Tudor Times is the online repository for all things Tudor and Stewart (1485–1625)

On 23rd May 1533 at a specially convened court at Dunstable, Thomas Cranmer, Archbishop of Canterbury declared that the marriage between Henry VIII and Katharine of Aragon had been void from the beginning, and that therefore when Henry had married Anne Boleyn he had been a bachelor. After seven years of wrangling Henry was free. Anne was crowned as Queen of England on 1st June 1533. Just over a month later, Katharine’s Chamberlain, Lord Mountjoy, came to her at Ampthill and informed her that she was to be known henceforth as ‘Princess Dowager’.

On 22nd May 1539 Edward Seymour, later Viscount Beauchamp and Earl of Hertford, was born to Edward Seymour, brother of Queen Jane Seymour, and his second wife, Anne Stanhope. Young Edward contracted a secret marriage to Lady Katherine Grey, to the fury of Elizabeth I, who loathed the Grey sisters, and had no desire to see heirs born to be contenders for her throne. Seymour and Katherine were thrown into the Tower of London, but still managed to produce a second child. Seymour appears to have enjoyed secrecy, making to further clandestine matches, both to ladies named Frances Howard!

On 20th May 1537 Sir John Russell wrote to Lord Lisle, Governor of Calais, asking him to send some ‘fat quails’, as the pregnant Queen, Jane Seymour, had a craving for them. Lord Lisle was eager to please the Queen, as his wife, Honor, was promoting her daughters by her first marriage as possible maids-of-honour. Queen Jane eventually appointed one of them, Anne Bassett, who proved a great favourite with Jane and her three successors.