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... lf-sacrifice; for one of Catherines background and temperament it was unthinkable, but what had started as a simple defense of her marriage became infinitely greater. As time went by and the struggle for the divorce unfolded, the Queen began to realize that she was fighting, not merely for her own and her daughters natural rights, but for her husbands soul and the souls of all his people against the forces of darkness which seemed, to Catherine, to be come to life in the dark-eyed person of Mistress Anne Boleyn. In Henrys favor, the unlucky imprisonment at this time of Clement VII at the hands of Charles V, Catherines nephew, obliged the pope to pursue a policy of delay and hesitation. Nor was the immorality of Henrys own character the primary cause of the project of divorce. The real occasion was the kings desire for a male heir; but, however clear this may be, the injustice done to Catherine was no less cruel and real.
Rumors, probably then unfounded, of an intended divorce had been abroad as early as 1524. In 1526, and perhaps earlier, Wolsey had been making tentative inquiries at Rome on the subject. In May 1527, a secret suit was begun before the cardinal who, as a legate, summoned the king to defend himself from the charge of cohabitation with his brothers wife; but these proceedings were dropped. On June 22 nd Henry informed Catherine that they had been living in mortal sin and must separate.
In October 1528, the pope issued a secret payment to Cardinal Campeggio and Wolsey to try the cause in England, and bound himself not to repeal the case to Rome, confirming his promise by a secret payment which, however, was destroyed by Campeggio; but the trial was a sham: Campeggio was forbidden to speak judgment without further mention to Rome, and was instructed to create delays, the pope assuring Charles V, at the same time, that the case should be ultimately repealed to Rome. The object of all the assemblies was now to persuade Catherine to enter a convent and relieve them of further embarrassment. While Henrys representatives were encouraged at Rome in believing that he might make another marriage, Henry himself gave Catherine assurances that no other union would be contemplated in her lifetime; but Catherine, with courage and dignity, held fast to her rights, demanded a proper trial, and appealed, not only to the lies of the special consideration, but also to the validity of her marriage. Henry declared all of it a forgery. In addition, tried unsuccessfully to procure a declaration of its falsity from the pope. The queen appeared before the court on June 21, 1529, for the purpose of denying its jurisdiction.
On June 21 st both Henry and Catherine presented themselves before the tribunal, when the queen threw herself at Henrys feet and appealed for the last time to his sense of honor, recalling her own virtue. Henry replied with kindness, showing that her wish for repealing the cause to Rome was unreasonable in view of the dominant influence that was exercised by Charles V on the pope. Catherine persisted in making an appeal to Rome, and then withdrew. After her departure Henry, according to Cavendish, Wolsey's biographer, praised her virtues to the court. "She is, my lords, as true, as obedient, as conformable a wife as I could in my fantasy wish or desire. She hath all the virtues and qualities that ought to be in a woman of her dignity or in any other of baser estate On her refusal to return, her plea was overruled. Finally in July, 1529, the case was according to her wish, and, as a result of the treaty of Barcelona and the popes complete surrender to Charles V, revoked by the pope to Rome, a momentous act, which decided Henrys future attitude.
Pope Clement issued a brief forbidding Henry to make a second marriage, and ordering the compensation of Catherine to her rights until the cause was decided, while at the same time he professed to the French ambassador, the bishop of Tarbes, his pleasure, should the marriage with Anne Boleyn have already been made, if only it were not by his authority. In August, 1531, Catherine was ordered to live at the Moor in Hertfordshire, and at the same time separated from the princess Mary, who was taken to Richmond. In October she again received a delegation of privy councilor, and again refused to withdraw the case from Rome. In 1532, she sent the king a gold cup as a New Years gift, which he later returned, and she was forbidden to hold any communication with him. Alone and helpless in confronting Henrys absolute power, her cause found champions and sympathizers among the people. On August 23 rd Henry declared openly the invalidity of his and Catherines marriage.
On August 10 th the king forbade Catherines name as queen. But Catherine refused determinedly to yield the title for that of Princess Dowager. Not long after that she was removed to Burden in Huntingdonshire. Here Catherines household was considerably reduced, and she found herself a prisoner in her own house. In July she refused to give the cloth that she had used on her children at their baptism for Anne Boleyn's child, Elizabeth. When Catherine did this, every person in the household was dismissed and she herself reduced to the position.
The attempt in November to incriminate the queen in connection with Elizabeth Barton failed. She passed her life now in religious devotions, taking strict precautions against being poisoned. On March 23, 1534 the pope pronounced her marriage valid, but by this time England had thrown off the popes jurisdiction, the parliament had transferred Catherines jointure to Anne Boleyn, and the verdict had no effect on Catherines fortunes. She refused to swear to the new act of succession, which declared her marriage null and Annes infant the heir to the throne, and soon afterwards she was removed to Kimbolton, where she was well-treated.
On May 21 st she was visited by the archbishop of York and Tunstall, bishop of Durham, who threatened her with death if she persisted in her refusal, but only succeeded in confirming her decision. She was kept in seclusion, and separated from Mary and from all outside communications, and in December 1535 her health gave way, her death taking place on January 8, 1536. Historians speculate that the cause of Catherines death was cancer. Before her death she dictated a last letter to Henry expressing her forgiveness, begging his good offices for Mary, and concluding with the astounding assurance I vow that mine eyes desire you above all things. The king himself affected no sorrow at her death, and thanked God there was now no fear of war. When Henry heard of her death, he celebrated at a banquet in bright yellow from head to toes.
Everything that we know of Queen Catherine is to her credit; she was loyal and injured wife, an affectionate friend and mother, and a faithful subject of her adopted country. In the exercise of the strictest piety according to the practices of the Roman church, she found, in the days of her misfortune, her only consolation.
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