Did Prince Arthur and Katharine of Aragon consummate their marriage?
This question was very important during Henry VIII’s reign. He said his marriage to Katharine should be annulled because she had been his brother’s wife. He disregarded the papal dispensation which had given them permission to wed in 1509 by arguing that the Pope could not disregard the Bible itself. There are passages in Leviticus which specifically forbid a man taking his brother’s wife as his own. Katharine swore that she and Arthur had never consummated their marriage, as did her duenna. I have to support Katharine of Aragon on this one; her marriage to Arthur probably wasn’t consummated. They were both young and Arthur was already very ill. Also, Katharine was deeply pious; it is difficult to believe she would lie to a papal legate about such a thing.
