perfectspecimens:7 March 1530 - Pope Clement VII officially denies England’s King Henry VIII a

perfectspecimens:7 March 1530 - Pope Clement VII officially denies England’s King Henry VIII a divorce from his wife, Catherine of Aragon. Henry subsequently names himself head of the church in England and above the Pope in all matters. The Pope never had any intention of granting Henry a divorce. He did not want to get on the wrong side of Catherine’s nephew, the Holy Roman Emperor, Charles V. He also thought Henry would soon tire of his new mistress (Anne Boleyn) and return to his senses — and his wife. So Clement stalled for time. He sent Cardinal Carpeggio to England to hear the arguments for a divorce at a trial to be organized by England’s Cardinal Wolsey. Clement told Carpeggio to stall for time and have the trial proceed as slowly as possible. The trial began began on 29 June 1529. Catherine made her entrance to the grand hall. Henry sat on a makeshift throne near the court bench where both cardinals would hear Katherine’s case. She knew she had only one chance to plead her case and instead of responding to the first question from Cardinal Wolsey, she rose from her seat, walked directly to Henry and knelt before him. She then proceeded to give a highly emotional speech begging Henry not to go through with this trial. Henry tried to raise Catherine to her feet, but she would not stand. This was her one chance to fight for her marriage in public and she was going to take full advantage of it. She knew her only way out of this situation was a direct appeal to Rome and she asked Henry that she do so through her family in Spain. She put Henry on the spot. With a room full of spectators — many of whom were sympathetic to her situation — Henry could not refuse her plea. She got her second chance. Catherine rose to her feet and, instead of returning to her seat, she strode out of the court ignoring several calls for her to return. “On, on, it makes no matter.” she said. “For it is no impartial court for me, therefore I will not tarry." Portrait of Catherine of Aragon pleading her case against her divorce from Henry VIII, by the English artist Henry Nelson O’Neill, circa 1850. Oil on canvas. Private collection. Catherine is seen kneeling before Henry VIII. The two men dressed in red clerical robes are Cardinal Wolsey (foreground) and Cardinal Carpeggio.  -- source link

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