The beautiful 24 year old bride must have been the happiest woman at the world as she stood at the altar of the small room in Greenwich Palace. After several years of struggles over her marriage dowry, illness and even threats to be sent back to Spain, Catherine of Aragon was finally marrying her prince. And what a prince!The soon-to-be-crowned Henry was over six feet tall, handsome, auburn-haired, cultured, pious and well-educated. Any woman would be pleased to marry him.
It was a quiet wedding, however, unlike the splendid wedding Catherine had to Henry's brother, Arthur. Henry was still in mourning for his father, Henry VII. Also, there may have been lingering doubts about the propriety of the marriage - a dispensation had to be granted by the Pope because Henry was marrying his brother's widow.
The Archbishop of Canterbury, William Warham, performed the ceremony which was witnessed by Lord Steward Shrewsbury and William Thomas. Now Catherine could look forward to her coronation as Queen of England which would be a much more lavish affair.
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