Henry VII Chronology – What Happened 1505-1506?

Henry sent an embassy to Spain to report on the widowed Queen Joanna of Naples. They were given a list of 24 points regarding her physical appearance that were to be satisfied. A portrait was also commissioned.

Thomas More married Jane Colt. The couple settled in Bucklersbury London.

The Boleyn family moved to Hever Castle which Thomas Boleyn had inherited from his father.

Sebastian Cabot, son of John Cabot, returned from a voyage to the New Found Land and brought back a quantity of fish.

John Colet was appointed Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral. Colet believed in the simplicity of Christianity. He believed that the epistles were genuine letters and that the story of the creation had been invented by Moses to explain man’s creation to his people.

The second part of Catherine of Aragon’s dowry remained unpaid. Henry VII was also concerned that Spain was not as strong as it was before and was having second thoughts about a marriage between Prince Henry and Catherine.

Catherine of Aragon now had no money of her own and was unable to pay her servants. The Spanish ambassador, Dr De Puebla, wrote to Ferdinand of Aragon to seek his advice.

Negotiations began for a possible marriage between Henry VII and Margaret of Savoy.

The Pope’s envoy, Silvestro de Gigli, brought a dispensation from the Pope allowing the marriage of Prince Henry and Catherine of Aragon to go ahead.

After the death of Isabella of Castile in 1504, Ferdinand had taken control of the region rather than allow it to pass to Isabella’s heir, her daughter Juanna. Henry made a loan of £108,000 to Philip of Castile, husband of Juanna, to help him pursue his wife’s claim to the throne of Castile.

The humanist scholar, Erasmus, returned to England from the continent. He became very friendly with Thomas More.

The embassy that had been sent to Spain to report on the suitability of Joanna of Naples as a bride for Henry VII, returned to England. Although they spoke favourably of the young widow, they also reported that she had no wealth of her own. Henry was cross that he had not been given this information earlier and abandoned all thoughts of this marriage.

On his father’s orders, Prince Henry made a secret but formal protest against marriage to his brother’s widow. The protest was made in the presence of Richard Foxe, Bishop of Winchester, the Lord Privy Seal and other members of the Privy Council. The protest took place in the east wing of Richmond Palace. The young prince stated that the treaty had been made when he was a minor and as such was null and void. Despite the protest, Henry VII did not formally break the treaty as he did not want to lose the first instalment of Catherine’s dowry which had been paid after her marriage to Henry’s brother, Arthur.

The Spanish ambassador, Dr De Puebla, received word from Catherine’s father, Ferdinand of Aragon, stating that Catherine’s welfare was the responsibility of King Henry VII. De Puebla was told to ask Henry to help Catherine however, the ambassador was concerned about his own standing in England and decided not to speak to Henry for fear of antagonising him. Court etiquette prevented Catherine from asking her father-in-law for money.

Catherine of Aragon’s duenna was dismissed after it was revealed that she had been working to further her own interests rather than those of Catherine.

Since the dismissal of her duenna, Catherine had been mistress of Durham House where she was living. However, she had no money with which to run a household. Dr De Puebla spoke to Henry who replied that Catherine should dismiss some of her servants and move to court.

Catherine wrote to her father, Ferdinand of Aragon, begging him to do something about her financial situation. She also asked for De Puebla to be replaced since he did little to help her.

Richard Nanfan retired as Governor of Calais. He recommended his chaplain, Thomas Wolsey, to the King.

King Henry VII ordered that the notorious Stews be closed after increasing levels of syphilis were reported.

Philip of Burgundy and his wife, Juanna, were shipwrecked off the coast of Weymouth. Messengers were sent to inform the King.

Henry and Philip met at Windsor to discuss terms for a new peace treaty. Catherine of Aragon was disappointed that her sister Juana had not accompanied Philip to Windsor.

Catherine of Aragon had been provided with new clothes to wear for the festivities held to honour Philip of Burgundy. All meetings between Catherine and her brother-in-law were closely supervised by Henry VII to make sure that Catherine had no opportunity to complain about her treatment in England. Catherine did meet her sister, Juana, but her sister was so obsessed with her husband’s infidelities that she had no time for Catherine.

This secret treaty between Henry VII and Philip of Burgundy was concluded. Both parties agreed to ally themselves unconditionally. Henry agreed to allow Philip free passage through the English Channel so that he could easily travel between Spain and the Netherlands. Philip was installed as a Knight of the Garter.

Henry VII and Philip of Burgundy discussed the possibility of marriages between Prince Henry and Philip’s daughter, Eleanor, between Princess Mary and Philip’s son, Charles and between Henry VII and Margaret of Savoy.

The Spanish ambassador, de Puebla, learned of the Treaty of Windsor and informed Ferdinand of Spain that Henry had betrayed him.

Philip of Burgundy gave his formal assent for the marriage of his sister, Margaret of Savoy, to King Henry VII of England. He agreed that she would bring a dowry of 300,000 crowns.

Philip of Burgundy had arranged for Edmund de la Pole, Duke of Suffolk, to be handed over to the English authorities in Calais. He was now imprisoned in the Tower of London.

Margaret of Savoy stated that she would never marry the King of England who was old enough to be her father.

Philip of Burgundy and his wife, Juana, left England and returned to Spain.

The ongoing trade dispute with the Netherlands was settled with this treaty. It was well-received by all those involved in the process of cloth making for it meant that cloth could now be imported without incurring extra tariffs.

Catherine now had no money to pay her servants. She again wrote to her father telling him that if something was not done, she ahd her household would be on the streets. She suffered with anxiety and recurrent bouts of fever.

Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor, complained that ambassadors had not been sent to conclude arrangements for the marriage of Henry to his daughter, Margaret of Savoy.

Philip of Burgundy died. His wife, Juana, who was Catherine of Aragon’s sister, refused to accept he had died and would not allow the funeral to go ahead.

Catherine and Henry spent time together and found they had much in common. When Henry VII discovered they had become close he sent Catherine to live at Fulham Palace.