Cranmer Declares Henry VIII's Marriage to Anne Boleyn Valid
Cranmer didn't even have the authority yet—his papal bulls confirming him as Archbishop wouldn't arrive for another two months. But Henry needed this marriage legal *now*. Anne was already four months pregnant, and a bastard heir solved nothing. So on May 23rd, Cranmer held a secret court at Dunstable Priory, ten miles from where Catherine of Aragon was staying, and declared Henry's first marriage invalid. Five days later, he ruled Anne's marriage good. The Church of England's first official act was retroactive legitimization of a king who'd already made up his mind.
May 23, 1533
493 years ago
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