Editing Henry VIII (section)

== Early years ==
{{Multiple image|image1=Enrique VII de Inglaterra, por un artista anónimo.jpg|image2=British School, 16th century - Elizabeth of York - Haunted Gallery, Hampton Court Palace.jpg|total_width=350|footer=Henry VIII's parents, [[King Henry VII]] and [[Elizabeth of York|Queen Elizabeth]]}}
Born on 28 June 1491 at the [[Palace of Placentia]] in [[Greenwich]], Kent, Henry Tudor was the third child and second son of King [[Henry VII of England|Henry VII]] and [[Elizabeth of York]].<ref name="Crofton2006">{{Harvnb|Crofton|2006|p=128}}</ref> Of the young Henry's six (or seven) siblings, only three&nbsp;– his brother [[Arthur, Prince of Wales]], and sisters [[Margaret Tudor|Margaret]] and [[Mary Tudor, Queen of France|Mary]]&nbsp;– survived infancy.<ref name="Crofton2006a">{{Harvnb|Crofton|2006|p=129}}</ref> He was baptised by [[Richard Foxe]], the [[Bishop of Exeter]], at a church of the [[Observant Franciscans]] close to the palace.<ref name="scarisbrick3">{{Harvnb|Scarisbrick|1997|p=3}}</ref> In 1493, at the age of two, Henry was appointed [[Constable of Dover Castle]] and [[Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports]]. He was subsequently appointed [[Earl Marshal of England]] and [[Lord Lieutenant of Ireland]] at age three and was made a [[Knight of the Bath]] soon after. The day after the ceremony, he was created [[Duke of York]] and a month or so later made [[Warden of the Scottish Marches]]. In May 1495, he was appointed to the [[Order of the Garter]]. The reason for giving such appointments to a small child was to enable his father to retain personal control of lucrative positions and not share them with established families.<ref name="scarisbrick3"/> Not much is known about Henry's early life – save for his appointments – because he was not expected to become king,<ref name="scarisbrick3"/> but it is known that he received a first-rate education from leading tutors. He became fluent in Latin and French and learned at least some Italian.{{Sfn|Churchill|1966|p=24}}{{Sfn|Scarisbrick|1997|pp=14–15}}

In November 1501, Henry played a considerable part in the ceremonies surrounding his brother Arthur's marriage to [[Catherine of Aragon|Catherine]], the youngest child of King [[Ferdinand II of Aragon]] and Queen [[Isabella I of Castile]].{{Sfn|Scarisbrick|1997|p=4}} As duke of York, Henry used the [[Coat of arms|arms]] of his father as king, differenced by a ''label of three points ermine''. He was further honoured on 9 February 1506 by [[Holy Roman Emperor Maximilian I]], who made him a [[Knight of the Golden Fleece]].<ref>{{Cite book |title=The Complete Peerage, Volume III |date=1912 |publisher=St Catherine's Press |editor-last=Gibbs |editor-first=Vicary |page=443}} Under Duke of Cornwall, which was his title when he succeeded his brother as Prince of Wales.</ref>

In 1502, Arthur died at the age of 15, just 20 weeks after his marriage to [[Catherine of Aragon]].<ref name="crofton126">{{Harvnb|Crofton|2006|p=126}}</ref> Arthur's death thrust all his duties upon his younger brother. The 10-year-old Henry became the new [[Duke of Cornwall]], and the new [[Prince of Wales]] and [[Earl of Chester]] in February 1504.{{Sfn|Scarisbrick|1997|pp=4–5}} Henry VII gave his second son few responsibilities even after the death of Arthur. Young Henry was strictly supervised and did not appear in public. As a result, he ascended the throne "untrained in the exacting art of kingship".{{Sfn|Scarisbrick|1997|p=6}}

Henry VII renewed his efforts to seal a marital alliance between [[Kingdom of England|England]] and Spain, by offering his son Henry in marriage to the widowed Catherine.<ref name="crofton126"/> Henry VII and Queen Isabella were both keen on the idea, which had arisen very shortly after Arthur's death.<ref name="loades22">{{Harvnb|Loades|2009|p=22}}</ref> On 23 June 1503, a treaty was signed for their marriage, and they were betrothed two days later.<ref name="scarisbrick8">{{Harvnb|Scarisbrick|1997|p=8}}</ref> A [[papal dispensation]] was only needed for the "impediment of public honesty" if the marriage had not been [[consummated]] as Catherine and her [[duenna]] claimed, but Henry VII and the Spanish ambassador set out instead to obtain a dispensation for "[[Affinity (Catholic canon law)|affinity]]", which took account of the possibility of consummation.<ref name="scarisbrick8"/> Cohabitation was not possible because Henry was too young.<ref name="loades22"/> Isabella's death in 1504, and the ensuing problems of succession in [[Crown of Castile|Castile]], complicated matters. Ferdinand II preferred Catherine to stay in England, but Henry VII's relations with Ferdinand had deteriorated.{{Sfn|Loades|2009|pp=22–23}} Catherine was therefore left in limbo for some time, culminating in Prince Henry's rejection of the marriage as soon he was able, at the age of 14. Ferdinand's solution was to make his daughter ambassador, allowing her to stay in England indefinitely. Devout, she began to believe that it was God's will that she marry the Prince despite his opposition.<ref name="Loades2009">{{Harvnb|Loades|2009|p=23}}</ref>