The King's Great Matter

Catherine pleading her case against divorce from Henry.  Painting by Henry Nelson O'Neil at Wikimedia

Timeline of events

• 1519 - Charles V receives crowns of Holy Roman Emperor and Archduke of Austria.
• 1520 - Charles V visits his aunt Catherine in England, who then encourages her husband King Henry VIII to ally with Charles V rather than France
• 1525 - Henry "becomes enamoured" of Anne Boleyn, one of Catherine's ladies in waiting
• 1527 - Charles V sacks Rome and imprisons Pope Clement VII, effectively shutting off communications between Henry and the Pope concerning the divorce
• 1529 - Wolsey fails to get Henry's annulment and is dismissed from public office
• 1529 - The Treaty of Cambrai, the "Ladies' Peace"
• 1529 - The Muslim advance will be halted in Vienna
• 1530 - Charles V crowned Holy Roman Emperor
• 1530 - Wolsey dies after being arrested for treason
• 1531 - Catherine is banished from court, her rooms being given over to Anne Boleyn
• 1531 - Catherine goes to live at The More castle in the winter
• 1533 - 23 May, Cranmer rules that Catherine's marriage to Henry is illegal
• 1533 - 28 May, Cranmer validates Henry's marriage to Anne Boleyn
• 1535 - Catherine moves to Kimbolton Castle, where she lives in one room
• 1536 - Catherine dies on 7 January

Catherine was a member of the Third Order of Saint Francis.
16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536.
It's 1529 now; Catherine is 49 now?  Henry got hot for Anne four years ago, when C was 45; go figure.

General timeline and ongoing facts -
- The Holy Roman Empire is a thing, headed by Charles V, who is also the King of Spain.
- THRE is currently raging against France, having seen Germany and Spain united by Charles V's inheritances
- In 1529, THRE is going strong after the 1525 Habsburg victory at the Battle of Pavia. The Ottoman advance of 1526 is fresh.
- Charles V opposes Protestant Reformation.


Sources consulted

• Bax, E. Belfort.  _The Peasants War in Germany, 1525-1526.  Archive dot Org.
• "Catherine of Aragon," People in History, BBC.
• "Catherine of Aragon," Wikipedia. 
• "Catherine of Aragon: Humble and Loyal."  Tudor History dot Org.
• "Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor," Wikipedia. 
• "Henry VIII and Katherine of Aragon." Historic Royal Palaces dot Org UK.
• "Holy Roman Empire," Wikipedia. 
• Map, Holy Roman Empire, Wikimedia. 
• "Medieval Queens." Presented by Author Rachel Bard at Medieval Queens dot Com. 
• "Siege of Vienna," Wikipedia.