ANNIVERSARIES

21 JUNE 1529

Catherine of Aragon causes a courtroom sensation

Henry VIII’s first wife makes an impassioned plea to save her marriage

On 21 June 1529, London awoke with a buzz of anticipation. For weeks all the talk had been about the hearing into Henry VIII’s marriage to Catherine of Aragon. The king was seeking an annulment, but Catherine was putting up a fight. As the clerks arrived at Blackfriars, a crowd was waiting outside the chamber, pushing and shoving to get one of the precious places.

When the court resumed that morning, Henry spoke first, insisting that he merely needed to know if their marriage was legal. But then came Catherine’s turn. Calmly she rose from her seat and walked towards Henry’s throne. And there,