Was henry viii marrige to cathrine of aragon valiad ?
The marriage of Henry and Catherine was valid granted by the Pope. When Arthur Tudor died, Catherine of Aragon became a widow. At this point Henry VII was faced with the dilemma of how to avoid returning Catherine’s dowry to her father. To avoid complications, it was agreed that Catherine would marry the king’s second son, Prince Henry, who was more than five years her junior. Marriage to Arthur’s brother Henry, depended on the Pope granting a dispensation because of the close relationships. Catherine testified that her marriage to Arthur was never consummated. The matter was considered of minor importance at the time, as the Pope had the power to overrule any objections to the marriage, whether or not they were forbidden by religious law. Henry’s discontent with Catherine was based on the fact that all their male heirs had died in childhood, with only one of their six children, Princess Mary (later Queen Mary I) surviving as heiress presumptive, at a time when there was no established
