Do you agree with the view that the main reasons for Henry's failure to obtain the annulment of his marriage in the years 1525-29 was the determined opposition of Katherine of Aragon?

Within the years of 1525-29 Henry failed to obtain an annulment of his marriage, it was suggested that the main reason for this failure was because of the determined opposition of Katherine of Aragon however it is also argued that other factors such as the pope keeping peace between England and Spain as well as the overall weakness of the kings case and his reliance’s on biblical reasons as well as Katherine’s of Aragon’s opposition all these factors also contributed to the failure to obtain the annulment.

The view that the main reasons on why Henry didn’t receive his annulment was because of the determined opposition of Katherine of Aragon, within source 4 its suggested that Katherine was trying to uphold her dignity as Henry persisted for the annulment. Henry's reasoning for the annulment left Katherine feeling red-faced as well as full of anguish Henry was trying to declare (by the end of the marriage) his 23 years of marriage to Katherine of Aragon was a deception which supplied Katherine with the determined opposition to annul Henry their marriage which conducted to the failure to obtain the annulment.

Another supportive evidence found in source 4 that encourages the view that the main reasons on why Henry didn’t receive his annulment was because of the determined opposition of Katherine of Aragon in the years 1525-29 was that Katherine was suggest to enter a convent for an honourable retirement. Katherine was up supportive of this idea and refused the offer. The relentlessness from Henry trying to perused Katherine to agree to the annulment gave Katherine the advantage as it is seen as Henry was trying to bully Katherine in agreeing which only just thickened her dismissal to agree to the annulment, which strengthens the view that her determined opposition was a main reason for Henry's failure to secure an annulment.

It’s seen that Katherine didn’t have an option on getting annulled from Henry. As source 6, a letter sent from Wolsey to Henry in 1517, suggest ‘the queen rejects my authority’ Wolsey was trying to present optimism to Henry if Katherine rejects the annulment which presents Katherine not having a option to whether Henry and herself get annulled from one another. The reliability of the source will be low as the source was written at the time of the process of Henry's annulment and was also written by Wolsey who’s job was to obtain the annulment and so as he failed to achieve the letter will be produced to keep Henry happy and optimistic of the annulment being obtained. So the suggestion that Katherine’s didn’t have any power over staying married to Henry and being queen, the decision was made for her, which contributed to her determined opposition to the annulment of her marriage to Henry in 1515-19.

Not only was it Katherine of Aragon determined opposition that contributed to Henry's failure to obtain an annulment there were also other contributing factors that have a huge impacting on Henry trying to secure the annulment.

Henry trying to receive consent from the pope is a factor to both the view that Katherine was the main reason for Henry's failure to obtain an annulment as well as other factors being the main reasons to obtain, as Katherine of Aragon used her own strengths as an advantage to dismiss Henry's plea to obtain the annulment, Katherine strengths were greatly used as the doubled as one of greatest weaknesses. Source 5 suggests that Katherine being aunt to king of Spain gave a massive gain for the opposition as Henry as England and Spain were broken allies which effected Henry being able to receive the pops consent as her was controlled by Charles the king of Spain. The unavailability of the consent by pope provided supportive evidence to both views on the matter as it supports Katherine being the causation to the failure as well as other factors contributing toward the failure of the annulment.

Henry had a huge reliance on his biblical argument to achieve the annulment from his marriage from Katherine of Aragon. Source 4 suggests that Henry's religious argument was that his marriage to Katherine wasn’t lawful as Katherine was Henry's brother’s wife previously. Religious texts that Henry used to support his argument were Leviticus 18:16 “thou shalt not uncover the nakedness of thy brothers wife, it is thy brothers nakedness” and Leviticus “if a man shall take his brothers wife, it is an unclean thing… they shall be childless”. Henry supportive evidence was weak and didn’t hold any strength when appealing for an annulment, which gives supportive evidence that suggests it, is other reason why Henry couldn’t obtain the annulment from Katherine of Aragon.

One of the most influential factors to why Henry couldn’t receive an annulment was Charles V power over the pope. Source 5 implies that Henry had a dependency to his religious argument on why he should get divorced which needed the popes consent. However the king of Spain had a massive influence of the popes decisions as in 1527 Rome had been sacked from the imperial army so under control by Charles, the pope could risk offending Charles by humiliating his aunt Katherine so overall Henry lost the support from the pope because of the influence Charles had which lead to support the fact that other factors affected Henry being able to achieve an annulment from Katherine.

To conclude the evidence suggests that other factors had a huge influence of the failure for Henry to achieve an annulment and Charles being the most influential. However Katherine had a huge amount of influence to do with the reasons why the other factors effected the annulment however Katherine’s determined opposition had greatest impact to the failure of the annulment. So overall the evidence presents the view that the main reason for Henry's failure to obtain the annulment of her marriage in the years 1525-29 was the determined opposition of Katherine of Aragon