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Past Questions Surrounding "The Divorce"

Why did Catherine not want her marriage to be annulled?
1. She was concerned for Mary's Legitimacy
2. She claimed that her marriage to Arthur had not been consummated and therefore the Papal dispensation was entirely valid.
3. She had grown to love Henry - They had worked well together and Henry had taken a mistress at an older age, suggesting that he was satisfied with her.
4. She was a devout Catholic and didn't believe in Divorce
5. She hated Anne Boleyn
6. She was encouraged by her nephew Charles V who fully supported the Pope
7. She was meek and mild, and believed in lifelong obedience to her husband.
8. She would not see Mary again ( She was requested to move to a convent).
Why did Henry want a divorce?
1. He believed that he had gone against God's will in marrying Catherine. He believed in Leviticus 20:16
  1. Mary's legitimacy had been questioned by the French who used it as a reason to call off a marriage.
2. He loved Anne Boleyn. She caused him to fall in love with her by withholding her affections. She was also driven towards Henry by the Duke of Northumberland.
3. Catherine was unable to have children as she was past the menopause, having been able to produce a living daughter, Henry was terrified of not having a male heir. He believed that this was a punishment from God.
  1. The last English Queen, Matilda, had resulted in civil unrest and war.
Was Anne Boleyn the most important person in bringing about the King's divorce?
1. Yes:
  1. She refused to become Henry's mistress and was determined to use her wiles to ensure that she became Queen.
  2. She introduced Henry to texts such as those of Tyndale, Fish and St German, which demonstrated that he King should be head of the Church in his own country and not bow to the rule of Rome.
  3. Anne accompanied Henry on his visity to Francois I which was deemed necessary in terms of securing continental support for the divorce. Anne's knowledge and experience in the French court was believed to be vital.
2. No:
  1. Thomas Cromwell:
    1. He masterminded the development of parliamentary legislation which enabled Henry to secure the divorce.
    2. He was responsible for the manipulation of individual members of Parliament as well as for overall policies.
    3. He enabled the break with Rome and the divorce to be achieved by stages.
  2. Cramner
    1. Cramner was a leading Cambridge academic and can be seen as the most exalted specimen of Anne's religious patronage but as archbishop of Canterbury, a position secured before the final break with Rome, he not only married Anne to Henry but also confirmed to Henry that he was well within his rights to rejects the Pope's authority.
Why did Catherine refuse to accept that her marriage had not been valid?
1. A papal dispensation had been given for the marriage to take place. Catherine believed that the blessing of the Pope gave validity to her marriage. Linked to this, she refused to accept the legitimacy of the court held at Blackfriars and stated that the case could only be heard by the Pope in Rome.
2. Catherine did not believe Henry's view of the marriage in terms of the lack of Heirs. Mary was alive an a son had been born alive. This disproved the Levitican analysis argued by Henry, and linked to this Catherine argued that her marriage to Arthur had not been consummated and therefore had not been a proper marriage.
3. Catherine did not want replaced Anne Boleyn who she disliked. She did not want to lose her status at court to another woman, or for Mary to lose her position as rightful heir.
4. Catherine loved Henry. There is considerable evidence that in the early years of the marriage, Henry and she had been very happy. Unlike most kings, Henry was late in taking a mistress. She believed that Henry's infatuation for Anne would pass
Why did Henry summon Parliament in 1529?
1. He intended to bring about the fall of Wolsey and he was much Hated by parliament
  1. Act of Attainder (1529)
2. He wanted to put pressure on the Pope
3. He wanted to demonstrate that the "political nation" was supporting him.
4. He wasn't entirely sure of a plan and wanted parliament to declare his marriage invalid.

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Past Questions Surrounding "The Divorce"

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	Created by Kath Qualey over 10 years ago