Henry VII
wasn’t the only Tudor king to marry in January. Henry VIII took two brides in
the month of January, the first being his second wife, Anne Boleyn. This
happened on January 25, 1533. However, this was just a slightly more public
wedding than the first, which likely took place in November 1532.
Either way,
some believe that Henry VIII committed adultery and bigamy and that the
marriage to Anne was never valid. Whether the two married in November or
January officially, Henry’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon wasn’t annulled until
May 23, 1533.
An annulment,
of course, isn’t like a divorce. When an annulment is given, the marriage never
happened. That means Henry was free to marry Anne, whichever month it was.
Also, later Henry’s marriage to Anne would be annulled, so technically it didn’t
happen. Confusing, right?
Getting
married by the end of January was important. Anne and Henry had started
physically courting by this point. Their relationship had turned intimate and
Henry needed to make sure any baby born between them was viewed as legitimate.
Rowland Lee
officiated the January 25 ceremony at Whitehall. Why not Thomas Cranmer,
Archbishop of Canterbury? It would have put Cranmer in a very difficult
position, since he still hadn’t arranged for the annulment from Catherine of Aragon.
The marriage remained a secret from the public
until Henry and Catherine’s annulment was made official, which is why there
were rumors of an Easter wedding until March 1533!
Like with
her late mother-in-law, Anne Boleyn was likely pregnant at the time of her
wedding in the January. She would give birth to her only daughter, Elizabeth,
on September 7, 1533.
Images of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn in the public domain
Main image adapted by Alexandria Gunn
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