, steps were taken by both Henry VII and Ferdinand to arrange a treaty of betrothal between Catherine and the surviving Prince of Wales, Henry VIII.

Both sides had their reasons for pushing for the union. Henry VII's avarice made it difficult for him to even consider returning the dowry that had already been paid. For Ferdinand, it also came to a question of money. Henry VII had refused to support his widowed daughter-in-law, and expected Catherine to live off Spanish money. Ferdinand was adamant that there were not enough Spanish revenues to support both Catherine and his own widowed daughter-in-law, Isabel of Portugal. If Catherine were to marry Henry VIII, the first dowry could be counted toward the second marriage, and Ferdinand would not have to concern himself with the question of Catherine's financial support.

Once the arrangement had been negotiated, there were still obstacles in the way of a marriage between Henry and Catherine. The union required a special dispensation from the Pope, as Catherine's marriage to Arthur, which had made her Henry's sister-in-law, was considered to have joined the two as actual brother and sister. The laws at the time forbid siblings from uniting in marriage as they were seen as being related "in the first degree of lateral." The Pope eventually permitted the two to marry on the grounds that Catherine's marriage to Arthur had never been consummated. The ceremony took place on June 11, 1509.

Because Henry had a wide variety of interests that went beyond government administration and business, he often had to rely on his advisers to as...

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Social Change and 16th Century England. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 21:02, March 28, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1687928.html